the struggle is real

I have never struggled in a math class in my entire life but right now I am struggling. I think I'm doing it right and I think I'm actually learning the information but when it comes to the test it feels like completely different questions then what we have learned. I ask my partners and they either A. explain it too me in their own method beside the one that is taught or B. they tell me they didn't know either. When I ask a question it is explained in a way that I have no idea what was just said. It's not because I'm unintelligent or I'm not paying attention it's just that I learn through steps and I feel like this math class is a lot of jumping around and chaos.

First Test

I didn't have a lot of trouble on the first test. The worst part was putting the inverse function into the original function. I don't think I practiced that enough before the test.

3rd Blog post-The First test!

I felt pretty good going into the first test. I feel that I preformed well also! The only thing I wasn't confident about was turning a given domain back into a function! 

Reflection

I've been looking over my prior worksheets and just linking everything together and understanding how it works and it's a nice feeling. 

Weekly blog post 3

So we had our first big test this week and I have to say that it was not even that bad as I thought. I feel pretty good with how it went and now I'm looking forward to the next upcoming tests!

Week 3 blog post

Alright so the first test last week... it really wasnt that bad. Although I took a very long time finishing it, I feel I did decent on it. The only thing that seemed unclear to me were the inverse function methods of proving and whatnot. Overall, not too bad for the first test.

Moment of clarity

I wasn't sure of what I was doing until my sister and her friend helped me review before the test.  I feel that it really helps to get have someone teach it in a different just to be completely sure about it.

Finally understanding

This week I finally started to understand how all this math stuff worked and I not as confused as I was last week.

reflection

I don't quite know how to reflect on this week. I was a very angry teenager this whole week and math is hard. I found it really hard to focus when I was upset. I did, however, at the end of the week manage to focus and see some light at the end of the tunnel of mathness... I'm hoping I can stay motivated and keep working with Senor Jackson to really learn what I need to.

reflection. blog post 3

Since I have been staying awake I have found the concepts in class rather easy. The test I felt was a piece of cake. And since I haven't been missing the lessons as much I have caught back on really quickly and have applied it in class while also asking questions for further understanding. And more complex problems.

Week 3

This week was a tough week.  I understand most of the concepts when we talk about them but sometimes struggle to solve problems with them. The test was a lot more difficult then I thought it was going to be! For future test I will defiantly study and prepare more then I did for this one.  Over all not a bad week just a difficult one for me.

reflection

if im going to be honest, math has always come very easy to me; and so I came into this course thinking it was going to be quite simple for me to pass with a good grade. however, this class is unlike any math class I have ever taken. every day seems to be a new challenge and even though its not the easiest, I really have been enjoying the fact that im able to learn something new every day. major props to Jackson.

Reflection of this week

This week was a lot easier than the previous weeks in this course. The test was difficult but not as hard as I was expecting, there were a few things that were confusing on the test but overall I believe that looking over the homework and the review helped me to do my best on the test!

Blog post 3

When I went into class Friday I thought I was going to do really bad on the test, but after I finished it I couldn't believe how much information I retained. Hope to stay caught up in everything and keep a good grade.

third post - JBreezy

This past week was pretty swell until test day. I honestly have alot of fun in class.I love the challenges. I just need you to give me the first step when we learn something new and tell me why and ill enjoy going to the problem. I dont like when you give us something we havent seen before and just tell us to take a stab. I mean thats totally fine, but we know SO MUCH about math and how it works but there is SO many rules and regulations. Like addition might not work the second step but it will in the 9th step or whatever. So I mean, give us a hint at first or extend OUR knowledge (that you know for sure we have) and build off of it. Work off of our knowledge not the deadlines. Just some advice. Cause I know this class is suppose to be challenging but NO ONE should be crying about not understanding math. Something isnt right.

Week 3

When Mr. Jackson talks about concepts sometimes it doesn't make sense at first but when I start to work on different problems it starts to click with me! I think my down fall on the test was the simple things that I didn't practice enough and I couldn't remember how to do them. 

Blog post - Rose

Personally I think that this week went really well for me. I understood everything that was taught and the homework wasn't bad. But on Friday when we received the test there were many things that we learned at the beginning of the year or just didn't go over enough that I had a hard time on. Maybe it's just me but I'm just not used to having tests be so spaced out because I tend to forget some of the material or just feel like Im cramming at the last minute to study everything. Maybe we could have a review day? I think that would work a lot better than just getting free work time and asking Mr. Jackson questions.

Week 3: Moment of Clarity

On Friday, as everyone knows, we took the very first pre-calculus test. As soon as I looked at it, I completely blanked! Not even over exaggerating, I did not remember what an inequality was. I realized that I was over reacting, and took a deep breath. I started to finish problems left and right. As I was nearing the end, I had roughly five questions that I could not figure out! These were simple problems, such as simplifying and finding the domain with the problems of "or" & "and". I read the little sheet that Mr. Jackson gave us, and it made me even more confused. Then, I had my moment of clarity. I went through the lessons in class and remembered all of the notes I took. I know that I did not get all the questions right, but I feel decent about the test. Hopefully, I will not be proved wrong when I get it back.

Week three

This week I was really understanding inverse functions and how to recognize that they are the opposite of the original function. So, on the review I didn't need any clarification. I feel like I struggled most with the stuff we learned at the beginning of the unit just because I hadn't practiced it as much.

Week 3

When Mr. Jackson explains some of the things for the first time, it sometimes doesn't really click, but once I get to practice it on the homework it starts to make more sense. I guess I had my light bulb moment when I was at home doing my precalc homework.

Week 3

Well, this week overall went pretty well for me, I suppose.  When I saw how well I did on all of my homework, I finally felt very confident in my calculative ability (is that a thing?) in this class.  I feel fairly strong in the region of inverse functions, and I fell confident in using interval notation at last.  I hope that now I will be able to boldly look forward in this class and maser the mysterious ways of the mathematicians!

--Remember, if you give up on yourself, you give up on the world.--

Week 2: option 3

I gotta say, my progress is a lot better this week than the last's.  As the time progressed and so did the work, the subjects seemed to be getting easier and easier.  I could remember more about what to do and I could see how things would work easier.  While at the start of the course I was worried about what overall would happen, after the test on Friday I am rather confident and willing to continue on since I felt that I had done relatively well on the test.  I had been rather worried going into the test but after looking it over I was surprised to see how easy it compared to my own daunting thoughts.  I would say I am happy about the progress I have made so far.  

Something new I learned

I learned that math is actually really easy if you work at it. This unit was tough at first but then every thing started to click. 

friday test

I went into the class thinking that I was going to completely understand it, but as i started to take it I freaked out. It was a lot of information to remember and I felt like as soon as I got my test I blanked out. I really didn't understand the paper that was given to help us it just made me more confused. I really hope that I'm just overthink it and I did okay on my test.

I think the hardest part of the unit was the radicals that where being divided by each other and the combining functions. I feel better about both now but it took me a lot of practice. I tried asking my dad but he had no idea.

the test

The test in my opinion was difficult in some parts but easy in others. I think i did pretty well but I'm afraid I did bad.

Week 3

This week made a lot of things clearer.  I finally understand why we use interval notation.  Also, Inequalities and Domain and range finally clicked.  I'm finally getting it!  My one weak spot though is finding rational inverses.

3rd blog post

This week I had a moment of clarity with inverse functions. I understood that it had to be the complete opposite of the regular function but didn't know how to get there. My moment of clarity was when I realized you had to set x equal to y but do whatever you were going to do to x. This helped me a lot because then it was easier to do the inverse operations. 

Third Week Blog Post

This week I kind of struggled with the inverse functions part of this unit. But after doing all the practice and the review, I felt better about it and I feel like I did well on that part of the test. One part of inverse functions I'm still not very clear on is when proving they are inverse by using the composition method. I will have to come in to have it explained to me again!

Third blog post

This week I was feeling confident until the review. The review helped me notice my weak points so I was able to focus on certain things when I was studying. I struggled sometimes when I had to find the domain of a function that said "and".  I think I understand it now but we will see how I did on the test.

Third Blog Post

To be honest, I was not planning on trying terribly hard. I have never had to try very hard ever at school and fortunately it has always come easy to me. We took a pop quiz and I got half of the possible points on it and it was a wake up call. I didn't expect any better but I guess it took me seeing the poor grade to realize that I was going to have to put in effort to get the grade I desire. Prior to the test I actually practiced with the material I had learned in the past week and I was about a million times more confident taking the test than when I had taken the pop quiz. I have never had to try before at school, and to be fair, at first it kind of irritated me that I wasn't understanding the material naturally like I usually do. I'm super appreciative of being "forced" to learn things on my own and work harder though, it'll prepare me a little more thoroughly for my future. So, I suppose that is how I feel I have progressed within the time we've been in the class. 

week 3

At the beginning of the week when we started inverse equations I was very confused. I did not understand how to do it with the composition method. It took me a day to figure out , but after I focused on those problems I was able to figure it out.

Week 3

I think the test went well. I really liked all the practice because I felt like I had it down I just still needed a little bit of work. Overall I didn't really struggle this week.

Muddy Point: Week 3

I think our test went well on Friday and that some things were coming easier to me. Although I still find it hard to learn new things. The explanations of things are too fast and not explained thoroughly. I need to seek some help from fellow students to figure out how to solve specific problems. Hopefully, this next unit works out better than the last.

Muddiest Point

My "Muddiest Point" this week was when we had the test on Friday.  I went in feeling really good about what I was doing and I felt like the test was going to be a breeze.  The first couple of pages were good but then the questions seemed to get harder each page and I didn't know how to finish or even start some problems.  This class is so frustrating.  I'll do perfectly fine when I'm practicing problems on my own but once I get to the test, problems are much more complex and have so many things going on that I get even more confused and frustrated. I get so stressed out about this class and I don't feel good about myself whenever I leave the room at the end of the day....

Week 3 - Reflection

Reflecting on my progress in this course...

I expected Precalc Functions to be just like every other math class I've taken. All of the information handed to us, teacher walking us through every step of every problem, extra credit galore. This class came as a kind of shock. I've liked the way that we are expected to try things out and experiment, and I like how we're forced to find things for ourselves, which is what we'll have to do in college and in our adult life. But it takes some getting used to. 

After going through a unit in this class, I feel like I'm better prepared to make some changes that will help me in the rest of the tri to come. Instead of waiting to do my homework last minute, I'll try to do it when it is assigned and keep up with what is going on in class. I think that I also need to start asking more questions in class when I don't understand something instead of just telling myself that I'll figure it out later. I'll definitely try to look over my notes instead of just shoving them into my binder and forgetting about them. And I'll definitely study ahead of time so I won't have to cram.

So far, I haven't found any of the concepts to be too difficult. The only thing that was holding me back was how I would neglect to keep up with what was going on. Hopefully I can make sure that that won't happen again.

3rd post: Lightbulb moment

I finally understand how to do interval notation and find the domain. I feel so much better now that I'm not totally lost. I'm still very lost but not completely. So I guess it's a start. I'm feeling pretty confident in that area so I'm hoping I did semi decent on the test or I'm grounded haha. But I'm determined to understand everything.

Lightbulb moment

My lightbulb moment was when we learned how to do inverse functions. I feel like this is the only topic we've done so far that I really feel comfortable with. I still do need some help sometimes, but for the most part I know what I'm doing. 

3rd post

An example of where this class helped with other classes was yesterday when the practice with factoring we did helped me with a hard physics problem that required factoring.  

Light Bulb

Today in class I really understood the concept of what we were doing and I felt really good about it! I just got a little confused on question number 1 but I feel that question was a more complex question and for the first time trying these problems I thought I did very well! 

2nd blog post

I wasn't too pleased with the score I received on my quiz. I understand how to find the domain of functions but struggled with the ranges. I've been looking over my notes more and more the past few days and have a better understanding of how to find the range for all different functions we are presented with. Also, this math class moves at a much quicker pace than all of my previous math classes and it can be overwhelming. But as I mentioned earlier it has been helpful to look back at notes and previous worksheets for an overall better understanding.

3rd blog post

Today in math we learned inverse functions. It is the first time I can say that I understand something in this class. I feel very confident about this and can execute these problems very well. The problems are very simple and repetitive so I understand them. I am feeling a little less stressed now but I am still very nervous for the test. I am hoping with lots of studying and practicing various problems, I can feel this confident about the other stuff we learned. 

Blog post

I remember that one day in class where we talked about everyone OCD. It was cool to hear about everyone's weird fetiches and what bothered everyone. It was also cool to hear about Mr: Jacksons experience with it.

2nd Blog Post

I found the exercises where you have to insert g(x) to f or vice versa very hard at the beginning. But then as I tried to do everything step by step, it changed and I'm not having big issues with these problems anymore.

Second blog post

I don't really have an exact "muddy point", but this last week or so has been pretty frustrating. I feel like it's hard for me to just grasp the concept of what we're doing. It definitely needs to be explained more, and in my opinion, it does not take that much time to walk us step by step through only one problem. If I knew exactly how to solve only one problem, I would know how to do the rest of them too. I have always excelled in math throughout my whole life and this class has been a turning point for the worst, unfortunately.  

well, something I found interesting is how simple done if the math actuary is at heart. I mean sometimes it's just common sense, and others, it's. just flipping some stuffs or using the opposite things and BAMF you're done

2nd blog post

Until this class, math has always come very easy to me. I am struggling a lot in this class though. It's very fast pace and overwhelming. I asked a lot of questions the last couple of days so things have been getting a little better. I have also asked many people for help and they have been helpful. This week the thing I struggled most with though is remembering the difference of how to find the domain and range. 

2nd Post

So I haven't had trouble in math until now. For some reason I just can not understand this. I try so hard to understand but, I just can't. On friday, I had a break through and finally started to semi understand what is even going on. Jay has been helping me a lot and even though I probably annoy her with my constant questions. I'm finally understanding how to solve the problems and find the domain.

2nd post

I struggle in this class with remembering the difference in how to find the domain and range.  If I keep reviewing the sheet that shows how to find both I should be alright although it is hard for me to remember the difference like I said. 

2nd post

So I have a ridiculously hard time understanding anything math related... this makes this math class very hard. I did, however, have some sort of moment of clarity when talking to Kristen Rebera about domains and how to find them. I feel more confident about finding them now. I think it helps to hear how to do something from more than one person, to kind of confirm the lesson being taught.

2nd post

This week has by far been alittle irritating, well at first atleast. I usually understand things pretty quickly. And I can understand difficult things and be able to break it down into simplier form so that my peers understand it.but the irritating part iss, maybe i might struggle for a few minutes understanding  something. But I will eventually get it :)

Second blog

This week made me realize that this class is still extremely difficult, and you have to pay attention and make sure you keep up or else you can't survive.

Blog Post 2

This past week in Functions has been a bit hectic. Everyday being given new assignments and learning new material is a bit overwhelming at first. I've gotten used to it though. This weekend I spent like 4 hours strictly working on this class' homework and have 90% of it done. The one thing I'm struggling with is domain overlaps with different functions and function combinations. Besides making some dumb mistakes on that Surprise this week went pretty smoothly.

2nd Blog Post

At the beginning I understood everything that was being said, but as time went on I messed up my sleeping pattern and started to daze In class. And I wasn't understanding much. Once I got that corrected I started getting back on track and hopefully my next quiz score and test will be higher.

2nd blog post

My quiz grade this week was not what I wanted.  I believe part of that was due to my lack of reviewing my notes before the quiz. Early in the well I was struggling with some of the concepts of domain and range.  I understand those better now.  I struggle a little with some of the combination and composition problems right now. I am sure the more I do them the better I will get though.

Mathmatical Epiphany

       I originally struggled to fully conceptualize composition of multiple functions; but when it was explained in terms of replacing x with the function, then distributing, it suddenly clicked and was easy. Now, composing multiple functions into one is actually fun, and it'd be interesting to try an even larger composition.

2nd blog post

This week we received our quiz scores and I was not satisfied with mine. I struggled with the last question of getting y by itself. I also need to study the rules of finding the ranges and domains this week in order to prepare myself for our test. I hope to improve from my quiz score to this week's test.  I think it helps us when we have time in class for just practicing problems on our own and asking questions when we get stuck. 

I had a moment of clarity when I realized all we were doing was putting the designated function in for the x in the outside function. I didn't really realize it until it was written like f(g(x)). Then I understood what was actually going on. I still think I'm doing the domain wrong though, so I'm going to ask on Monday.

I think my muddiest point is finding the domains after combining them. I keep doubting myself, it seems like I'm doing them wrong but I get the same answers as my partner. I still think I'm doing them wrong.

Blogpost 2

When I returned after missing 2 days of school I felt so far behind and like I didn't know anything.  After talking to Mr. Jackson during class on friday I felt a lot better. I really recommend not missing this class if you don't have to, but if you do, go get help as soon as possible.

Week two (muddy point)

my muddiest point this week has been understand the g(x) and f(x). I understand understand how to due addition and subtraction, but I was confused on g(f(x)). Luckily on Friday I finally understood it, so I am doing better now.

week 1

I personally find the math we are doing now pretty easy. I do sometimes struggle with remembering domain and range for different equations. Other than that I feel pretty good about where I am at in math currently.

Muddy Point- Week 1

I found it difficult when we first started doing the f(g(x)) equations. Once we went over it Friday, I found it was rather easy. I know the you have to replace the x's of f(x) with the function from g(x) and solve. Then you had to compare the original domains to be able to find the final domain.m

Moment of Clarity

My "moment of clarity" was when I started to understand how to do the composition of functions.  Jackson began to explain how to do each step and I took notes on everything he wrote on the board.  Finally once we started to practice on our own, I checked my notes to see how to complete the problem and within a few minutes I was done and I had the correct answer.  I felt really proud because some of this stuff is really hard and I felt like I had accomplished something.

Clarity

This week after the quiz I was still struggling and I felt as if I was getting nowhere. But then when our class started learning about combining and composing functions all of a sudden I understood. I don't exactly know how but it just came to me, my moment of clarity. I'm glad that I'm becoming more involved in class because I understand how to work out these combination and composition of function problems.

Weekly blog post

This week I was having struggle grasping the ideas that composite functions were proposing or the f(g(x)) stuff. I had a moment of clarity when I heard the word "substitution" used to describe it. I now understand that instead of just f(7) and plugging in 7 everytime you see an x now it is f(g(x)) means to plug in the whole function g(x) when you see an x in function f.

Moment of Clarity

I think so far the most difficult thing for me to understand was doing the f(g(x)) equations. In class I was just so stressed out during the notes and examples and I was really frustrated. I remember though, on one problem in the most recent worksheet, I just all of a sudden got it. I don't even know how it happened. It just clicked and I felt so relieved.

My muddiest point this past week...I'm between combining functions and finding domain and range.  I kind of get the main point, I just get stuck when it comes to some of the steps in finding the answer to the problem.

Muddy point this week

The muddy point I had this week came when we started doing the f(g(x)) functions. The notation used was very confusing. Also I found it confusing when it came to finding the domain of the final function. I didn't understand which original function's domain to use to find the final domain. But by the end of the day Friday I was able to understand which function (inner) to use when finding the ending function!

Week 2

The roughest thing for me was finding the domain and range of rational functions. After looking over my notes and the answers keys on our class website, I understand how to find domain and range of rational functions.

Muddiest Point

My muddiest point this week was when we started composition of functions graphically and algebraically. I understood how to find it on a graph but when we got to the second part I was lost. My group members explained it to me and I started understanding it more but I am still a little confused.

Second blog post

I did not to nearly as well as I had hoped on the quiz we took on Tuesday. I made stupid mistakes which was my down fall but I have been getting help from Mrs. Cantrell and I feel that I have need getting better everytime I go in for help. 

Week 2-Muddiest Point

My muddiest point this week most likely would have been the quiz. I have NEVER studied for math before in my life! So, as usual, I did not study for this one either. Looking back at it now, I see that I would have done so much better if I would have studied every day like Mr. Jackson wants us to do. After receiving my grade, I understand now that i cannot just assume that i am going to receive 100% on every quiz I take. Now, I have looked over my notes as much as I can and feel as if I am understanding most of the unit so far. I did have my moments when i forgot how to write interval notation or struggled with this new concept of combining and composition of functions, then looked back at the notes I wrote(which helped a lot). 

Week 2 - Moment of clarity

When we got our first quizzes back, I saw that I had goofed up on the interval notation for range in the first section. I talked to Jackson about why there should be brackets instead of parenthesis for the k values, and I then had my "moment of clarity". He explained how when you graph the function, those points will be hit, so we had to include the k value in the notation. To do this, the brackets must be used. (The brackets really mean "greater/less than or equal to". Without using them, we're saying that the k value is not included in the function, which is a false statement.)

Weekly blog option 2

Weekly blog option 2.
Well it was the day we had gotten our quizzes back and to see what I got all I had felt was disappointment and dumb.  After looking over the quiz and going back over some of the problems and taking my time making sure not to mess any little detail up, i noticed right away what I had done wrong and was rather angry at myself for making such stupid little mistakes.  While no matter what I would have still gotten the last problem wrong, the other two that I only got half credit on could have been completely avoided and I would have been much happier with my grade.  I learned that even when the quiz is unexpected and timed, I still need to be careful about the problems and make sure I have done all of the steps right without missing and little detail that could change the answer.  The good thing is that when looking around and asking others, it seemed as if I wasn't the only one who was not proud of what grade they had received.  So while I may have done bad on that particular quiz I am still around where the class is in general, meaning I am not falling behind.  The only thing now is to wait for the next quiz or even the test and make sure I do a tremendous job on it.

week two

Unfortunately, I haven't had any moment of clarity. I feel completely stuck. Usually I'm pretty good at understanding new concepts but I've had so much on my mind lately and it's really bringing me down. I really need to get extra help but I can't stay after unless its at my parents' convenience. All I want out of this class is a good grade ad maybe some better math skills.

Second Blog Post

Earlier in the week, I didn't get the grade I wanted to on the quiz. However I believe that with studying and hard work that I can obtain a good grade in this course. Something that was difficult for me is finding the domain and range of the radical and rational functions, but after today in class I gained a better understanding!

Week 2

I never really have been interested in most math classes.  I am mostly looking to make it through this one in a single piece with a good grade.  However, I try to remember that giving up is a choice that I make, and I often make that choice when struggling with schoolwork.  Or at leafs, I try to.  I have my family always pushing me back up from the depths of forfeiting, whether I like it or not.  Later, I always remember what pushing on and finishing what work lies in front of you is like in the end.  I always have a little saying for when I begin tiring out, and want to just fall on my face.

Remember, if you give up on yourself, you give up on the world.

Garlic Onion Flavor Gum

Dear Flavio, Thank you so much for the garlic onion flavored gum! It stimulated my senses and made me very happy. You rock! -Sam

Week 2 blog post

I was not very happy with my quiz grade at the beggining of this week. I was not ready to take a quiz which is my fault for not looking over my notes as much as I should. I struggled early this week with domain and range but I got some help and I'm pretty confident about it now. However I am struggling a little with combining and composition of functions. 

Second Blog Post (9/19/14)

The part i struggle most (not much struggle) is with finding the domain of combined functions.

Second blog post!

I wasnt too happy about my quiz earlier this week. I just made little mistakes that were critical. I'm going to have to take more time into reviewing material everynight!

Second Blog Post

After the quiz on Tuesday, we reviewed some  of the material in which we were tested on and I was confused on finding the domain of radical functions. After we reciewed, it finally clicked with my mind on how to do it and I lost the confusion in which I had. I had my "ah-ha!" moment on Wednesday during class.

I know you're frustrated...

Hang in there.  Sounds easier said then done, I know.  One of the hardest concepts to teach is how to accept failure.  By accepting failure, you are not giving up (this is a choice), but you are deciding to bring your very best to the fight, so that if you fail again you'll have learned a new set of lessons.  Maybe its not failure that you're afraid of.  Maybe you honestly don't know where to start when it comes to the concepts in class.  Please trust me when I suggest that you try "something," even if it doesn't seem "correct."  You have so many years of experience that has led you here...so use it!  Make sure you spend time every day thinking about what you want out of this class.  

Do you:
1.  Just want to make it through it.  
2.  Develop a deeper understanding of mathematics.
3.  Become a better student in all of your classes.
4.  Increase your awareness of those around you and show compassion.
5.  Get rewarded just for showing up.
6.  I'll take whatever I want from this class, you can't tell me what to do.
7.  All of the above.
8.  #'s 2-4 with a little #1 if possible.

Remember, I'm here for you.  I'm on "your side."  We need to go to battle together.  Maybe a little motivation is necessary.  

"I am Mr Jackson. And I see a whole army of students, here in defiance of tyranny! You have come to fight as free men & women. And free man & woman you are! What will you do without freedom? Will you fight?"

"We risk failure & humiliation!" - a veteran student shouted. "No! We will run - and keep face!"

"Yes!" Jackson shouted back. "Fight and you may fail. Run and you will at least last a while without fear of frustration & anxiety. And dying in your bed many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance, to come back here as young men & women and tell our enemies that they may take our time & energy but they will never take our freedom!"
-adapted from a speech from William Wallace.

You are the future and I believe that you can do so much more than what the previous generation gives you credit.  Please...believe in yourself.  This is just math.  There are real solutions here.  Life is much more complicated and will challenge you much more than I can ever do in 12 weeks.  






 

Chewing Gum

Thank you so much for the onion flavored chewing gum! It my breath smell AWESOME for the rest of the day! It was quite the experience.

In five years I will be....

Just graduating from Oklahoma State in Warner Oklahoma. My major will eithor have been in ag education or ag buissness. I will then start taking tests to become an agricultural teacher. 

I've never been more frightened than when..

Late third tri of my sophomore year I was sitting in Mr. Martels history class listening to a lecture or something (I can't really remember) but I noticed a very large spider hanging on the ceiling across the room from me. I'm super afraid of spiders so every so often i'd glance at it to see if the spider was keeping its distance. It was slowly and slowly approaching the table I was sitting at and I started to panic. The spider reached my table and at that point my eyes were glued to it and HONESTLY the second I looked away the sneaky spider abandoned its web and dropped and skid my cheek and I was extremely perturbed and done at that point. 

In 5 years

In 5 years I will most likely be in college. I will hopefully be doing well in college, but no promises there. I'm not sure what I'll be there for, but it'll be something. I will also most likely be doing a part time job as well as college in order to pay for different things. This job will definitely not be fun, but whatever. I hopefully will try to stay in shape, because I'm not really liking the idea of getting fat. I hope that I will have fun with college, and that I won't have to spend every second studying.

Nightmare

One night I dreamt that I was swimming in a huge pool with a few of my friends. The pool was very deep and we could not see the bottom at first but once we went under the water there was thousands and thousands of sea monsters. I cannot even describe how terrifying they were. As the nightmare went on, I tried to swim to the side of the pool so I could escape my death but it kept getting bigger and bigger and I kept swimming slower and slower. It didn't end until right when I woke up and out of breath.
Luckily I am not afraid of the water now but I will never forget how real that nightmare felt.

In 5 years I will be at college! Hopefully where ever I go I will play soccer there! I would like to study buisness in school! I would also like to stay in michigan for school! That is where I will be in 5 years.

My Favorite Childhood Toy

My favorite childhood toy that I had were my Hot Wheels. I had, and still have, like 300 in my basement and they were really fun to play with. I remember how I used to count them out and sort them by size, color, and other things. Of course I was a bit violent and would send them racing down my hallways, outside on the side walk, and would even take them to school and play on the slides with them. I remember a giant dinosaur like race track my mom got me as a birthday present once and it was insane! I would play with that race track and my Hot Wheels for hours on end.

my hero: first post thing

My hero isn't a person, it's music. If we didn't have music, I probably wouldn't be here today typing this post. Whenever I feel alone and like nobody cares, music is always there. Whenever I'm sad, or in a bad mood, or trying to find reasons to stay, I turn on the radio or grab my guitar and feel a million times better.

favorite toy

When I was a six years old my parents moved to Michigan from Colorado so that my mom could attend medical school at MSU. When I was about seven my parents told my brothers and i that we were going to a penny convention but we were actually going to Great Wolf Lodge. Being from Colorado, when we arrived we did not know where we were or what great wolf lodge was. In great wolf lodge there was a toy shop that had all these stuffed animals of bears, wolves, raccoons, moose and other forest animals. The moment i walking into the toy shop i saw this white and gray wolf stuffed animals with bright blue eyes. Being seven years old that loves stuffed animals, you could imagine how much i wanted the wolf stuffed animal. My mom told me that the only way that i could get him was if i could give him a name. the first word out of my mouth with shrieks of joy and excitment was, "Wolfy!" Ever since Wolfy has gone everywhere with me and will always be with me. I still sleep with him sometimes when Im sad or stressed out.

I have never been more frightened then when...

I have never been more frightened then when Katie Parks, Britt Fritsch and I went to see Insidious. As if the movie didn't freak us out enough, my brother did some pretty freaky things as well. First, when we were walking out of the theater we all looked into my mom's car and Skyler's face in the back window. We all started screaming so loud that my mom thought someone was approaching us from behind the car. Since we were all too scared to stay the night alone after that, Katie and Britt ended up staying the night at my house. We had to go to each of their houses to get their clothes so they could sleepover. When we got back into the car after going into Katie's house, my brother was laying in the front windshield of the car. I screamed so hard that it scared Britt and Katie in the back seat. When they finally realized what I was screaming at, they started laughing. We realized how ridiculous it all was later that night.

My weirdest dream #4

My weirdest recurring dream/nightmare...

I was swimming at a community pool one day.  I dried myself off as I got out and who do I meet?  Robin Williams.  I became really good friends with him.  When I heard the news of his death I was absolutely crushed and didn't know what to do with myself.  That night I went to bed and when I woke up the next morning, I was at the community pool again and met Robin Williams.  Somehow time got turned back or something.  This time when I met him, I tried my best to help him through what he was going through.  But despite my efforts, I heard the news of his death once more, and was extremely upset.  This whole thing kept happening until I woke up (really).  I was just really frustrated and upset because there was absolutely no resolution no matter what I did to help.  I dunno...all my dreams are weird and frustrating.

3 goals I've set for myself

3 goals that I have set for myself

1) one goal that I have set for myself in my life is to go to college at either Central Michigan, Michigan State, or Eastern Michigan and become a US history teacher. 

2) another goal I have set for myself is to graduate high school with a cumulative grade point average of above a 3.5. 

3) a third goal that I have set for myself is to grow up and have a family and to be able to fully support my family. A family of 2-3 kids and 1-2 dogs. 

5 years from now

Five years from now, i will be in the airborne rangers, trying out for Special Forces in the United States Army. I have always wanted to be in the Special Forces and i have set a course to were i will have the opportunity to try. I strive to be the best I can be and this reflects what I want to be. I want to push myself to be the best I possibly can.

Chewing Gum

Thank you beloved lord for handing me this awful tasting garlic onion chewing gum. It was a pleasure to chew on it, although its taste nearly persuaded me to cut off my beloved tongue. Don't think that I won't revenge this disgraceful action, since you made me cry for ages. I wish you all the best for your life, however you won't get unharmed away with it.
Noah Kuntner

3 Goals: First Blog

Three goals that I have set for myself are...

1. Stay involved with my family and keep my friendships= I am very close to my family and I hope that it will stay that way. Along with that, I would not like to loose connection with my friends and maintain our relationships as I get older.
2. Have a good career that I enjoy= I would like to possibly get a job having to do with law enforcement. This being said, I would hopefully make a decent amount of money so that I can do my third goal...
3. Travel the world= As we all know that we only have one life to live, I would like to spend it seeing the world. It would be an adventure! Traveling the world might not be considered a goal so I am saying that it would make me very continent. This being said, my third overall goal is to be happy! :)

Worst Nightmare

Well, where do I honestly begin. I was oh, I don't know fifteen when this happened. I was but a piece of the background only able to watch as this, "monster" in human clothing was creating chaos.  Everywhere it went, I had to follow, and watch.  Watch as everyone I knew or had even just barely met were being killed in front of me.  I couldn't do anything but watch and scream in silence.  I tried to tell them to run, yet no one could hear me.  I had no idea who the man was for they had on a hood that darkened out their face.  All I could see was that when he would or was about to kill someone he would gain this wicked smile where all you could see was the glint off his teeth as he stained himself and his surroundings with blood.  He would tear people apart, cut them up, shoot them, the methods this killer had seemed to be unlimited.  When he had moved on to people I was much more familiar with such as my closer friends, I kept screaming, yelling for them to run, yet still no reaction.  When the stranger had approached them I noticed that they seemed to recognize the man; not as a known killer but as if he was a regular man.  I kept thinking and thinking of who the person could be, yet I could think of nothing.  I tried to turn around, tried to close my eyes, yet I was forced to watch the horrendous sight of this man killing all my friends.  By this point I was in tears, yet it would only get worse.  As the man moved on to his next victims, wiping the blood of my friends off of himself and just leaving the bodies where they were slain, he went next to my family.  My mom, my dad, and my brother.  When he entered the house my family was there waiting for their end.  While I could visibly see how terrified they were, in my parents eyes I could see what appeared to be disappointment hiding behind the terror.  Why? why would my parents have that in their eyes? They were disappointed in their killer and in themselves.  As the man was killing them and their blood was being splattered and sprayed throughout the room, I was thinking, and had come to a conclusion I had wished never to be true.  The tears I had kept falling as I realized who the killer truly was.  There was still a possibility that I was wrong and I hoped and hoped that I was wrong.  Finally, I saw the man wipe some of the splattered blood off of the mirror and my question was answered.  I was the killer.  All those people who had died had died by my own hand.  While I was watching myself in the mirror I noticed that all of a sudden I was in control of my own body again.  With the gun still in my hand I shakily held it up to my head and kept chanting the same words.  Starting at a whisper and gradually turning into yelling I kept repeating the words, "I'm Sorry.  I'm sorry.  I'm sorry.  I'm sorry.  I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. God forgive me." I pulled the trigger and woke up screaming.  I was crying so much.  I felt so fatigued.  I couldn't believe what I had done.  Be in a dream or not.  To know that any one can become a killer even yourself is a truly horrifying fact.  To learn what it feels like to be so disgusted at yourself for what you had thought you had done.  This dream, this nightmare I could honestly say was something that changed my life.  I look around in life and am thankful that what I saw was just a dream.  I'm thankful that I have a good family, a good home, good friends, and a good life.  The fact that I have even the slightest feeling of what it would be to kill those I know is all the more of a fact of why I would never do that.  The horror and guilt I felt welled up inside of me for days.  My family was fine, my friends were okay, and I was a sane, and logical man again.  Through this nightmare, I have learned to appreciate who I am, and who my friends and family are more knowing what I or anyone for that matter could become under severe mental trauma, problems and the likes.  This nightmare might have been a scar, but for it to be there, reminds me of why joking around of killing so many people is not a joke.  It is a horrifying and terrible thing which only results in pain.  

I have never been more frightened than when...

I have never been more frightened than the night I saw Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D.  The movie was about a serial killer who killed many people with mostly chainsaws. The movie was very frightening. When I returned home both my parents were sleeping so the whole house was very quiet. I went to my room and turned my light on and then laid down in my bed. I faced my door and had my light on the whole night. I didn't sleep much that night because I was so scared that a guy with a chainsaw was going to come through my door. That was the most frightening night of my life.

first blog

five years from now I will probably be in college. I don't really know where i'm going to college yet but it will probably be LCC. I might transfer to Western Michigan University when im done at LCC.

Augustus Waters.
I know this is super basic but I really don't even care. I think I speak on every teenage girl's behalf when I say that meeting the book character Augustus Waters from "The Fault in our Stars" by John Green would potentially be the highlight of my entire life. In both the book and the movie, Augustus is just the most perfect human being one could imagine. Sweet, funny, romantic, good looking. Like honestly, Augustus is the only thing I could ever want.

Three Goals

Three goals I have set for myself are...

1.) Always have a positive attitude. While it's not always easy to stay optimistic, I think that this is a really important part of being happy.
2.) Never stop learning. Learning helps us understand the people, places, and ideas that surround us every day.
3.) Keep in contact with family and friends even when I'm older. I think that it's important to maintain the relationships we've had since we were young. I love my family and friends a lot, and want to stay close to them.

3 Goals

19.  Three goals I have set for myself are...

The three goals I have set for myself are: 1. Graduate from MSU with a business degree; 2. Get a job in Colorado and live there; 3. Own a BMW.  Ever since I was born I was an MSU fan because both of my parents and other family members are graduates from MSU.  Also, a couple years ago my brother graduated from MSU with a business degree.  I love the MSU campus and I know their business program would give me many opportunities to start a successful career.  Also, I have loved Colorado more than any other state since I was 3 and starting skiing.  If I move to Colorado I could ski the best mountains in the world throughout the entire winter every year! Lastly, I believe that BMW's are the best cars made and would like to own one someday.

first blog

I woke up sweating and yelling stop. Apparently nothing was wrong with me, at least not in real life. In my worst dream, I was encountered by my most deepest fear. On a beautiful fall night, my best friend wanted me to go to an abandoned high school. Since it was my best friend, I definitely went with him. So, we get to this spooky high school and my best friend is crazy excited, so he blind folds me and takes me through the high school. Once we get into the place where he is super excited into bringing me to, he quickly throws hand cuffs on my ankles and throws me down onto the ground. I begin to scream as he pins me down and then he hand cuffs my hands as well. Once I'm hand cuffed and blind folded I begin to hyperventilate. He kicks me into this nasty, dark stinky filled pool. No one can hear me scream, no one will save me, I can't swim, I can't breathe, I can't see, I can't survive. I'm drowning because my "best friend" chose to kill me.

3 goals I have set...

Three goals I have set for myself are..

1. Graduate from Central Michigan University or Michigan State University with a major in business and minor in finance. 

2. Get married after college and eventually have a family of 2-3 children and a golden labradoodle. 

3. Have a very successful career so that I can provide for my family with their needs and wants. 

If and when I raise a child...

If and when I raise a child, I will never disbelieve them.  From my own experience, it is very frustrating when my own parents believe someone else over my own word that I have given them.  Therefore, I don't ever want my children to worry about me not trusting them.  I'm not saying that it's not possible for trust to be lost between a parent and a child, but I think that parents need to listen to their children more instead of listening to others first.  It's unfair for people to judge/make a decision based on information that could be false.

First blog

If I could change one thing about myself it would probably have something to do with the fact that I constantly doubt and limit myself. This causes me to miss opportunities and grow as a person. For example, I think it would be an incredible thing to pursue a career in music, but since very few people actually make it, I automatically eliminate it as a career possibility. A quote I found from William Shakespeare goes a little something like this "A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant only taste of death but once." Basically, how I view this is that when you don't take any chances or opportunities, you (figuratively) die. I think a lot of life comes from being impulsive and I want to be happy. I guess I'm just confusing, but it's all about doing whatever makes you happiest. Or something like that.

Dream

There is one dream that I had that I will never forget. It started with my mother asking my brother to go down to the basement to get a can of soup(?). Then, we heard a scream from downstairs and my brother came running up the stairs. He was saying that there was a robber down in the basement. My mom then turned into a yellow Power Ranger and ran down to the basement. We followed behind her. We watched my mother fight the robber. She won obviously and threw him out the window. Then we ate the soup in peace. :) I had this dream when I was in first grade and still remember it.

Gum

Thank you so much for that onion-garlic flavored gum!! It was very interesting, and the flavor almost never went away!! Long lasting!! It was definitely an experience. I probably wont ask for another piece because I don't want to deprive you of the different flavor. -ur frend til the end

First Blog

In one of my worst nightmares I was at the beach. I found these clothes sitting on this stand and I thought they were mine but I guess they weren't. This lady came out of no where and was just screaming at me. I tried to hit her but for some reason when I hit her it wasn't a hard hit and it didn't even hurt her. I tried to run and I couldn't move! Then finally I could run, she chased me and tried to get me; and then I woke up. It was terrifying and I learned a valuable lesson about who's clothes are who's.

Describe a real nightmare

A few months ago I had a scary nightmare. I had just arrived home in my car when I noticed a man standing there in front of my garage door. I opened the door and asked him what he was doing, when he suddenly turned around and chased me. I immediately ran towards my front door and got inside just in time. The man began to pound on my door continuously, and I noticed it began to crack. Right when I turned around I noticed another man standing in the center of the room. At the same time the guy outside broke the door down. With in an instant both men tackled me to the ground, and I noticed that they were zombies. Right as they began to bite down I woke up. When I woke up my heart rate was super fast and I felt like my body temperature was 110. That is one of the most horrific nightmares I had experienced in my life.

Garlic Gum

Dear Nathan,

  Thank you oh so very much for the garlic gum you gave me.  It tastes wonderful and will surely make my breath smell fabulous.Everyone will now want to be my friend because of the garlic gum that you gave me.  People keep asking me for a piece and I have to tell them that if they want some they're going to have to go to you because you're the only person I know who has this deliciously flavored gum.  Well I have to go back to being a math student so have a fantastical day brother and don't forget to share the gum with ERRYBODY!!!

Your most favorite sister in the entire world,

Jacqueline :)

First Blog

 If and when I raise children, I'll never... Hit them.  I'll never call them mean names or degrade them for making human mistakes when I make them myself.  I'll never tell them their feelings aren't valid.  I'll never disregard their feelings because I'm 'too busy'.  I'll never make rules for them only for my convenience.  I'll never tell my kids that they aren't important and make them feel like less of a person because I've got adult things to do.  I'll never make them feel like they don't belong. 

In my worst nightmare I was with my friends exploring my back yard.  We saw a broken down old car and when we went up to it, it started to smell funny. when we went up to it we found a dead, decomposed lady and as a was about to call the police it grabbed my neck. Then I woke up.

2. Dear Mathusila Honeysuckle,
Thank you oh so much for the stick of gum. It was so delicious! No one talked to me after a month of chewing it. But it was worth it! The onion and garlic-flavored gum really refreshed me after a long day of school. :) Thanks again!!

Chewing Gum

Dear Heather,
I highly enjoyed the garlic flavored chewing gum you graced me with 4th hour.  My breath just smelled to good after my lovely lunch and you totally helped my mouth smell disgusting, and I thank you for that.  Now I can go the rest of the day repelling people with just the scent of my mouth!  Garlic is a totally underrated flavor of chewing gum and I hope in the near future people see the great effects it has. 
So I thank you Heather,
Marissa Pease 

Chewing gum

Dear Marissa,
           This is the worst thing you have ever done. Why on earth would anyone want garlic and onion flavored chewing gum. It is so repulsive and it makes your breath smell! Today was by far the worst day of my life thanks to you. I'm not even sure the smell will go away. I think we might need to take you to the doctors this is becoming an issue with you.


                                                                            Sincerely,
                                                                  Maybe your friend Heather

Blog Number 1

(5)      When I was a kid, I absolutely loved legos. With any free time I had, I was playing with legos. I think my favorite lego set that I ever got was the Pirates of the Caribbean Pirate ship set. Also, I enjoyed Harry Potter lego sets. Even my brother enjoyed playing with legos. I feel as if that was a activity that brought my brother and I together in my childhood. Legos arn't apart of my life anymore, but I will defiantly remember them as a large part of my childhood.

Rome

753 BC Rome. I'd go back to ancient Rome because I've always been fascinated with ancient Rome. I would be a Roman soldier and train every day to become the best soldier in Rome. I would live every day on the edge and hope for the best when we would go to war  

My hero

My hero is my uncle Gregg.  He was there for me when my parents weren't. He contacted the police when I was struggling with bullying.  He was there when I needed to talk about my feelings as well.

First Blog Post!!!

Below are 20 different options for you to choose from.  Please pick ONE and do your best to write a quality response.  At least a paragraph is required, but don't hold back!  I'm looking for quality over quantity.  This is mostly non-math related, unless you bring math into the prompt in a creative way.  Think.  Write.  Think.  Write some more.  This will be due by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, 9/15/14.  Good luck!

1. Design some gadget, machine, building, or other creation that might enrich the future. What does it look like? What does it do? How does it function? In what ways might it benefit people? 
journal writing prompts
2. Write a thank you note to a friend who gave you onion and garlic-flavored chewing gum. 
journal writing prompts
3. Draw an imaginary constellation. Write a story such as ancient people might have told about it. 

4. Describe a real made-up dream or nightmare. 
journal writing prompts
5. Write about your favorite childhood toy.
 journal writing prompts
6. Write out the best or the worst day of your life. 

7. Finish this thought: if I could change one thing about myself (if you can't think of anything, you might want to consider telling how you got to be perfect!) 

8. If and when I raise children, I'll never... 

9. I have never been more frightened than when... 

10. Persuade a friend to give up drugs.

11. Five years from now, I will be... 

12. Write about a day you'd like to forget. 

13. Invent and describe a new food. 
journal writing prompts
14. Describe an event that changed your life forever, or make up and describe an event that would change your life forever.

15.  Describe someone who is a hero to you and explain why. 

16.  Write about a time in your life when you struggled with a choice and made the right one. 

17.  Imagine yourself in a different century and describe an average day in your life. 

18.  Which character from a book would you most like to meet and why? 

19.  Three goals I have set for myself are... 

20.  What would you do if 300 mice had just gotten out of their cages in a pet shop where you worked?