I could have the week numbering wrong at this point, but I know we skipped a week. So I'll just guess and say week eight. We started our tragedy unit this week. I think to unit has the potential to be significantly more interesting than the last. I think using the weebly blog to help us compile our ideas for an essay is a good idea. Rather than just having us learn the entire thing then weeks later have us write an essay on what we learned way earlier, we will have a place to go to remember each individual idea we had. If it's an essay of length, or an essay that is difficult, the blog will make it easier. On Tuesday of this week, I had a Two Ted Talk Tuesday. That means I watched two Ted talks. We always watch Ted talks on Tuesday in AP Calc. I liked this Tuesday because I like Ted talks! I think we should watch more Ted talks, they are often very helpful and inspiring. I've noticed that the PoW essays are getting easier to write. I think that is just due to the fact that we have practiced, but at the beginning of the year, I could write about two paragraphs in the same time period that I can write an entire PoW essay now.

Imagine my surprise when I got back the grade and notes on the two group essays we wrote. I got a D- on both essays. The comments said basically "this was a good essay, but you failed to answer the prompt." My initial reaction, " what prompt?" I had absolutely no idea that the prompt was on the website. After a little bit of research, I learned that about half the class was on the same boat as me. They also either had no idea, or stumbled upon it by accident. I personally don't think it's fair to give people bad grades on an assignment that was not explained properly. I don't want this to sound rude, but that's just how me, and a lot of other people feel about the grades we received on our essays. I put a lot of time and effort into an essay that I believed was supposed to explain fantasy, only to discover that there was a far more specific prompt that I had never heard of. Sorry to be critical, but I think this needs to be said, and I'm not sure if anyone else will say it. The prompt was hidden amongst pictures and stories and quotes it was not even displayed prominently, see! Ok I'm done ranting, see you on Monday.

I feel like I just wrote my reflection for last week yesterday. But alas, it has been almost a week. The days are flying by quickly. Before we know it, the school year will be over and I'll be moving on with my life. But enough of that, its time to reflect on Lit class this week. It was a good idea on your part to give us an entire class period to work on our "What is Lit?" projects. That was really the first time my group got a significant amount of work done in class. Giving us ten minutes to work at the end of the hour just does not cut it. By the time we get situated, get our reading material printed off and settle down to read it, the class is over and we just have to read it at home. The full period to work on it allowed for us to discuss what was going on in depth as a group. The poem of the week this week reminded me of Christmas. It was titled "Bright Star." Though it was completely unrelated to Christmas, it got me pumped for the holidays. To expand on what I said earlier, They'll be here before we know it. I personally can't wait.