Final blog of the year!

My favorite activity that was done in ELA this year was the response projects. I love the freedom that is allowed on them. I didn't find anything particularly boring because I felt that I was occupied with an enjoyable book or project throughout the year. My favorite book this year was The Great Gatsby. I love it's beautifully descriptive depiction of the Roaring Twenties, it's well developed characters, and engaging plot. I truly hold all of the books that we read this year in high regard, but the one that I found the least interesting was our final book, A Raisin in the Sun. I didn't find it's plot to be very interesting, and I thought it would be a bit more action-packed instead of a cut-and-dry dysfunctional family story. The self-proposed response projects are the best thing about this class. They allow the student to further explore the book's topic, or let their thoughts and imagination flow into something creative. For this reason, I believe we should keep it the same. I really enjoy this class, and for that reason, I do not think anything should change. The only thing I disliked is a part of the grading system for seminars. I think for ELA and all other classes that involve seminars, we should get rid of the grade that is obtained by one student inviting another into the conversation. I think it teaches the student to have to rely on the others for guidance and complete support, and not speak up for themselves. Over-all, this class has been a pleasure to experience and learn from.