Eng 121 Reflective Letter (mid-term)
Shannon K. McMeans
Professor Marlen Harrison
English 121
October 19, 2009
Dear Marlen:
I first want to start out by saying, thank you. This is my second semester having you as an English professor, and I just want you to know I enjoy having you. Every day you bring something new to the table, or should I say classroom. The last few weeks have been hard, as my grandparents have had illnesses, but I’m hoping this has finally calmed down. I really want to focus and get more out of the second part of this semester, as we go on with the course. Like always, the topics you chose in class always have me learning something new about myself. At the beginning of the semester when we talked about archetypes, and the hero’s journey-I was very interested. I found that I am the caregiver archetype, and I agree with this 100%. Also, I have had the opportunity to meet new friends, which also are attending IUP. What I love most about your class, is that we have the opportunity to get to know, not only you but the other students in our classes. I know I have mentioned this to you before, but it is the truth. The approach you take within your classroom has really helped me in meeting new people in my other classes as well. With that said, thank you again.
Poems and quotes are always an interest to me; I have always gone to different sites, read different books to find poems or quotes that say what I am feeling. Before your class, I would just laugh if someone would ask ‘why don’t you write your own poem?’ Me, writing a poem, yeah right. To be honest, when I am doing my poems for this class and writing them on my blog, I still find myself laughing and thinking that they are so ridiculous and make no sense. Along with our assignments and what is required from us, we are to read our groups poems and blogs, and respond to comments left on our poems. This leads me back to reading my own poems, and I am on a regular basis surprised on how my poems actually make sense. I have to leave the poem after I write it, and then go back a day or two later and read it for it to really have meaning behind it for me. Without this class, I probably would have never found this out. All this time, I have searched the internet for words to describe my feelings, when all along, I could just write it myself. You learn something every day I guess!
I do need to complain about one thing, for one second. The reading list, I find the list of books very interesting, and they all fit perfectly into what we are talking about in class, I just feel like I am not having the time to fully appreciate the literature, and the story behind the pages, because of the tight time-span we have to read all of these. To be honest, I find myself skimming through chapters, just to have time to read through them, along with other books required this semester. Rather than that, I love this course and the syllabus is always so interesting!
I feel that I have not completed the first part of the semester to the best of my ability, and am going to make up for that in the last part. I always enjoy the topics we discuss, and everything always seems to have a hidden message. So again, thank you Marlen for the experience.
Sincerely,
Shannon K. McMeans
marlen said,
October 19, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Thank you, Shannon, for taking this journey with me : )
Marlen