Reflecting on the First Marking Period

    Eleventh grade is a really busy and chaotic year for everyone, as students attempt to juggle various APs, Honors classes, and extracurricular committments within the average school day. With such busy schedules, half the grade is probably deprived of sleep already. Out of all this confusion, especially from the wide-ranging material we have covered in Pre-Calc and AP Biology so far, it was a great relief to end the day with Language Arts, at least one class that wasn't incredibly stressful and mind-boggling (though time management was needed with weekly blog posts, themes, and independent reading projects going on simultaneously). I think one of the reasons why Language Arts wasn't so hectic was that I actually liked the book we were assigned this first marking period. Unlike the very strange Like Water for Chocolate from last year which was horrid, To Kill A Mockingbird actually had deeper meaning, a well-thought out plot, and sufficient character development. It was more relatable and enjoyable than previous core novel assignments with likable characters and humor, as well as an interesting historical setting. Another thing I liked about Language Arts this first marking period was how we used blog posts for analysis and connections instead of having to fill out endless worksheets, something I have been used to doing in other classes. Also, the To Kill A Mockingbird chapter quizzes were reasonable and objective. I appreciate the fact that Mr. Mogg provided keynotes packets, which came in handy for studying. I hope that by the year's end, my study habits and time management skills will improve.