Writing Prompt #4

Writing Prompt #4 - due Monday-February 

What is your personal credo (belief)?

I have several things that I feel very strongly about.  These have become part of my belief system as I've gotten older.

One of the things that is most important to me is that people respect each other and the differences everyone brings to the world.  I honestly do not understand people who judge others because of a difference in opinion, a difference in lifestyle, or even a perceived difference.  This would be an extremely boring world if we were all the same.  Our differences should be celebrated, not judged or ridiculed.

Another thing important to me is that I want my kids (and my students) to be proud of themselves.  To be proud of who they are and really see what they bring to the world.  Every one of us has certain strengths and weaknesses (which fits in with the differences I talked about above).  We're all important in various ways.  I want my kids to be happy, to be successful (by doing what makes them happy), and to be proud of who they are.  I see it in the classroom, at home, and with the speech kids.  The best feeling is seeing them (any of them) find themselves - find their niche - and realize "hey! I can do this!" It doesn't matter if it's Cate putting on her shoes by herself for the first time, Christian and Ethan realizing that it may not actually matter what someone thinks, a student who aces a test they didn't think they would pass, or speech kids who shine at Districts or State.  Those moments where a kid sees their potential and sees themselves as I have seen them all along is a moment that I wouldn't trade for the world.

** Now, for your assignment, make sure you copy and paste the prompt to the top of your post (NOT the title - put Writing Prompt #4 as your title). Your entry should be at LEAST 100 words (not counting the prompt).  It needs to be posted by 11:59 pm Wednesday.

Writing Prompt #3 - Due February 3

Writing Prompt #3 - Due February 3

What characteristics do you value most in a friend? Explain why they are important.

To me the most important characteristics would be loyalty, honesty and a sense of humor.  Loyalty is important because it’s important for me to know that my friend is always there and always has my back. Honesty is an important quality to me because I want the type of friend that will always tell me the truth. Sometimes I get an idea or make a decision and I need someone to keep me in check, and not be afraid to tell me the truth.  A sense of humor is important to me because I think a person who is funny and humorous tends to be optimistic and positive instead of negative. I also would need a person to be humorous and understand sarcasm in order for us to get along well.

** Now, for your assignment, make sure you copy and paste the prompt to the top of your post (NOT the title - put Writing Prompt #3 as your title). Your entry should be at LEAST 100 words (not counting the prompt), my prompt is 131 words.  It needs to be posted by 11:59 pm Tuesday.

Writing Prompt #2 - due Fri January 22nd @ 11:59pm

What does the following quote mean to you?  "You don’t get to pick where you’re from, but you always have control of where you’re going."

I think everyone knows that you don’t get to pick where you’re from. You don’t get to pick your parents, siblings, family or where you grow up. However, you do get to decide what you’re going to do with the “cards you’ve been dealt.” I have never met my real father. He left my mom when she was in the hospital, minutes after I was born. However, when I was 2 my mom married the man I know to be my father. He has been there for me through everything since then. He’s the only man I know to be my dad, he’s the man that walked me down the aisle and gave me away to my husband, and he’s the first man I loved. He has never treated me like I was not his child, and in fact, we both often forget that he’s not my birth-father! I could dwell on the fact that the man who created me walked away without ever knowing me, refused to even sign off on my adoption papers because he wouldn’t claim me, and has never been a part of my life. OR I can embrace the fact that a wonderful man stepped into my life, raised me, gave me away and is now the grandfather to my children all because he CHOSE to!

I believe that it’s easy to dwell on the negative. It’s easy to focus on being poor, not having things that it seems everyone else has, not being able to do this or do that, being overweight, not being as pretty or as tall as you think you should be. However, if we stop doing that and take time to look at what we DO have, life is so much better! If we focus on the positives and what we can control than eventually those other things become less important!

** Now, for your assignment, make sure you copy and paste the prompt to the top of your post (NOT the title - put Writing Prompt #2 as your title).  Your entry should be at LEAST 100 words (not counting the prompt).  To help you get an idea of how much 100 words is, my entry (not counting the prompt and not counting this explanation) was 311 words.

Paragraph for Scholarships

Using the following prompt, create an opening paragraph you would write if this was a scholarship essay.

Describe a significant setback, challenge or opportunity in your life and the impact that it has had on you.

(Your response should be 300-500 words. This is going to be the typical length of scholarship essays)

Writing Prompt #1-Due Tuesday January 13th

If a handful of people can change the world for the worse, then I am certain that a handful of people can change the world for the better.

What will you do do to make this world of ours, which feels so broken right now, a better place?


This honestly is why I went into teaching.  If I can make a difference in just one life, then I feel I will have succeeded.  It's funny, I went into teaching thinking that I could change someone's life (or hoping I could, anyway), but what I didn't count on was that I would be changed so much more by those same students.

My wish, as an educator, as a parent, as a human being, is that people accept differences in one another.  We're all different.  It would be boring if we were all the same.  No one is better than another, just different.  Why people can't see that, why people judge others is beyond me.  If you don't like someone, fine.  Leave them alone.  That's what makes me so angry about bullying in schools.  If you haven't actually lived someone's life (and let's face it, how can we really know what someone else is going through), you can't judge them.  Just like they can't judge you.  Or shouldn't, anyway.

Every news story that includes a school shooting or an instance of bullying makes me sad.  I hurt for the parents who lose a child and I hurt for the students whose lives are changed in a split second.  I know everyone always laughs and makes fun of the beauty pageants where the contestants all answer "World peace" to what they wish most for the world, but honestly, if everyone would simply accept others for who they are - opinions, lifestyles, personalities, etc - we could all get along much better.  I'm not saying agree with everyone's decisions or opinions.  But everyone is entitled to their own beliefs.

With that in mind, I will continue to do what I've always done.  Speak up if I hear about bullying (I know I don't hear everything, but I won't let it go if I do hear it) and provide a safe haven for those who may have nowhere else to go.

** Now, for your assignment, make sure you copy and paste the prompt to the top of your post (NOT the title - put Writing Prompt #1 as your title).  Your entry should be at LEAST 100 words (not counting the prompt).  To help you get an idea of how much 100 words is, my entry (not counting the prompt and not counting this explanation) was 328 words.

Welcome to College Bound Senior English!

Welcome to College Bound Senior English!

This class focuses on writing of all kinds, so one of the things you'll be doing throughout the semester is blogging.  You all will create a blog of your own here on Blogger.  I'll be telling you how to title it and what address to put in, as well as how to share it with me.  This will be part of your course grade.  In addition, you'll all "follow" my blog because I will be writing along with you AND I will be posting writing prompts here for you to use in your own writing.

Periodically, you will be asked to read other blogs and comment.  Please keep in mind that the blog is on the internet.  It's NOT a diary.  Other people will be reading your blog.

The following steps should help you set up your blog for this class:

1. Go to www.blogger.com
2. Sign in using your school email address
3. Click on “New Blog”
4. For your title, please put Your Name (just first name) College Bound Senior English
5. For your address, please put cbse and then your last name (mine is cbsehorn)
6. You can choose whatever theme and colors you would like
7. Once everyone has created a blog, you will "follow" their blog - and mine - because some of your assignments will involve commenting on others' entries.

We'll be doing this in class on Monday, so if you have questions, I will be walking you through it.