Last blog post

    Wow, as this crazy year comes to and end, I look back and think of how I've grown intellectually especially in this class. I walked in with mediocre writing skills and left as a writing superstar (hopefully the AP graders think so too). This class has helped me view and question many morals that before I blindly followed. For instance, the death penalty, "cookie-cutter" communities, religion, and much more. This questioning helped me mature as a person, and hopefully aid me in making mature decisions as an adult later on down the road.
      But more on the actual school side of the class- this class prepared for the AP test! Although I grew as a writer, I still struggled writing the argumentative essays. For me they were just so similar to the persuasive it was hard to differentiate between the two. Although we did practice these essays, I wish we had practiced more! However, I feel as if the synthesis binder really helped me do great on the synthesis essay! I felt so prepared because we constantly practiced and planned these essays that it was a breeze on the AP test!
     I LOVE reading, but with my very busy schedule I really don't get to do it all that much anymore, so reading in your class was so much fun for me. I really enjoyed The Great Gatsby because I love all the hidden symbolism and the twisted love story in it. Plus it's easy to read and a light read at first read, but when you read between the lines there's so much more to uncover! However, I really didn't like reading the Crucible (but I did like the acting we got to do with it) and In Cold Blood. I found them very boring and very difficult to read.
      Lastly, this class has been my favorite class! I loved how we got a reasonable workload, yet still managed to learn a ton- something most teachers struggle balancing, though you did it perfectly. You're my favorite teacher this year, you've helped me with more than just school! It's easy to see you truly care about teaching and your students, which really means a lot when Westside is filled with teachers who could care less! Thank you so much for all you've done for us this year, Mr.Thomas!