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The Process
Step 1: I chose the five most recent emotions that I've experienced: weakness, happiness, grief, anxiety, and excitement.
Step 2: After choosing the emotions. I begin to scan through the mentor text looking for a piece that I could either relate to or one that moved me.  I loved Jacqueline Woodson's list poem because it was from a child's point of view in my opinion.  The language was simple and painted a a vivid picture of the scene.  In my poem Punta Cana the goal was to list items or emotions that would help the reader picture the scene of being on the resort.  I would imagine that from the words or phrases listed an artist would be able to bring the poem to life on a canvas.  That's how I felt when reading the list poem. I chose Allison D. Bastard's Chapter One: Out of Carolina  for my narrative piece because in the beginning she provided some back story to make the reading more engaging and relatable. In my narrative piece I decided to give some of my back story so that the reader understood how desperately Malcolm and I needed that vacation.  Maybe that's why we were so excited.  For my letter to my husband I used Letters from a Slave Girl.  In the letters I read she detailed everything that was going on at that time.  Reading it helped me to visualize what life was like back then.  When I wrote A Thank You Letter to My Love I wanted to write a letter that my husband could reread years from now, possibly during a rough patch in our marriage, and remember that there was a time when I thought the world of him and that would ignite a spark that would get us back on the right track.
Reflection
Connecting my emotions and memories during this writing assignment really brought the memories and emotions back to life.  At several points during this assignment the emotions took over.  At times I was upset with certain family members for asking or commenting about our family planning.  To most it may not be that big of a deal but it really makes me feel sad and even inadequate at times. On the contrary, writing a letter to my husband and the list poem brought back emotions of happy times in my life.  My husband is my #1 supporter but when life gets stressful I sometimes forget to tell him how much I appreciate him.
I have self diagnosed myself with ADHD. If anyone is around me long enough they will totally agree.  The graphic organizer did just that, helped me to organize my thoughts and stay on task.  During the assignment I  referred to it several times for guidance.
I enjoyed the list poem mostly because I was able to get my point across without much thought of grammar and punctuation.  My professors complain that I don't give enough details when I write.  With a list poem I listed most of the details hoping that the reader would be able to paint a similar picture to the one I experienced.  The opinion essay and narrative pieces were difficult for me because I'm not confident in my writing.  I have trouble getting what I'm trying to say out of my mind and into my writing.  I decided to get a writing tutor over the summer to help me "get out of my own head" so to speak because I know being a good writer is important and takes practice.
Writing Strategies
Graphic Organizer
I used the graphic organizer to help me stay focused on the different emotions. To adapt this strategy to my classroom I would have students trace their hands first. This would make the assignment engaging because it adds a personal touch. The graphic organizer can be used to organize any piece of writing. For example, I could ask them to write the subject of the introduction on one finger, three fingers for their main ideas, and the thumb for their conclusion.
Write a Poem to Try On a Focus
I used this strategy to remain on topic when creating my list poem.  It also helped me to plan out the letter to my husband. I could use this strategy in class to help student brainstorm by writing a topic then listing everything that comes to mind when they think of the subject. This stra
Padlet Pros and Cons
I like Padlet because it allows you to use appealing graphics and it's easy to create. To be completely honest there isn't anything that I don't like about Padlet. Of course, it takes some getting used to if you haven't used it before, but that's technology in general. I think that

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All inclusive
24-hour buffets
Nightly entertainment
Excitement
Excursions
Relaxation
Massages
Body scrubs
Sun tans
Tanning lotion
Bathing suits
Braids
Bright toenail polish
Rushing waves
White sand beaches
Seaweed wrapped around my feet Community Pools
Lazy river
Swim up bars
Friendships
Laughter
Taking photos
Creating memories

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Malcolm,
From the moment I saw you I knew that I wanted to get to know you better.  I mean seriously your appearance was everything I prayed for: tall, dark, and handsome.  As I got to know you better I realized that your outer appearance matched your inside.

Today and everyday you continue to be my breath of fresh air.  You're an amazing husband and friend. Because of you I always feel protected.

I would like to thank you for loving me through my anxiety of living life.  Thank you for being so sweet and supportive. Thank you for being my shoulder to cry on.  Thank you for being my support even when I'm being a  brat.

You're an amazing man and I will spend the rest of my life trying to repay you for the way to take care of me.

Love Always,
Your Wife

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When will you guys have a baby? (Opinion Essay)

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When will you guys have a baby? (Opinion Essay)

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I absolutely detest the question "When will you guys have a baby?" I've only been married four months now and I get this question often. I think it's rude to ask people about their reproductive status or planning. I was diagnosed with uterine fibroids about four years ago. I've had 2 surgeries to remove fibroids. Unfortunately, because of those surgeries I  now have scarred tissue which really complicates getting pregnant. A year ago my husband and I got the surprise of our lives when we found out we were pregnant because the doctor informed us that we wouldn't be able to get pregnant without yet another procedure. Sadly, three weeks after we found out we were pregnant we suffered a miscarriage. We were both heartbroken. Every time someone asks us about having children it's extremely awkward and rips the scab of our mending hearts. I said all of this to say I think it's rude to ask anyone such a personal question as "When will guys have a baby?." So just don't!

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Hi my name is Alisha Bennett! Let me tell you about the most wonderful vacation I experienced with my now husband, Malcolm. I'll give you some back story first. School, work, and life itself had the best of me and not in a good way.  I needed to get away and recharge ASAP. What better way to recharge then a few days on the beach?! But where would I go? I've heard so much about the Dominican Republic I decided that would be my next vacation spot. But how would I pay for it? Who would I go with? These are questions I truly didn't have the answers to.  About a month later I'm strolling Facebook, the usual, when I notice a group that I belong to is planning a trip.  They had three options for everyone to vote on.  The Dominican was one of the options.  I was so excited! I placed my vote and crossed my fingers that the group chose my destination of choice...and they did! It's like God was showing me that I deserved this trip. I found a roommate, someone I didn't know from the group, and paid my deposit!
Fast forward about 8 months, Malcolm and I are madly in love.  We've been dating about five months at the time.  I didn't want to go on the trip with a total stranger now that I have this beautiful man in my life. Again, something beautiful happened. My roommate decided she wasn't going anymore. Perfect!  I asked Malcolm would he accompany me to Punta Cana for a four day get away.  He said yes!  We flew out on a Thursday evening.  We could smell the fresh humid air as soon as we stepped off the plane.  I was so excited to spend the next four days relaxing and getting to know my man even more.  We stayed at the Breathless Punta Cana  an all inclusive resort. We swam, sipped drinks with umbrellas, got massages, went on a booze cruise, and last but not least rode four-wheelers in the desert.  We were so excited to be away from everything we knew.  I'll never forget how excited we were to know that we planned something and it actually happened.  We're both so used to things falling apart. This trip was a necessary breath of fresh air.

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Weakness:  I felt my weakest after recovering from a major surgery, a myomectomy (the removal of fibroids from the uterus).
Happiness:  I got married on January 19th, 2019.  That was one of the happiest days of my life.
Grief: Unfortunately, my husband and I experienced a miscarriage May 2018.  We are still grieving.
Anxiety:  I am anxious about life in general, usually stemming from school to decisions about my future.
Excitement: My husband and I took a much needed vacation to the Dominican Republic last summer.  It was so much fun and exciting!!!