Letter+to+Fall+2010+Honors+English

It has been an important semester in English 11 this semester. You have come a long way: as speakers, as writers, as readers, as learners, as people, as American citizens. You have learned 105 new words this semester, written papers, wikispaces posts, question reflections, extended responses and “well-developed” paragraphs as far as the eye can read. You have read over 25 pieces of fiction, 5 novels, an American drama, over 25 pieces of nonfiction, and many American poems. You have learned what makes American literature American: its setting, its characters, its events, its issues, its themes, and most importantly its voice. Hopefully, this semester you have begun to find your own voice, and are ready to contribute it to the American song. We have had interesting times in this class. We have seen youtube clips interpretations of stories, done creative projects, and extended our understanding of what an American? I hope you have found new friends and become better acquainted with friends of old. I have seen value in your “talk” and I hope your conversations with each other will continue at the conclusion of our course. We have traced: the American dream, the existence of community and the importance of the individual, and the change of the influence of religion on the American culture. You have worked hard, many of you harder than you have ever worked, and I hope that this serves as an indicator to you of what you are capable of when you work hard. This course is more than the content, and it is more than the skills. It is about challenging you to redefine your response to the at first seemingly “impossible,” while understanding that my expectations are a recognition of each of your individual possibilities. When it gets hard, just remember: you survived Shubert’s English 11. You possess more than the average, even above average American, a knowledge and understanding of your cultural heritage. You see beyond the simple what of America; you can discuss and explain the why. You carry the torch of who we have been for your generation, and it is your responsibility, your gift, to be able to light the next generation afire. We as Americans have been a dynamic, inventive, inspired, dedicated, and hardworking culture of people. America is where you came to be your best and be rewarded for it. In the future, you will be your best, and by doing so, be rewarded for it. Remember your successes and your new understandings, and build upon them to fortify your incredible future. As for our literary units, you have seen the balance and respect for nature that cannot be lost. It is our legacy, a beautiful land that has been changing since the beginning. Learn from the Native Americans the value of finding balance in your life, respecting the natural world around you, and understanding that “good” and “evil” are not always black and white opposites of each other. You must seek to continue refining your ability to see the difference, and understand that as human beings and the lives they lead are incredibly complex, so will be the ability to differentiate between good and evil. From the settlers, learn the results that can come from following your motivations steadfastly and truly. Sometimes life will require strict sacrifices for survival, and sometimes you will need to stick together if you hope to make it. Not all motivations will be equally successful, so learn to dedicate yourself to succeeding, even when witnessing failure in your live and in the lives of others around you. From the Puritans, remember the value of community, taking care of one another for the greater good. Remember that external strengths often masks an internal conflict that sheds light on the soul of the individual, and this individual struggle brings strength. From the Enlightenment, learn the value of natural rights and the power of logic and reason. In life’s situations, stand back and look at it from the logical perspective before falling back on the pathos approach. From Transcendentalism, learn that self-reliance is realizing your own system of beliefs apart from just accepting what is external in society. It is not just doing what you want, or being selfish. It challenges you to simplify your life, find solitude, possibly by going into nature. Finding who you are and why, and then striving to be that person despite what society says. Also, when your society advocates views that are oppositional to your own, practice civil disobedience, and be willing to take the punishment in order to resist “the machine”. Never feel like you cannot change the world. Quiet yourself, find yourself, fight for yourself and others. What is popular is not always right, and what is right is not always popular. From Gothic, learn that there is a light, but there is also a dark side of the individual. While you have been taught for the good parts of people and situations, always be aware of the potential darkness. Be careful who you trust with your thoughts and whom you trust to interact with throughout your life. Life is choices, and recognizing the potential for darkness, may help on the more difficult decisions. From Realism, remember that life is hard, and honesty with a situation or an event can be difficult but necessary. As you view life, make efforts to remove the “rose colored glasses” and see things as they really are. However, do not let it make you lose your belief in how it “ought to be.” From Modernism, remember that history and society can shake our faith in America, but it cannot take it away from us. America is the country that we make it, and part of what we make it is what we dream it can be. Dedicate yourself to an American dream that makes the world a better place. From the Novels, learn the power of the individual and the American voice. Hester Prynne dedicating herself to a secret, refusing to give in to society because of its external pressures: living her live on her own terms, and providing a life for her child within that redefinition. Huck Finn refusing to simply accept the “civilized” view of society, and the scathing social commentary of Mark Twain. Jay Gatsby, who believed in the green light. Believe in the promise of America, and commit yourself to a better version of life, improve yourself everyday. However, make sure your goal is personal self-improvement, not acquisition of a person or possession. As you make the choices and decisions that will shape your individual and our collective future, remember that we as Americans are right now, everything that we have ever been. We: As the semester concludes, remember your classmates and this class. Remember: You made it, and I am incredibly proud of each and every one of you. Don’t be a stranger. Ms. Shubert
 * Letter to my Students—Fall 2010 **
 * Respect nature and balance
 * Are Motivated by God, Glory and Gold
 * Value community
 * Must be mindful of the dangers of community when it is wielded for personal gain or vengeance.
 * We are endowed with life, liberty and pursuit of happiness
 * We are capable of incredible things, and we have potential to be innately good.
 * People and emotions can be dark, and the power of insanity and guilt can destroy a person
 * Sometimes there are no happy endings, and though hard we must seek to see life as it really is, emerging from our safe bubble of fiction and media
 * Life will test us, and tell us our dreams can’t come true. But we must strive, whether the Gatsby’s Grail, the America dream exists or not, with the value in the journey not the destination.
 * to not just hear, listen
 * to not just look, see
 * to not just feel, understand
 * to just speak, say something
 * to not just live—experience.