Response to Course Material (#2)

     Since the last time I posted one of these, I feel we haven't learned as much in terms of set principles (i.e., terms, structures, histories, etc.). Now this is not me saying that we haven't been learning a lot in class. What I'm saying is that instead of focusing on small things, we're focusing on the bigger things and building up skills that will help us on the AP test and in college English classes.

     Our discussion of The American Dream by Edward Albee and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, I feel are very important and beneficial. These discussions let us bounce ideas off each other, have debates over the significance or symbolism, and find deeper meanings in the plays. Personally, I have loved these discussions for these very reasons. I have become aware of aspects I wouldn't have seen on my own, like the fact that all the mechanical things around Willy are broken or breaking (Chevy and refrigerator). Discussions have also let me tell what I have noticed and seen while reading and express my views of the plays.

     There are a few skills we've been working on in class that I feel will be very beneficial later on in my education. The ability to write a theme statement, for example, is a skill I'm sure will become very useful in years to come and if I'm honest, I didn't know how to write a theme statement before this class. When we learned that the theme statement had to be "universal" and cover all aspects of the play (or book/novel) I realized just how hard it was to find a theme. What I had originally thought to be themes were actually motifs and I wasn't really looking at the big picture like I had thought. Creating a theme statement for The American Dream that was all encompassing was difficult, as soon as I thought I had one there was always something that wouldn't fit; it required me to think deeper into the meaning of the play, to see past the words on the page, and look at the bigger picture. I found that I had to ask myself, "Okay. What's really going on here? What am I taking away?". I'm glad I learned this skill now when I am able to discuss it with others than when I'm on my own with it (like on the AP test).
  
     Another skill we've been working on that I know will help out on the AP test, is the skill of taking a multiple choice test. Inwardly I groan every time I have to take a multiple choice test over English content, especially when it comes to older (read: Elizabethan [read: SHAKESPEARE!]) texts and passages. No matter how hard I try, I always seem to get the questions wrong. Learning a method for taking these multiple choice tests has helped a little. Reading through the passage once and reading over the stems of the questions was something I've never really done before (or considered doing); I would always just charge ahead through the questions and if I got stuck on one, then I would go back and search for the answer. Honestly, I'm still struggling some with reading the question stems and then going back and reading the passage again. Hopefully it's just because this is a new process for me and I'll get the hang of it soon.

     Something else I have learned from the practice multiple choice tests we've done is that I really need to work on my vocabulary. I still get some terms, structures, and styles mixed up (though I swear I'm getting better) but what really throws me is when a word is used and I have no clue what it means. Whether it be in the question or the answer, both equally bad, I struggle when it comes to unfamiliar words and I'm a bit unsure how to fix this problem. I try to make note of the words I don't know so that if I see them again hopefully I will remember, but this only works to a certain extent. When it comes time for the AP test, I don't want to have to struggle to understand words just to answer a question.

     What I love about this class is that I keep learning. As this is a fairly hands-off course (or at least approach) I am surprised by how much I am learning. I actually think I might be learning better this way as I am more able to learn at my pace rather than the pace of everyone else. Each discussion, each practice test, each essay helps me learn more and hone my skills for the end of the year test and future English courses. Hopefully, this learning continues and we keep having entertaining/informative discussions in class.