Lit Circle Reflection

     I personally really enjoyed the Lit Circles.  My job was the summary and I think that I did my job very well and got every detail from each of the three chapters.  One thing that I need to work on is to talk more during the discussion.  As a group, I think that we need to continue working on how much each person talks.  Not everyone spoke as much as they would have liked to.  We also need to work on not speaking over one another.  I felt that was a big problem in my group.  I personally need to work on the depth of everything that I say and I need to work on how to say the thought that I was saying in my head.  Since I was absent the first discussion, it was hard to realize what the Lit Circles would be like.  Although, now that I know what the discussion days are like, it should be easier for me on the next discussion day.

Slowly Fading

    

 

 Have you ever felt invisible?  Have you ever felt so alone that you think no one is there for you?  In the book, Invisible, by Cecily Anne Paterson, the author writes that this is how the main character, Jazmine, feels in her every day life.

    Invisible is the story about a young, teenage girl, named Jazmine, that has had some hard times in her life.  In the beginning of the book, the reader finds out that Jazmine’s dad passed away recently.  Jazmine has to live her life without a father, and face all of the stressful and hard times in school and in her everyday life.  Jazmine starts off school on the wrong foot and becomes friends with a girl named Shalini and her crew.  Shalini is a tough girl that makes Jazmine do things that she does not want to do.  Jazmine decides to go along with Shalini’s antics and they both get caught and suspended. Shalini then keeps appearing in Jaz’s life and makes her life miserable.  Jazmine has to face her fears on the theater stage and learn to come out of the shell she has built around herself.

    The book Invisible does not look very interesting and appealing on the shelf, but after reading the first few pages you will get pulled into the story.  Just like in the saying, “You should never judge a book by its cover.”  This book is definitely a book you should be reading if you are feeling lonely and upset.  Jazmine faces her fears, makes new friends, and comes out of her shyness during the book.  Without the help of her friends and Jaz’s willingness, she would not be where she is at the end of the book.  Invisible leaves you curious after each chapter and makes you predict what will happen next in the story.  The author does a fantastic job at giving you a picture in your head with all of her descriptive words.  In some chapters, the author leaves you on your seat wondering what will happen next.  “And I will be nervous!  I already have jitters in my stomach and adrenaline in my hands.  How can real life actors ever eat?  I am so not hungry” (203).  These few words leave the reader curious as to what will happen in the next few chapters and it makes you want to keep reading the book.  “It’s hard to think.  I’m breathing faster, feeling nervous-almost sick.  Come on, I think, let’s just get this over with.  Just whatever you do don’t make me explain” (13).  This quote shows the reader how excellent the author is at leaving you speechless and unable to know what is going to happen next.  Without descriptive words like Paterson did, this book would not be a good book to grab off the shelf.

    Invisible is definitely a book that you should put on your reading list.  People of all ages can enjoy this fantastic book and I will recommend it greatly to my family and friends.  The one problem I had with this book was that it got a little slow and boring towards the beginning of the book.  Other than that, Invisible is definitely a book that should be read.  If you are a shy person you should try to look into it because if Jaz can get over her fears and shyness, then so can you.  This is by far one of the best books I have ever read and it should be read by more people around the world.

Malcolm Gladwell Response

    

 

 

      In this chapter, the author writes about a man named Warren Harding.  He is described as a good looking man.  Everyone that he knew wanted him to run for office to become the president of the United States because they thought that he looked right for the job compared to everyone else.  Later, when Harding was elected, they realized that he was actually a terrible president.  After reading this, I realized that I should not judge people by their appearances but look closer into them to see what they are really like.  The people saw Harding as a man that dressed for the job, although they did not realize that he knew nothing about politics and he had no clue what he was doing as the president.  I need to stop judging books by their covers.

     We can easily tie this into our conversation about leadership.  When choosing a leader, you must look at their physical abilities and their mental abilities.  Most people look at the person who is physically the strongest and make them their leader.  You need to look inside and see who the person really is and ask yourself if you really want them to be your leader.  I think if we try our hardest to stay away from our unconscious biases then we can handle it.  If people start to think before they act and talk, then they can control their biases with things in the world.  Besides physical attractiveness, in order to find a good leader, we have to look for a person that is brave, smart, and caring.  They need to pick someone who always is able to take charge, a person that knows what is best for the group, and a man that never leaves a man behind.

     I took two of the IAT tests in class.  The first test I took was the Flower v.s. Insects test.  My results showed that I had a strong automatic preference for flowers compared to insects.  When I saw this I was not surprised at all.  I dislike bugs very much because of the sounds they make and how they look.  I never really remember all of the things that bugs do for us though.  They pollinate flowers, make honey, and they can eat other insects that are bad for the environment.  I judged them on their appearances not on their actual characteristics.  The other test I took was the African American Children v.s. the European American children.  I was very happy with the results that I got because I only had a moderate automatic preference for African American children compared to Euro. American children.  I do not consider myself as someone who is racists and I am so glad my test results did not prove me wrong. 

Tuesday Write #4

Tuesday Write #4

Jack from “Lost" and Ralph from "Lord of the Flies" both shared great speeches that evenly had great points. In Jack's speech, he focused more on the fact that they need to learn to survive because no one has rescued them yet. Jack's speech is very effective and grabs the attention of all the people on the island. Jack's speech is short and sweet. He gets his point across very easily and he gets everyone to listen to him. At the end of Jack's speech, he leaves everyone with a catch phrase that should help everyone realize that they need to work together in order to survive. Jack's speech focuses more on the positive and all he really wants is for the group to work together with peace and harmony. Jack's speech leaves everyone thinking if they really want to live on this island and survive together.

      In Ralph's speech, it is harder for him to get the point across. He struggles to find the right words so the younger kids can understand and relate to his topic. Ralph's speech shares some good points, but it is not shared effectively because all the kids get bored. After a couple of points, the kids start to tune out and blurt out their own thoughts. Ralph focuses more on all the negative things the boys do. His speech is too long and does not get the point across easily. However, Ralph still did a good job at emphasizing the fact that they all need to work together to be rescued.

      Jack emerged as the leader, whereas the boys voted for Ralph to become the leader. I think voting on a leader is more effective because then the boys know exactly who to listen to at all times. With Jack just becoming the rightful leader, some people can disagree or not listen to him because he was not voted to become the leader. I think that with Jack's condition, there will be random outbursts of anger because they do not all agree. Ralph needs to become less bossy in order to keep the boys under control.

 

Monday v.s. Tuesday Late Start

     The new Monday late start is better for the school.  Some students, parents, and teachers may argue that the Tuesday late start is better for them; Although, the Monday late start is better for the school as a whole.  There is an easier commute to school on Mondays.  Monte Vista has their late start on Tuesdays and many people that go to SR live by MV so there is a lot of traffic.  With the Monday late start, there is less traffic because everyone is going to school at a different time.  On Mondays, everyone gets out at the same time.  It is very easy with the Monday schedule to make plans to work on group assignments. Also, now the teachers that teach an A period do not have to stay till the end of the day so they can get more grading done for the students.  Finally, with the Monday late start, it is easier to come into a full week of school.  Students can sleep later on Sunday nights because they do not want to wake up early on Monday mornings.  Students can also be more mentally prepared for a week of school if they start off slowly into the week.
     Some may argue that the Tuesday late start is better for the school than Mondays.  If a student does not have an A period, then they can leave school an hour early.  They can have an hour break after school before a practice.  Although this is convenient for the people without sports, academics have to come first before practice.  If they get out an hour early, then they have an hour less of learning.  Since they get out an hour early, they don't get to see all their friends if they have an A period after school.  Tuesday late starts can also be better becuse A period finals are on the last day of school.  If you do not have a A period final, then your summer break starts two hours earlier than everyone else.  This could be a problem because then students can not say goodbye to eachother and sign eachother's yearbooks.  The Monday late start schedule is a better choice for the school for all of these reasons.
    

 

Intro to Blog

Hi,
     My name is Chloe French.  I love to play volleyball, soccer, and softball. I am on the JV volleyball team at San Ramon.  When I am not playing a sport, I love to hang out with my friends and family.  My favorite book that I have ever read is "The Hunger Games". I love to read books that are full of excitement and leave you speechless.  I hope to become a better writer as the year goes on. One of my favorite quotes is, "Friends are like stars. You may not see them but you know they are always there." My friends always have my back and I can turn to them with whatever I need.  I hope that I can make a lot of great friendships this year.