Freedom Writer's: Freshman Year Response (Example)

In the Junior classes, we have begun reading one of my favorite books, the Freedom Writer's Diary. Many students have already seen the movie, but reading the book is completely different. The student's words resonate with issues that many of students all over the country face. So far journal entries have included: segregation, racism, bullying, student action, the undeclared war, revenge, peer pressure, learning disabilities, love, world peace and violence.

Memorable quotes:

"I've lost many friends, friends who have died in an undeclared war. A war that has been here for years, but has never been recognized, A war between color and race. A war that will never end. A war that has left family and friends crying for loved ones who have perished" (16).

"World peace is only a dream because people won't allow themselves and others around them to simply be peanuts. We won't allow the color of a man's heart to be the color of his skin, the premise of his beliefs, and his self-worth. We won't allow him to be a peanut, therefore we won't allow ourselves to come to live in harmony" (39).

Question of the day: "Ms. Yeilding, do you ever just sit in one place and breath?"

Students wrote essays for their nine weeks exams on what is freedom and how does one truly attain it. We also learned about recent nobel prize winning, Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa who said, "If there is no freedom in a society and you are a writer, you cannot say, that's not your problem, if there is no freedom, you write." Listen to the interview at:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1133828&ps=rs

Also, Cartoon Network has just launched a campaign against bullying as October is National Bullying Awareness month, check this out at

http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/promos/stopbullying/index.html



Keep writing guys, you amaze me (when you do)!!! :)

Self-Reliance, Gee's Bend, and Unity

Gee's Bend - slide show

FreeRice.com: Vocab Practice and End Hunger!!!

Thank you to Jordan for finding this website where you can practice vocabulary and end hunger all at the same time!

http://www.freerice.com

The World Food Programme gives 10 grains of rice for each correct answer! Subjects include Art, Chemistry, English, Geography, Language Learning and Math.

Link to Funnelbrain Flashcards, 11th Grade, List #2

11th Grade, List #2: what means agreeable

Myth Terms

Myth Terms : what shapeless nothingness

Link to Funnelbrain Flash cards, 10th grade List #2

10th grade List #2: what means acting occurring

"I can't breath without laughing."

As I scrambled around the classroom today during my planning period, I heard these words by an anonymous student walking by as she exclaimed mid-laugh, "I CAN'T BREATH WITHOUT LAUGHING..." I was so struck by this, perhaps because of the sheer joy contained in this statement. While I ran from task to task throughout the day, I continued to think of this expression. I continued to think of various quotes or pre-classworks that might go along with this none being as profound. Many of us have often heard the now cliche, "life is not measured by how many breaths we take, but how many moments take our breath away" or the quote by Victor Borge, "laughter is the closest distance between two people," and also by Carol Burnett, "We grow up the first day we really laugh at ourselves," I would say this quote definitely measures up in no type of cliche fashion.

I'll admit I laugh everyday. I also am guilty of smiling well before Christmas. The truth is, I love what I do. There is nothing more exciting to hear and read each day what the young minds of today have to say. (On occasions such as this) These words give me motivation, direction and inspiration. Voila, what have I been saying? I'm telling you words and ideas can change the world!

As I continued to reflect, I thought of times we laugh, laughing until you can't breath, my tendency in school to laugh uncontrollably (which consequently usually kept me in trouble), my tendency to laugh at everything, my own and several other friends distinctly unique laughing styles, and also my ability to make myself laugh (whether that's crazy or not). The truth is laughing makes you feel better and so does smiling. I went on to think of how funny the character of most teachers are, remembering those indelible characteristics of various teachers I had growing up and then I began to laugh at myself as well. So I guess, this statement even made the teacher who still looks like a student grow up a little bit.

With all the things we face in the world, I challenge each one of you to continue to smile, and try to not to breath without laughing each day! And to whoever passed my classroom saying this, find me, learningearnings for you, and keep spreading this wonderful attitude!