What was the best experience you had this semester in College Bound English 12? Why was it enjoyable or productive? Or, what was the worst experience you had this semester in College Bound English 12? Why was it not enjoyable or productive? How could either experience be made better?
51 comments:
The best experience is having you as a teacher, and all the moives and learning more about you. Got me to read books I may not have read on my own. Worst, well my grade can tell you that, have not seen those long since middle school in SF. If i concentrated more I maybe able to get what I want other wise your doing a hell of a good job. Thanks
David Knudtson
I really enjoyed this semester, at times it does move a little slow but beside that my favorite part of the semester was reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kessey. It was an amazing book that kept me reading through out the night even if I was tired. Then I also had fun watching the movie, I can understand why Ken Kessey did not want to see the movie, the movie was totally in a different perspective, but I still had a blast!
The best experience I had 1st semester was reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It let me figure out what I wanted to do in college. I am going to study psychology and go into that field. This book helped me realize that I wanted to do this. It was enjoyable to me because it showed the different sides of people and the affect they had. I did not like reading Othello. I loved the movie with the baksetbaLl one way better than the one we watched in class. It was boring to me. I am anxious to ready the upcoming books!
My worst experience in this class was not remembering due dates and turning things in late and struggling
The best experience I had was getting to watch My Fair Lady. It's a great movie and it helped me understand the play better.
The best experience I had this semester would have to be writing the ad analysis paper. Lame as it may sound, I found it very interesting researching and discovering how the media influences my generation, the generations before mine, and how it will influences the generations to come. Topics for essays tend to be boring and not easily related to for me, but this one proved otherwise.
I really enjoyed learning about Ken Kesey and the others during that movement, its really important to learn about many different cultures and i think its important for everyone to have an understanding of how other people think. I also really enjoyed listening to the music but was really sad that we didnt listen to the doors.
I enjoyed the advertisment essay. It was fun to dig deeper into the advertisments then just noticing the basics. I didn't really like reading One Flew Over the Cukoo's nest, and many people might hate me for saying that but it is true. I thought it was very discriminating. But I will admit that the book ended a ton better then it started and was throughout.
Saying Cuckoo's Nest is discriminating is valid indeed. However, it is not meant to be discriminating (the plot's "lighter" moments make us question why we focus on differences); the book is really meant to be empowering. That is how it is most widely-read and interpreted. Truly, no book improved conditions and treatment of people who have mental disabilities like this one did and does. In fact, few books changed the world like this one did--and does still. Kesey exposed major flaws in the mental health system, while writing an allegory of the revolutionary/turbulent times and thinking of the 1960s. Mrs. Rothenberger uses this novel, too, because of all the literary devices, the historical significance, and the flat out triumphant plot (though the main protagonist dies, of course). There is no question this book rises to a great climax, when Chief vaults out the window. I am touched, moved, inspired every time I read or view that moment. I will continue to be an advocate for appropriate, decent, fair, and compassionate treatment for all human beings, regardless of gender, class, race, ability... Mark Twain said it best, when he claimed that people are even worse than beasts, because when we treat each other badly, we know that the mistreated person feels bad about it and we know that what we are doing is bad. Contrarily, when the cat plays with and kills the mouse, the cat does not know the mouse is suffering or in pain. We mistreat each other and we know the mistreated, ostracized, or prejudged are suffering. I'm out to change this sad state humanity is in--at least as much as I can, given my station in life.
I will take all of your opinions very seriously as I consider alterations to the course, direction, purpose, and specific goals of College Bound English 12 at BVHS.
I would have to say that I liked the first semester more than I disliked it. At first the semester seemed to start off kind of slow with the reading of Pygmalion. Then after reading Pygmalion, things started to take flight and gradually become both entertaining and interesting at the same time. The number one thing I liked most about this semester was getting the oppurtunity to read One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Almost every previous year did not have a book that went outside of the norms like Cuckoo's Nest did. A large portion of the books I have read in English classes have been "traditional" or "boring". But Cuckoo's Nest was an adventure on it's own. It went outside of the walls and gave me a different perspective of English literature. I can't understand why so many schools would want to ban this from being read in their classrooms. They must be afraid of letting their students grow up.
Thanks for the post, LHenning. I will heed your words carefully. You, too, are an excellent, thorough, and critical blogger. Thank you for the intelligent additions to class and this blog. I'm considering removing Pygmalion from the list, but so many other students love it; plus, Shaw's play puts a great deal of emphasis on the reasons we study/improve our own language use. I'm torn right now.
I enjoy blogging. Every teacher should have a blog or something of this nature. If BVHS is going to go through with the laptop proposal then every teacher will have to know how to use one of these things. Thankfully we have teachers like you that are prepared are anxious to try out something different. On another subject. If you are going to remove Pygmalion for your list of novels next year, you should replace it with something similar, but filled more with excitement or humor or even better yet, use the technology and this blog to help make a decision. You could create a poll of a few books that you find interesting and have a vote on it. Another thing you could do is put a "thread" up on the topic of what books we find interesting and then make decisions based off of that.
I thought the beginning of the semester seemed slow and Pygmalion wasn't exactly intriguing. I really enjoyed One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for sure. I loved trying to figure out what Chief was dreaming about and what was real, at times I could hardly tell. The advertisement analysis was hard work but I enjoyed digging deep into the thinking of advertisers. Othello was difficult to understand by just watching and listening to the play. I'm not sure even if I had read the play I would have understood it any better. Overall, it was a good semester and I'm excited to start more of the books that are planned ahead!
The best part about College Bound English this semester was reading and watching One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest. It was one of the best books I have ever read. The worst thing we did was either Othello or Pigmalion. They were both boring and the movies were extremely boring. Except in Othello the ending was exciting but throughout the rest of the movie, I couldn't really understand what they were talking about. Those are my favorite and least favorite things about semester 1 of College Bound English.
i like the visuals that we do because i sometimes like art but not enough to actually take a class...plus it also makes you think more because you see something or have something in your head and you have to dig deeper in order to reveal it or uncover what is actually being said through pictures instead of words...one flew over the cuckoos nest or othello were my favorite subjects because cuckoos nest is absolutely hilarious and the main character is a marine...oohra...and the other one is still similar to what happens today even tho it was written four centuries ago.....i think that sometimes we waste too much time discussing things that have already been covered more than once and that gets really old but thats why it is my least favorite part of this class.....
The best experience this semester in college bound would have to be One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. Cuckoos Nest was a different book than ive ever read in a school setting becuase it dealt with the other side of society. Most of the books that we have read throughout school have been very similar and didnt give you that other part of society that nobody knows about. I would have to say my least favorite parts of the semester would have to be pygmalion because it wasnt as relavant as the other books because it was set in the 1800's and it didnt have very much action going on like Cuckoos Nest and Othello. Cuckoos Nest kept you interested by always throwing curve balls and in Othello it kept you interested because you wanted to see what would happen in the end.
I think the best party of this last semester was easily reading One Flew over the Cukoos nest. Simply because not only is it a really good read but it makes you think and contemplate about society today versus yesteryear. It allows you to picture yourself in the most uncommon of places such as a Nut House. That is why it was the most productive time of my whole semester.
I would have to say my best experience the first semester in class was reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It was not like any other book i have read in school because it out lined a real problem in Americans History and the worlds history and is still going on to this day. Does not every one try to put someone else down to make themself fell better. It is very sad to the extreme Big Nurse would go to rip the men apart but if you take a honest look into your life there are times every one does that same thing. The difference from so many other from Big Nurse is that you realize your mistake and ask for forgivness.
My favorite thing about first sememster was reading/watching One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It was really good and it was interesting the way you had to consider a different point of view.
Looks like Cuckoo's Nest is staying on the list. Glad so many people read and enjoyed it. Thanks for handling the mature nature; thanks for showing me new ways of "reading" the book, too.
My best experience in the 1st semester was reading/watching One flew over the cukoo's nest. If I had a collection of my ten favorite books it would make it in there. At first I wasn't making sense of it but I soon caught on. I thought that Jack Nickelson did a great job and fit the character well, he made the book come to life. Although we haven't finished the year, I think that this book and Life of Pi will be the best.
i think cukoos nest is the best book we have read up to this point. There isn't one that i would even give a close second. It is the only book we have read that i have actuallly enjoyed. All the others didnt keep my intrest the cukoos nest did. Cover to cover it was easy to read.
I really enjoyed when we did the analysis of the ad in a magazine. It is a different way of thinking and it made me really concentrate on what the article really portrayed. I can't think of anything I didn't like last semester, but I did really enjoy the essay.
My best experience would have to be the book One flew over the cukoo's nest. I like how we discussed the book in class. It helped me understand the book more. It also showed me how analyze the book and travel instead of being a tourist. I also enjoy discussing stuff in class...it seems that in other english classes we just read a story then complete a packet than take a test its too repetitive. In this class we have so much variety it makes the semester go by so much smoother.
The best way to start out the year with an easy play, but I really didnt care for Pigmallion. But it was okay.
I've read that it is so salient to choose works that students like. And I think professors try to choose works that students will enjoy. It's very tricky, though: choosing books that most of the students will like. Some people abso-bloomin-lutely love Pygmalion, while others could not live without some Shakespeare. All that being said, I know most of you will love Lord of the Flies, 1984, and Life of Pi. I save them till toward the end for that reason: we're combating senioritis while doing meaningful, enjoyable work. I'll take all of your words very seriously and look carefully at the syllabus. Maybe some alterations are necessary. I'm willing to do whatever helps students learn and succeed.
This is my first English teacher i have actually liked. yay mr. c!
You're the coolest, too, Pollard. And a wonderful, charismatic blogger. I'd welcome your advice: can you recommend any books/activities/exercises/presentations/essays for class?
Last semester, my favorite part of English were studying Ken Kesey and reading his book. The book was very interesting and it was one that was hard to put down after reading a few pages of it. The lifestyle of Kesey was interesting to learn about. Watching the movie and reading the book were two good parts of it.It helped you get a picture of how movies and books can be completly different.
You're the second Pollard I've actually liked. Like you, Jenna was terrific. I'm fortunate to be teaching here, where students have goals and the abilities to seek, achieve, and surpass those goals.
We should read Angels and Demons by Dan Brown!
I agree with Eric Steven Dieren about Cooko's Nest. That was my favorite part of class indeed. I enjoyed the book and the movie protrayed the novel brillantly. It also has a couple good morals in the book too.
Has there been too much gender bias in this class? Most of the protagonists and authors have been male.
I also agree with Big Willy and my roomy, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest was the best book/movie by far. The other books i had a tough time reading and i was always bored during class. And the movies were not that good, I was just glad to not have to do anything. But with the Cuckoo's Nest i read and watched it easily and enjoyed it.
having a teacher who actually cares about each and every student's progress is refreshing. i believe that students have a thourough knowledge of everything we do in class and out...for example I would have never in a miilion years analyzed a commercial or advertisement before 1st semester--now though I sometimes will not even realize I am doing it--I guess i look deeper into some things now...not just sitting there like a zombie-like i used to.. also, I would have to try to fail or get a bad grade.
I dont think its bias that the authors we are reading are mainly male. If their books are the best, then we should read them.
The best experience in CB12 has been everything really. I really like how we have group discussions and try to take apart a topic piece by piece and find out the who, what, and why of what is going on. The books that we have read so far have been pretty good as well. I like how this class is so geared toward college english because it gives me an idea of what to expect in the future.
I definitely agree with Bratwurst.. (andrea pollard).. It's really easy to pay attention in your class Mr. C because you always have sweet stories and it's interesting. It's a class that's hard to dread going to. As for my favorite thing so far, I liked reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It was difficult for me at first and I was so confused! I think that I expanded my knowledge after digging into this novel and slowly picking away at the confusing parts until I understood them. I enjoyed how Mr. C went over the chapters with us and let us ask questions, and then explained what was going on. If I was to read this for my enjoyment, I would have shut the book and returned it to the library after the first page. However I am glad that I read it because it got more interesting once I knew what was going on and by the end of the book I didn't want it to end! It was easy to relate to some of the characters, and it also allowed me to put myself in someone else's shoes for a change. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think it was a great book for class discussions. I also liked the movie because it was funny and interesting. I hated Othello and not a big fan of The House on Mango Street but that is probably just me. :)
I agree with my y-ball team on this one cukoo's nest was the only story that i wasn't bored with i really enjoyed the movie
I think watching One Flew Over the Cuckoo Cuckoo's Nest was a great idea. I didnt really like the book at all and it was hard to understand but watching the movie was a good visual, and made me enjoy the book more after I found out what was going on.
I enjoyed reading and watching One flew over the cuckoo's nest. One thing that I didnt like about 1st semester was writing our ad analysis.
My best experience of this semester was reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kessey. I loved that book, and the movie. It was a book like I have never read before. I liked it because it was humorous at time but I in the long run was very educational. The worst experience of this semester was doing the grammar section or watching Othello. Grammar frustrates me but I have to admit I'm glad we did it because it helped me understand it more that I ever have. The novel Othello was boring. Maybe I just didn't get into it. Or maybe I don't understand the writing in the Elizabethian time period. I think it was productive because I needed to understand how to read and interperate it, but it was not enjoyable, not even a little bit. The movie "O" was better than Othello but I still don't like the the story.
I enjoyed reading and watching One
Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Except I didn't like how long the section was. The thing I liked the least would probably have to be the Analysis essay, even though it will probably help me when I have to write it in college.
I agree with Big Will Castle and Eric Dieren the best book of this semester had to be One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest it was both enjoyable to read but exciting to watch the movie also
My worst and favorite part of first semester of College Bound English 12 was One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. It was so hard for me to get into the book. I struggled so much. But once I got into it I fell in love with the book and it has become one of my favorites.
The best part of last semester was reading One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. That book pushed the limits. I didnt really like vocab. I usually do well, but found myself struggling to keep up with the rest of the class this last semester. Overall though, I really enjoy this class. Mr. C. does a good job of teaching, and an even better job of trying to connect with his students, and appreciate their opinions.
My worst experience of last semester was arguing over meanings of books. I was angry that it seemed like there was only one answer to some vague questions. I'm exicited that in this class everyone's opinions are at least discussed no matter how crazy they may be to most people. Everyone interperts books differently and we should all be respected for that not punished.
I agree with many of the posts above. I think that your class keeps us interested because we are constantly doing new things and are able to openly have our own opinions on things. In all of our assignments and discussions everyone thinks critically and analyzes each part of whatever it might be we are talking about. You know each individual student and genuinely want them to do their best which pushes them to even want to do better.
i really liked reading OFOTCN, it took me a while to realize that i really did like it. after i was done with the book i really figured out what the book was about and appreciated it. It was really hard to understand what was happening. but it really helps when we have class discussions to figure out whats going on. True i dont talk at all but thats just the way i am. I will get a lot more out class discussion when i can just listen. The part of class that i especially dislike is when we get in to a circle and read what we wrote.
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