Original Poetry

Bundle of Responsibility

Oh so little

And oh so beautiful

God’s creation 

And now a human’s responsibility

No matter how difficult she may get

Or how much you want to sleep

It’s your job for the years to come

She will cry and she will scream

She will make messes and nag

But it’s your obligation to be present

And to teach her right from wrong

Nice from mean

Dirty from clean

The little munchkin needs you

Never forget you are all she has

Struggle to Enjoyment: My Reading Journey

Throughout my childhood and adolescence, reading was never an activity that I would voluntarily take part in. In fact, I would avoid having to read in any way possible, like by taking trips to the bathroom and nurse’s office at any sign of a reading activity. I believe this is mostly due to several decoding and comprehension deficiencies that weren’t addressed until I was at the end of fourth grade. Whether it was with “Hooked on Phonics” at home or the multiple reading interventions that I was placed in at school, I felt my time reading was not only boring, but also stressful. I truly struggled to find enjoyment in reading. I can remember many teachers that I have had telling me how important it is for me to read every day so I can catch up to my classmates. Looking back, I feel I never thought I could possibly read the books at my grade level.

Thankfully, things changed in high school. Although I may not have miraculously found a passion for reading at this time, I felt much more confident in my reading abilities. One of my close friends introduced me to the hobby of reading, which I didn’t see myself ever preferring over television, but it didn’t seem as boring as I thought it would. Even though I often observed my mom reading in her free time, it wasn’t until I met this friend where I could imagine myself enjoying reading as well. She let me borrow her books by Sarah Dessen and the Twilight Series, which eventually sparked my interest in reading and opened up a while new world for me.

In the past four and a half years since graduating high school, I have spent more time reading than ever before. I have encountered authors like Nicolas Sparks, Theresa Rizzo, and John Green in which I have read a majority of their books. A few years back, I asked for a Kindle for my birthday, which has encouraged me to read even more. I love that I can just tap on the screen to turn the page and when I finish reading a book, a list of similar books are offered for me to choose from. I also love the convenience of reading on the Kindle. Although I do try to read books for fun in my free time, it unfortunately doesn’t happen often unless it’s during school breaks. By the time my readings for classes are done, I am usually not left with time to read for pleasure. It’s safe to say that much of my time reading for fun is typically in January and the summer months.

When it comes to reading for college courses, I almost always actually read assigned readings, rather then just skim though or ignore them, which I resorted to in high school. I am able to read much faster since I began reading more often, which makes a big difference in my attitude towards assigned reading.  I also comprehend much more than before because I have learned to aim my focus on the reading, rather than let my mind wander while staring at words on a page.

Overall, I like to read mostly books that are realistic fiction or those based off a true story. Since getting into my majors and minors, I have read much more regarding those topics. My special education classes inspired me to pick up more books about people with disabilities. My Sociology minor concentrating in criminal justice has led me to read more books in the True Crime category. Unlike in the past, I can find entertainment and relaxation in reading, which is something I never thought would happen. I am grateful that I was able to overcome my struggles and lose the negative outlook on reading. I hope to share my joy for reading and promote reading outside of the classroom with my future students. 

CCSS Activity 1

Anchor Standard:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

	Second Grade RL. 2.1	Third Grade RL. 3.1	Fourth Grade RL. 4.1
Standards	Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.	Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.	Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Instructional Shifts:

·               Complex texts with use of academic vocabulary and a variety of content types

·               Evidence from text when responding to questions from readings

·               Building knowledge using content-rich nonfiction 

         I think this activity was a great way to demonstrate the concept of an anchor standard, which I was not very familiar with before. I can see the differences in this anchor standard from grade to grade and how they build upon one another. Also, the instructional shifts in the Common Core are understandable and make sense in how they will benefit students in the long run. I especially like the point of using nonfiction texts to build knowledge because it provides content-rich literature that students can learn with while practicing their reading skills.

My Writing Process: Finalizing

         The last step of my writing process is very important because it is the last time I work on my writing piece before I submit it online or hand it in. I typically re-read the entire thing out loud to be absolutely certain that I caught all spelling and grammar mistakes. This is also a great opportunity to improve the words that are used. At this time, I look for opportunities to strengthen vocabulary and avoid repetition. Sometimes I find myself using the same few words to express similar ideas. This is when I take the time to look up those words in a thesaurus. For example, when writing a behavior analysis for one of my special education classes, I kept using the words “uses degrading language” to explain a reoccurring behavior of a student that I observed. When it came time to finalize the report, I altered the words I wrote from “uses degrading language” to “verbalized self-deprecating thoughts”, “belittling herself”, “undervaluing” and “negative self-characterization.” This type of change in language helped to create a much stronger behavioral analysis than when it was very repetitive. I believe the words that are used to present an idea are just as important as the idea itself.  

        

            Once I have strengthened my language, I often think about my audience, where it will be going, and at times, refer back to an assigned rubric. Depending on these factors, I may have to alter the document to fit the audience. This may mean I have to make sure I’m using the proper citation format, include a footer or page numbers, or change the font type or size. For my behavioral analysis, I was sure to change my font to the teacher’s specific requirement. If there is not a listed font on the assignment or syllabus, or the writing is not for school, I typically set my font at "Verdana" size 11 because I feel it is most pleasing to the eye. Also, with hard copy assignments, sometimes I may add a footer in the document including my last name just in case documents get lost. Once I am satisfied with my finalized piece, the writing process is complete. Although this may seem tedious to some, I have found that my writing is strongest when I have spend time on brainstorming, expanding, editing, revising, and finalizing and I am more confident with my work in the long run.

My Writing Process: Editing and Revising

         The next step of my writing process involves the editing and revising of my piece. I always print out my writing at this point because I have found it is much easier on my eyes to read it as a hard copy. I take this time to try to determine if the reader will be able to understand what I am trying to say and then alter what I find necessary. I like to make corrections on my hard copy with a colored pen so I know what to make changes to. I first read through the draft and look for any spelling or grammar issues that need to be fixed. I often have to situate my punctuation at this point in the writing process as well. I try to make sure that the reader will understand what I am trying to say as much as possible.

         During this period of revision, I also look at the organization and tone of my writing. It helps to read the writing out loud to really hear how the words sound together. I always make sure that my ideas transition well and have a flow to them. This becomes a focus most often when I spend less time in the last few steps because it’s likely that I did not take much time to expand my bullet points. I really attempt to make sure my main ideas and thesis are organized

         Finally, I take this time to make sure all of my claims in my writing are supported. This could mean incorporating an outside source with a reference or simply expanding upon my claims to better support my ideas. I often refer back to any research I have done to be sure I not only cited it correctly, but also make sure there is no evidence of plagiarism. It’s good to be sure that my ideas are truly mine, if they are not cited properly. Overall, this step in my writing process is important because even if my ideas are on paper, it is also important that my writing is presented clearly and organized without spelling and grammar errors. Before I move onto the next portion of my writing process, I try to take another break before actually finalizing the piece. 

My Writing Process: Rough Draft

The second step in my writing process is when I turn my brainstormed thoughts into a first draft. This is when I take my ideas on paper and begin typing them into a word document. I start by looking at my bulleted ideas and decide which ones I want to have towards the beginning of. I type those points into the document in phrase or short sentence form and begin working with and expanding the ideas. While I was writing a paper on realistic fiction, I selected the points that included definitions and other basic info about the genre. I typically do not even attempt to create an opening sentence because I believe it works better to save the introduction for last, after I have expanded on all my ideas.

         For the remaining of the rough draft, I work on typing my bullet points in the order that I think I want to present them. Sometimes while I am expanding on an idea, I realize that it connects with another idea. In this case, I just copy and paste them to group them together in the document. I focus on expanding the ideas into sentences and grouping the sentences into paragraphs. This part is where it helps to have clustered the ideas in my brainstorming process. I try not to worry about spelling or grammar errors while creating my rough draft, although that squiggly line could be tempting. I just focus on continuing to move forward and develop my thoughts.

         There are times while I am writing a rough draft that I have difficulty coming up with the word or phrase that I want to use. This is when I decide its necessary to leave a blank and move on. As I was writing my rough draft about realistic fiction, I struggled to find the words to end the sentence, “Rather than other fiction that involves heroes with super powers, realistic fiction has characters that ________.” I knew I wanted to include that idea but I drew a blank when it came to actually finding the words. When I came back to this sentence in the next step, while I was revising, I was able to complete the sentence, as I wanted, with the words, “reflect normal human potentials.” Looking back at it, it can be difficult for me to move on without figuring out what I was attempting to write. I simply try to remind myself that writing does not always come out perfect from the start. Writing is a process.

Once I have expanded on the rest of my thoughts, I work on my introduction. I usually have a pretty good idea of what I want to include in the very beginning once I have worked on the rest of the draft. Depending on the situation, I may write a whole paragraph, or I might only be able to come up with one or two sentences. Either way, I try not to worry too much. As long as my bullet points are now in sentences, I consider it a rough draft. I like to take another break before moving on to the next step. I tend to get sluggish and less motivated if I spend too much time in one sitting on my writing. I also do not notice as many opportunities for editing and revising in my rough draft if I try to do both steps at once.