Last day of class

At first, I was not sure what to expect in this class. I was nervous because I had never taken a creative writing class before. However, I was surprised at how interesting it was. We had the opportunity to do fun in-class activities that kept the class moving. Most of the professors at U of M- Dearborn just lecture and the classes can be very dull. Since I am a Language Arts teacher, I am definitely going to try to incorporate some on the activities in my classroom. I especially liked doing the class Haiku and Renga activity. The sentences that everyone came up with were so unique. It was interesting to see other people's ideas and interpretations of things. I enjoyed coming to this class!!

Ira Glass and Nemesis

Ira Glass and my nemesis really do not share any similarities. I fight against my nemesis everyday(my indecisiveness). I am constantly fighting with myself to make a decision and to stick with it. Ira Glass seems to be straight to the point and is able to make decisions right away. Since he is radio show host, he probably makes important decisions and needs to feel confident in them. Ira seems to be a thinker who may often over-analyze details. This is a characteristic that we may both share.

Ira Glass- "Storytelling"

The video with Ira Glass was interesting. I think he had valid points and he included some humor. I liked how he mentions that creative work can take years to perfect. People need to abandon "crap" work and focus on something they are passionate about. I agreed with him when he said, "Failure will always happen, but you have to get through all the crap to reach something special." This holds true in everyday life. People shouldn't beat themselves up if they fail. Failure should motivate one to do better the next time around. When you do something, do it to the best of your ability and be a risk taker while doing it. Ira Glass was optimistic and had great advice for people who do creative work.

Final part of Killing Yourself to Live

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I thought it was creative and thought provoking. I learned new things about musicians and bands that I have never even listened to. Klosterman's style of writing was unique. He is extremely blunt and is full of observations. From reading, I could tell his has experienced alot in his life. I would definitely read this book again. I thought his references to drugs were hilarious. I am not into drugs of any sort, but the way he describes his "drug experiences" are very well written. Kind of in a way that makes you want to do drugs. I would have loved to go on this adventure with him. He experienced many places in the U.S. and met interesting people. The only weakness of the book were the bands. At times, I was confused with what musicians/bands he was referring to. I had to go back and re-read some things twice. Many of the bands or songs I have never heard of. This book definitely kept my attention, but I would recommend it to people who are a little older :)

Killing Yourself to Live (Pages 141-194)

For the reading there were two parts of the book I really enjoyed. One part that stuck out to me was on pages 143-144. He was discussing how he and Tweedy spent hours talking in his backyard and Klosterman didn't see anything wrong with Tweedy, a day later, he checked himself into rehab for painkillers. I liked how Klosterman wrote: But maybe we're all pretending. Nobody can control anything, really. This is definitely true. Many people put on a good show in front of their friends/family, but inside they maybe going through alot. People really do not have control over certain situations.
Another part of the story I liked was on page 157. This page talks about "our nation's relationship with time." Like Klosterman, the time thing also has me confused. At parties, people usually are never on time because they don't want to be the first ones there. I like to be on time for everything, so this usually isn't the case for me. I always have to get to the movies early to get a good seat, but end up having to wait 45 minutes before it actually starts. Klosterman made a good point: In the U.S., it does seem that every activity operates within its own unspoken, individual schedule.

My life as of 3/15/2010

Today I started my teaching job!! I am now an 8th grade Reading teacher at Summit Academy in Romulus =) I never thought I would find a job in MI, but I got pretty lucky. I have been beyond stressed out... So much work to do in a short amount of time. I have 160 students, so it is quite difficult to keep track of them. Hopefully over time, it will get easier. I feel that my life has been taken over by paperwork and grading. It's seriously one thing after another. But, I really shouldn't complain because I am making money and have full health benefits. I am also really excited that it is getting warmer and staying lighter out. Hopefully Spring is here to stay because I am done with the cold weather. My boyfriend and I just signed a lease on our first apartment, so I'm excited for that =) It has a huge walk-in closest.. that is definitely the best feature. We move in June, but I'm already thinking about all the decorating I am going to do :) That's all for now~ Hopefully everything is going well for the rest of you guys!

PostSecret

I found this website to be quite fascinating. Whoever came up with this idea is genius. Many of the "secrets" were funny, while others were depressing and sad. I especially liked the one of the bottle of Patron with the message: "I am an alcoholic , but I really go to A.A. to feel like I have a family." I wonder if people really do this... I wasn't sure if this was meant to be funny or serious. I guess it's open to interpretation! PostSecret is a creative way for people to express and release their thoughts in a non-traditional way. I enjoyed looking at all the postcards =)

Ode to My Boyfriend

I have never wrote an ode before, but I thought I would try it. Any feedback is appreciated because I'm definitely not a poet =) I am not really sure if I should include punctuation??

"Josh"

True happiness you provide
You give me hope
You give me encouragement
When we are together,
No one else exists
You allow me to share my thoughts and feelings
You let me be myself
You are my other half,
My better half.

A poem about sisters :)

Having a sister is so great
Side by side, never apart
There is a bond that can never be broken
Sisters are there for each other in good times and bad
A sister is someone to confide in and create memories with
My sister is my absolute best friend
Without her, my world would come crashing down
I'm glad that I can always turn to her
She is my other half and will always be my best friend

Poetry

The first poem I chose was: "Freddie" by Phil Bolsta. "Freddie" was so cute for young children. "Freddie was humorous and children could easily relate. It reminded me of teaching and how kids hate homework. I was the exact same way when I was younger and never wanted to finish my work. However, I never gave it to my dog to do. This poem would appeal to children, teachers and parents. The poem was brief and was easy to interpret.

"I Found a Four- Leaf Clover" by Jack Prelutsky. Jack Prelutsky is a children's poet who writes with a great deal of humor. Growing up, I loved reading his poems. This was a humorous poem about a boy who finds a four-leaf clover. The twist of the poem is instead of the clover bringing him luck, anything bad that could happen does. The ending of the poem was catchy. It reminded me of anyone who has siblings, could relate it the ending:
I buried it discreetly
in the middle of a field,
now my luck has changed completely,
and my wounds have almost healed.
If I ever find another,
I will simply let it be,
or I’ll give it to my brother—
he deserves it more than me.


"Until Gran Died" by Wes Magee was a poem that I found in the children poetry archives. It was written in a somber tone. It was about a young child who had animals die throughout his life. During these times, he was sad but he was never as sad until his Gran passed away. This poem was easy to relate to because when my grandma passed away, it was a day I'll never forgot. I was 19 years old and it was an unbearable experience. I usually don't enjoy reading sad poetry, but I was able to relate to "Until Gran Died."

'Are You the Person Drawn Toward Me?" by Walt Whitman. This poem was interesting because it deals with new relationships. The poem was short, but well written. Throughout the poem, kinds of questions were asked usually when two people first start dating. I enjoyed reading "Are You the Person Drawn Toward Me?" because of the ending. When people first start dating, they may have a certain impression of what the other person is like. Down the road, it turns out just to be an illusion...

When I think of inspiration, family comes to mind. My family consists of my mom, dad and younger sister Amy. My parents are the most down to earth and hardworking people I know. They have worked extremely hard, so that my sister and I can have privileges that many people don't have. I absolutely love being around my family. They keep me sane and remind me how thankful I am to have such awesome people in my life:)

My life this week!

This week has been so crazy. I have a long-term subbing job for a 5th/6th split.. very interesting~ I found out one of my students hacked into my password and changed a lot of his grades!! He is only a 5th grader and I couldn't believe he did this... He then proceeded to give all his friends my password. Unbelievable! He got a day suspension plus 2 weeks without his laptop. I've been pretty overwhelmed with grading papers, planing lessons, creating tests, etc. I have learned it's hard to have a decent social life when you are teaching and taking a class :( Hopefully, things calm down soon! Hope everyone has a great weekend :)

Rough draft- The Re-Creation of Hansel and Gretel

*NOTE: I decided to change my re-creation of Rumpelstiltskin to the re-creation of Hansel and Gretel. I forgot about this folktale! It was one of my favorites from when I was younger...


Long ago in a land far away, lived my dysfunctional family who was scraping to get by. The year was 2009 and times were especially tough. The United States was in a deep recession due to the declining economy. Where I came from, people were getting laid off and had to cut back on the luxuries of the finer things in life. My family in particular took a hard hit. My father was laid off from his job and life was just getting worse. We eventually had to move into a little log cabin on the outskirts of West Virginia. Our new home was secluded way up in the mountains. This seclusion was due to my evil stepmother. After my mom left my father, he remarried the meanest lady. The first day he met her, he got suckered into her cruel ways. My stepmother; (we will call her Nagging Nancy), hated being around people and many locals in West Virginia feared her.
Before I go any further, let me take a moment to introduce myself. "My name is Hansel. I will be telling this courageous story of my younger sister, Gretel and I." Ever since our parents divorced and father remarried, our life has been in shambles. It all started with our move from Michigan to West Virginia. We moved from a lovely suburban neighborhood to way up in the mountains. Gretel and myself believe Nancy had something to do with the move. Father would never want to leave the suburbs, however the money was not coming in and something had to be done. So, they made the decision to pack up and head for the wilderness. Gretel and I hated living in the mountains with our crazy stepmother. She was evil and would do anything to get rid of us kids. Our father was a lumberman who made very little money. For the exception of bread and soup, we rarely had anything to eat. Besides not having any food, Nancy did not like having us around. She would do anything for Gretel and I to go live with our mother. Since our real mother abandoned us when she left father, that was not really an option. Our evil stepmother believed if we were gone, then there would be more food for her and father.
Late one summer night, I overheard a conversation that was my worst nightmare. Nancy was doing everything in her power to get us to leave the cabin forever. "Something needs to be done to those whiny kids of yours. I want them gone immediately! "Take them deep into the forest, so I never have to see them again, roared Nagging Nancy." Shivers went down my spine."Would father really do this to us," I thought. I knew that father was terribly scared of what is wife was capable of, but I just did not think he could do something so awful to his own children. I was not prepared for what could happen to Gretel and I.
The next morning, while getting ready for school, I told Gretel what I overheard. "OMG!! cried Gretel. What are we going to do?" Not having a plan, I told Gretel, "We will discuss this when evil stepmother is not around." Since we were home-schooled it was hard to find time away from Nancy. During lunch, we took a walk through the woods to brainstorm what we should do. "Maybe we should just run away, Gretel said." "Absolutely not, I replied." I convinced Gretel that we needed to stick this out, no matter what father chose to do. "Tonight, I will gather colored marbles and we can leave those as a trail. That way we can find our way back home, in case father does leave us in the woods, I stated calmly." Gretel and I trudged home from our walk anxiously awaiting what could happen. Later that evening, I overheard father and Nancy whispering. From what I heard, Nancy had finally convinced him leading Gretel and I into the woods in hope of us never returning. It happend just before dawn. Father woke us up out of a deep sleep. He lied to us and told us that we were going to chop down a tree. Gretel and I could not believe this was happening! Father had been brain-washed by our crazy stepmother. We knew he would never do this on his own. Father led us deep into the forest. As we walked, I comforted my little sister. "I promise we will get home safely, I told Gretel. I have been dropping marbles as father walks ahead. They will be our guide back to the cabin." After a long journey, we arrived in the middle of the forest. All we could hear were birds chirping away going about their happy lives. "I will be back for you soon, said father." Although we had hope, we knew this would not happen unless Nagging Nancy was gone forever. "Good-bye father, we replied solemnly. Darkness feel upon us quickly. Since we did not have shelter or a fire, we huddled together against a tree for warmth.
When dawn broke, we set out in hope of finding our marble pathway, but that did us no good. We were truly lost. We decided to trek on a bit further. Just then, appeared a house that was so breathtaking, it was like magic. It glistened in the sun and a surge of hope traveled through us. We bolted straight to the house, praying that the owners were home. Nervously, I knocked on the door. We anxiously waited for someone to come to the door. A wrinkled lady with a cane appeared at the door. "Can I help you children?" "Yesss! We both exclaimed at the same time! Our father has left us in the middle of the forest with no place to go." Our crazy stepmother is such a horrible person and doesn't want us around anymore. Is there anyway you can help us?" After a long pause.... "Your evil stepmother's name wouldn't be Nancy would it?, replied the elderly lady." "Why, yes it is, Gretel and I exclaimed!" The lady did not looked surprised. "You are right, Nancy is a horrific person. I know her from passing her at the local market." Both myself and son think she is just awful. My son knows the woods very well. He will help you through the woods, so you can arrive back home." In a flash, her son (Bob) appeared and off we went. We traveled for quite sometime, but soon we arrived at our log cabin. We opened the door to see Nancy bent over the hot,open oven. Before we knew it, Bob ran and pushed her into the hot coals. You can imagine how it ended.. We never had to deal with her nagging and evilness ever again!!
Father, Gretel, and I finally a happy family again. We felt a huge sense of relieve, now that our horrid stepmother was gone. Father, Gretel and I were beyond ecstatic that we could finally live happily ever after. The End!

Favorite Folktale

There were many folktales that I enjoyed as a child. Folktales are intriquing because there are many variations of one story. However, if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Rumpelstiltskin. Reading this when I was younger, I thought it was amazing that the little man could spin straw into gold. I also liked this story because I loved the name, Esmerelda. As a child, I never knew how much greed was in Rumpelstiltskin. After reading it again (recently), I realized that there were many selfish/greedy aspects in this folktale. I found it compelling because, The Miller was willing to lie to make himself look better. It didn't seem to matter if Esmerelda's life got put into danger. The trickster (Rumpelstiltskin) was also very demanding on what he got in return for spinning the straw into gold. The ending of Rumpelstiltskin was my favorite. I loved how Esmerelda guesses all the names and she finally guesses "Rumpelstiltskin". He gets so mad that he disappears forever :)