Favorite Classes of Junior Year

Favorite Classes of Junior Year

7. Early British Literature with Mr. Wentworth

Early British literature comes in at number eight, with the main reason being how the class was run. Even if I clicked better with the style of class the stories we read were not my favorite. They certainly were not bad works we read; Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Canterbury Tales and others in this genre. I had a friend I sat with which was quite nice, but I had a really hard time staying focused on it. Not in a way that I was distracted, but instead I did not feel captivated by the class. This is one of only one other class I have actually drifted off in. It was a definite question-answer type of class, but I did not feel like the works we read worked well with this. It was very straightforward when instead I feel like we could have delved further into the philosophy of these works.

6. German 3 with Frau Campbell

At number six we have German three. This class has a dramatic day to day change in how much I enjoy it. Some days it can be fairly fun especially when we read fairy tales. On the other end though we can have days where we just sit and do worksheets. There still is some interactive assignments like in the earlier German classes but they are usually more group based and less often. The class is definitely not the most popular, but if someone enjoys learning German this a fine class. The teacher definitely does a good job teaching, and I feel like this is the year I have learned the most, but it can get repetitive and is best for someone very interested in the language.

5. Chemistry with Mrs. Rotondo

Chemistry at number five is one of the hardest classes I have taken. It definitely takes a lot of time both to study and do lab work for the class. One of my favorite things about the class is how the labs take some topic we learned a little and lets us explore and learn new things about that topic. Some of the days and notes are definitely boring and one of the hardest things for me to do in the class is practice work. The practice work is very helpful in learning the material, but it is also very tedious. In the end, this class can definitely be rewarding and interesting to explore in, but the day to day work feels like a drudgery.

4. TA Biology with Mrs. Shopiro

Teacher assistant for biology is at number four. This class is incredibly rewarding and I love working with the students. Mrs. Shopiro gives both responsibilities and freedom. You can choose to work with a few kids or go around the class answering questions that pop up. I have really learned to love teaching in this class, and I especially like how you can make friends with the students and learn how each of them works best. You learn basic skills like how to work a photocopier and organizing worksheets during your time. This class lets you see how the classroom is run and it is very interesting. Before I became a TA I effectively thought they did almost nothing, but they do really do a good bit be it behind the scenes or directly in class.

3. Making and Remaking Race with Mr. Mason

Making and Remaking Race has been my favorite English class I have ever taken. I have nothing but good things to say for the class and teacher. Both of them keep me well entranced throughout the period, and I have read one of my favorite books ever in this class, American Born Chinese. I will go on a mini-tangent here because that book is spectacular. It is a graphic novel that starts off with three different stories that eventually all intertwine and plays on some of the biggest racial undertones in American history, It is not a hard read and I very much recommend it. The class is not the most difficult and Mr. Mason is always there to help and will explain any questions you have. The class talks about race in America and looks at it from many perspectives, including the likes of Toni Morrison. I would highly recommend this class.

2. Trig/Pre Calc with Mrs. Ray

Trig/pre-calculus is a rewarding, intricate, exploratory course. The course is difficult, but Mrs. Ray leads you down it with a helping hand. She is not always the best at helping when you are struggling but she does always care about you. She is a very human figure and will talk to you in such a way, understanding when your priorities just cannot be on math. The course is the most difficult math course I have taken with many topics being introduced and combined. From polar to imaginary numbers, from vectors to matrices. You see how all of these different parts of math interact and this is by far the most abstract of math courses I have taken yet. I really enjoy the thinking, the people, and the comradery in this class.

1. Medieval European History with Mr. Armistead

At number one we have Medieval European History. This class participates in a very interesting time period ranging from the dividing up of Rome, by Diocletian, to the One Hundreds Year War. It focuses on both Eastern and Western Europe, going from the Near East to Scandinavia. Mr. Armistead does a wonderful job keeping the course entertaining. The course is almost all lectures and note-taking, but each day is its own present. There is humor, and stories from the teachers own life brought in that help you relate as a person. This is the most entertained in a class I have been, all the while being supplemented by a very pleasant teacher who is always there to help. He will take questions all throughout the class and gives you the choice of how you work, and it is a class where you can goof off if you want to. You can goof off but it will show as you will miss more and not have the notes for things like tests and paper. This class is one of my favorites because of how fun it is, and how Mr. Armistead lets you lead yourself in how you learn.