Surviving Honors English 9
You Got This!
New books, New Beginnings, and New Stories of Your Own!
Hey everybody, my name is Hannah Dean and I am an Honors English 9 survivor! I'm sure you have heard plenty of students complaining about how many projects you will do in Mrs. Allen's class. They're right! There are a ton of projects and it will require hard work, but hard work builds character. I recommend that you try to have fun with group projects and enjoy reading aloud, rather than complaining. You will explore many types of writing including books, plays, and poetry. It will seem very challenging at first, but you can be a survivor too, if you choose to be. You just have to give it all of your effort.
What Exactly You Will Be Doing...
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
You will read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as your first summer assignment. Personally, I think this book had difficult content that was hard to talk about and this made it difficult to enjoy. It was more of painful story, than a fun read. I recommend starting this book before the last week of summer, it will make your life much easier.
Cold Sassy Tree
You will also read Cold Sassy Tree once you finish A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. This book was very enjoyable. It had a somewhat simple story-line, but it was very interesting to read. It was fun to read out-loud in class and hear everyone's different voice impressions. You also get to do group projects with this book, which make it even better.
Divergent
Divergent was one of my favorite books from Honors English 9. It can be sad and dangerous, but it tells of great adventures. It will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat! You also get to see what faction you would be in yourself, which is interesting. Overall, it was a great part of the unit in English.
Poetry Unit
The Poetry Unit is another one of my favorites. You will be writing your own Spoken Word Poem. It is an amazing way to express yourself and how you feel about anything. You will also get it enjoy watching Louder Than A Bomb, where young poets share their works of art. Don't be afraid to stand out and present your poem to class, it can be a very positive experience.
INDEPENDENT READING
Mrs. Allen does her best to let you choose book that you want to read. It is very important to her that we all learn to love reading and not see it as a chore. I was able to read book like Wildwood Stables and Bronx Masquerade. I also enjoyed some realistic fiction books, one of them being an independent book. You get to choose something you will enjoy, rather than it being like an assignment.
My Favorites...
I really enjoyed the puppet shows and field trips. You will be able to teach the elementary students through puppet shows, which is fun for not only them, but you also. This is a group project, which makes it enjoyable and it is much better than writing an essay. You will get to learn through interactive field trips. When you see the plays in person rather than just reading them, it is much easier to understand. You have a lot to look forward to!
My Not So Favorites...
The amount of projects will get annoying and only continue to grow as Mrs. Allen goes to more and more conferences. I struggled with that for a while. Some of the mandatory books were also hard to read. The content was hard to talk about in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and it left me feeling uneasy.
Some Advice and Tips..
you should start projects as soon a s you get them. Do not procrastinate! Always do your best on any assignment. It is best to be yourself in class, and don't be afraid to express your opinions in projects and essays. Strive to succeed, if you do not try to get good grades, you won't! Use the outlines and tips Mrs. Allen gives you, they are very helpful.
Top 5 Ways to Survive All The Projects
- Start projects when you get them! DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!
- Make the projects involve something you like, so it is easier to enjoy. For example, using the poetry assignments to express yourself.
- When you have multiple projects, pour even effort into each one. Don't spend too much time on just one assignment.
- Choose books that you will enjoy for independent reading projects. Do not pick a certain book just because everyone else picked it.
- If you have the option to work in a group, choose to, so you can all contribute to the project.
Inspiration To Survive:
Thomas Edison
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
Steve Jobs
'Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."
Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."