Okay, before this starts I have to admit that I have just come back from one of the best walks of my life. It was around my new neighborhood by Rio Del Mar Beach, and it was perfect. Complete with stunning beach views, birds, clouds, a bag of free apples, a great list of songs despite my iPod being on shuffle and big hills that I ran down like an overgrown floppy footed eight-year-old (with only slightly better coordination). Now, with the entire situation properly imprinted on you, now that you get the fact that I am in an uncommonly great mood, I just have to say it:
I have missed English class so much.
With college essays coming up I’ve added a fourth class to my schedule (something that hasn’t happened for as long back as anyone can remember if not since freshman year) called English Composition. Not AP Comp, due to an unparalleled amount of students and a less than helpful team of guidance counselors, but Comp nonetheless. This class focuses on college essays as well as scholarships and the like. It is vital to most seniors, well, actually for most I’m sure it’s simply required, but for me it is vital. Nothing gets you motivated to work on college applications like a required ninety minutes a day five days a week.
That being said I seriously wish it was a good forty five minutes longer. Our teacher, Ms. Franke, is possibly one of the best teachers I have ever had, and I can tell this is going to be one of my favorite classes I have taken in the past four years. Admittedly, I have only had this class two times as the addition to my schedule was fairly recent, specifically only three days ago. That’s why I thought there should be some form of warning that I was in a good mood before I start this.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been starved for essays and discussions over summer (and just like that I’m the coolest kid in the room), but this class is phenomenal, and I give all credit to Ms. Franke. I’ve always heard about her from other students; how cool she is and how we get tea and coffee in class and that sometimes she might take the class to Emily’s bakery on Mission, and it sounded great and therefore like a teacher I would never get. But as luck would have it there were only fourteen kids in her fourth period Comp class, so I got to fill one of those spots and have plenty of room to stretch my legs out as well.
From the first day *cough* Wednesday *cough* I knew I would like her class. She teaches in a way that provokes discussion and doesn’t make anyone afraid to share what they think or disagree with someone, as is so often the case in high school English classes. She creates an environment where students are happy to be, she teaches the class people actually look forward to. Hell she makes me wish it lasted twice as long and that’s remarkable in itself.
In my last post I talked about how I couldn’t stand another day going through these boring classes and going over the same routine again and again. Now I have something to carry me through the year.
So if I make it through this final stretch of school, I owe it to Ms. Franke.
And uncommonly great walks.
