A Collection of Random Thoughts

I think to truly see someone, you have to accept that they are a human being with flaws, beauty, and stories that make them who they are. But I think it takes time to see someone fully. It takes time for a friendship to grow. That's what it comes down to when you want to see someone--friendship. How else will you get to know their flaws and beauty and stories? This requires patience because after all, no one will show you exactly who they are the first time you meet. It takes patience to sit and talk about life and opinions and who they are. There is one teacher I know who did this really well. Mr. Knierim from Rocky Mountain High School. I don't think he knows how much he impacted my education. I recently saw him again for a project, and I realized that he tries to see every student in his class. He tries to get to know them, be a fun creative teacher for them and is very patient. He is a history/government teacher, and the day I observed him in class he was teaching freshme...

America is all too familiar with school shootings. So many shootings aren't even covered by the media because Trump's tweets are way more important. It's always the same routine; after a shooting, the White House will offer their "thoughts and prayers", and say it's too early to talk about gun laws. Then, after a few weeks our representatives will try to start a conversation about gun laws, but since there are too many disagreements the conversation is brought to an end until the next shooting. Then the cycle starts over again. But this time, there is something different. The Parkland school shooting survivors are not satisfied with the White House's "thoughts and prayers", and are demanding change!  I am deeply saddened by the school shooting in Florida and disappointed in our representatives for saying there was nothing they can do to prevent this. Ok--let's break down that argument, shall we? The claim that nothing could have been done ...

The most common genre, I've noticed, in books these days is romance. And honestly, I am so tired of romance. I want to read mysteries, horrors, or adventures that don't involve a love interest! (Well, I know most people won't be into that, so maybe a bit of romance but not the main focus.) So that got me thinking that maybe I could write a short story in the horror genre. It's really hard to get people to be scared, it takes work. The buildup and the suspense is something I will need to work on, but I think I can do it. My sister is a really great writer, maybe I could get a few tips from her. But she doesn't write horror so this will be my thing. If I move away from the idea of horror, I could also do an adventure short story--something like Percy Jackson or Harry Potter. (But without all the copywriting.) It could be fun to write about heroes who aren't so whiny. I am also considering a comedy short story--but I'm pretty sure only I find myself funny...

A place where I struggle with writing is putting my research into words. Sometimes, I get stuck on how I should phrase things so that they flow with the rest of the essay and it's not so choppy. But it takes some time for me to get there. After a few people have edited my work, I can figure out where those mistakes are, but I would like to know how to fix those mistakes myself. I also have a hard time with introductions and conclusions in essays. How do I introduce a topic, and how do I conclude it without making it sound all awkward? In terms of creative writing; I don't know how to engage a reader in a story I'm writing. I've always been really bad a writing short stories because I don't really know how to keep my readers interested. You'd think I would know by now--I read books all the time! I can see how the author is keeping me interested, but I can't do that in my own stories. But maybe I got this opinion a long time ago, and haven't tried to wri...

If I could start a school of my own--that runs the way I want it to--it would be a lot more easy going, less stressful. I would want to follow in Finland's example; have less homework and tests, not focus on grades but the growth of the student, have a highly qualified teacher in the school to make sure that the kids get the best they deserve. I would also want to make the school more hands-on activity based, rather than test based. Taking tests is a good way to check if a student is understanding the concept taught to them, but they are also really really stressful to some kids. I feel like we took a system that was supposed to help kids learn, and turned it against them! Tests should not be something kids should freak out about, it should be something to use to check up on the student's progress. But there are other ways to do that. Maybe interactive activities that go along with the subject taught in class, that would help students learn and experience more. One great exam...

I'm about twelve years old, and it's our third year living in America. We've moved for the third time since we came here, this time to a small town in Maryland. We didn't have a place to stay, so we had to sleep in our family friend's basement. My parents were discussing money, and my sister and I were watching. In hushed voices, they talked about how worried they were: "We only have $500 left!" "I know, but we can figure this out." It was in that moment that I realized that when I grow up, I don't want to be in situations like this. One door that leads to a better life for me and my family was education. In that moment, I remember thinking that I will study hard and do my best in school so that I can get into a good college and start a great career. I started improving my writing skills so that I could keep up with the rest of the students in my class. But I wanted to do this for my parents--I still do. They have sacrificed so much for me, i...