Journal Question #8

A big part of the holidays is gratitude, or thankfulness.  For christians, Christmas expresses thanks that Christ was born.  Thanksgiving is a holiday that shows gratitude for food and family.  Many celebrate the winter solstice (December 22) to thank the sun for shining a bit longer each day.  What are you thankful for?  Express your gratitude for the blessings of your life.  

Journal Question #7

How do you choose a friend?  Do you speak the same language?  Do you come from the same place?  Do you have the same interests or believe in the same ideas?  How do you know when someone isn't a friend?  Do you choose not to be friends with some people for some of the above reasons (different language, place, interests, beliefs)?  How easily can a friend become not a friend?  How does that happen?

Journal Question #6

The cell phone is in everyone's hand, all the time.  Before class starts, after class ends, in between classes (even during classes), students are looking at their little screen.  Here's the question: why?  Why do you have to look at your phone?  Do you think you'll miss the latest call, text, snapchat, instagram, facebook post, tweet,...?  A second question: do you think it's unhealthy or dangerous to be constantly on the phone?  One more: Could you live without your phone for even a day?  

Journal Question #5

Halloween is this Thursday, and many people - not only children - will dress up, some in masks.  Every culture has rituals that include costumes of some kind.  Pictured above, for instance, is a Native American mask.  Why do humans wear costumes and/or masks?  Do you like to dress up and pretend you are someone - or something - else?  Do you plan to wear a costume or a mask for Halloween?  Why or why not?

Journal Question #4

The Homecoming Dance is this Saturday, October 19th, so it's a good time to ask about school dances.  First, are there school dances in your county?  Did you go to one at your former school?  Are you planning on going to the Homecoming Dance?  Why or why not?  One last question: Do you think school dances are a good idea: is it important for schools to host dances?  Let me know your opinion of school dances.

Journal Question #3

What's more important, getting good grades or having friends?  Or put it another way: should a student focus more on academics, test scores, and getting into a good university, or empathy, kindness, and community service?  Let me know your opinion.

Journal Question #2

Responsibility is one of TA's four pillars.  What does responsibility mean to you?  For a teacher, responsibility includes making lessons, teaching classes, assessing students' abilities, grading students' work, and, generally, helping students learn.   What responsibilities does a student have?  You can also talk about other responsibilities: those of a son or daughter, of a friend, a roommate, a teammate, etc.

Journal Question #1

What do you want to accomplish this year at TA?  List three different goals for yourself.  The goals can be academic, social, personal, athletic, musical, artistic, you name it.  Try to be ambitious but realistic: for instance, instead of saying "I want to become fluent in English," you might say, "I want to be able to have a conversation with an American teenager."

Journal Question #18

This is a painting by the American artist Edward Hopper, called "Rooms by the Sea."   For me, the work looks ahead and behind at the same time, and, for your final journal,  that's what I want you to do: look ahead to your summer vacation - or even further into the future - but also look behind to the year you have spent at TA.  What will you remember from the school year, 2018-2019?  What are you looking forward to as you get ready to go home?  Write whatever comes to mind: the good, the bad, the interesting, the scary...

Journal Question #17

Are you a different person when you speak English?  As you reach the end of the year, think about some of the changes that you have had since last August.  Language is a big part of your identity, of who you are, so I wonder if speaking English has changed your identity at all.  Another way to look at it: when you return to your home this summer and speak your first language, will you also become your "old" self?

Journal Question #16

Spring is a short season in Maine.  Winter's finally over, and summer's coming.  Spring can be cold, wet, and muddy, but also unexpectedly hot and sunny.  The earth changes, of course, and so do people.  What do you like about spring?  Enumerate (list) three aspects of spring that you most enjoy, and maybe one part of spring you don't like.

Journal Question #15

Drugs are a huge problem in America.  Opioid abuse (e.g., Heroin, Oxycodone, other prescription and street drugs) is in the news now because of the number of deaths they cause.  But there are lots of drugs that don't necessarily kill you but hurt you anyway: alcohol, marijuana, LSD, crystal meth, tranquilizers, etc.  Here's the question: why do people, especially young people, take drugs?  Are you interested in "experimenting" with drugs?  Why or why not?  

Journal Question #14

Computers, cell phones, television, iPads; email, instant-messaging, texting, twittering, facebook, google, snapchat...  The list of distractions for people in general, and students in particular, goes on and on.  Do you do your HW with the laptop open and the smart phone on?  Do these devices distract you from your work?  Is it hard to concentrate on one subject at a time?  Let me know your thoughts about all the technology that surrounds us and how it affects your learning.

Journal Question #13

Imagine you could create a school.  Describe its classes, schedule, teachers, buildings, rules.  What would your school have?  What would it not have?  For instance, maybe your school would have class sizes no larger than 15 students.  Or maybe your school would make all students learn two or more world languages.  Maybe students could take only classes they wanted to take... Let your imagination take over! 

Journal Question #12

The Academy Awards are held tonight (February 24) to honor the best movies of 2018.  Here are some movie-related questions: How do you mostly watch movies: at the cinema? on TV? on your computer?  on your Phone?  Are there some movies you have to see on a big screen, i.e., in a movie theater? What were your favorite movies of 2018?  What kind of movies do you like? 

Journal Question #11

Intelligence.  What makes someone smart?  Are there different kinds of intelligence?  Give examples of ways a person can be intelligent.  Can you become more intelligent as you grow older?  Can you become less intelligent?  What does it mean when you call someone "smart"?

Journal Question #10

What makes you motivated?  Why do you do your HW and write papers and prepare for tests?  Why do you practice shooting a basketball or playing the piano?  Does your motivation come from the outside (grades, SAT scores, teachers, parents, coaches)?  Or does it come from inside, some place inside you that makes you work harder, practice longer, go farther?   Is one kind of motivation better than the other?

Journal Question #9

Winter can be a hard season.  There's snow, ice, freezing temperatures, dark days, a tendency toward isolation and introspection.   But winter can also be wonderful if looked at and experienced with a positive attitude.  Here's the question:  how do you survive the winter?  What are some tips you can share to make the best of the cold season?