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     Normally, I rejoice at the end of the school year. Then I read the following: Hopefully my special ‘good-bye’ during your class time will help express how much I treasure each of you and how excited I am about your accomplishments this year.

     Alas! English 8 is drawing to a close. If anyone has grown to cherish English 8, as I have, that quote from Mrs. Thomas [Mrs. T] will have them in tears. English 8 was not always easy—actually, it was rarely easy. The class was demanding and stimulating, but always rewarding, especially in the last quarter. Only now can I appreciate how gently Mrs. T drew us under her wing; the fourth quarter felt like she upturned the nest.

     In the beginning of the fourth quarter, Mrs. T focused on Animal Farm [AF] and persuasive essays. As preparation for AF, we students researched such terms as “utopia,” the “KGB,” and “proletarian.” We read AF’s preface, which also enhanced our understanding of Communist Russia. After completing this prep work, Mrs. T gave us a background of Communist Russia in class.

     And so began our AF study; every week, Mrs. T assigned reading and corresponding homework. For every chapter we read, we had to write thorough responses to thought-provoking questions. In class we would discuss our answers to these “discussion questions,” as they were called. We also wrote persuasive essays, and our second one was about AF. Once a student chose a topic to write about, he or she proceeded to choose a yes or no—pro or con—stance on the issue. He or she then wrote out a list of proofs and concessions. After that, he (or she) was set to write.

     The AF persuasive essay underwent the usual draft and conference process. Because it was assigned after we finished AF, the essay extended into the latter half of the quarter, when we read Everyman, a highly symbolic morality play. For our study of it, each student took on a character. We would then “perform” the play (a.k.a. when it came his or her turn, each student would take the mic and read his or her lines).

     In addition to AF and Everyman, English 8 wrote another personal choice piece, completed weekly grammar assignments, and kept up with logs. As mentioned, we also wrote another persuasive essay. Those assignments, along with AAF and Everyman, made for the most challenging quarter of the year. It will truly be a sorrow to see English 8 end; even when it was most challenging—probably when it was most challenging—English 8 was a remarkable class.

 

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English 8, section 3 English 8, Section 1 English 8, Section 2 English 8, section 5