Thalia SchmidDr. PrestonEnglish 37 June 2015Masterpiece Academy QuestionWhen being bombarded by tests, schedules, and the quintessential structure that is the public school system, most students are succumb to questioning the methodology- but not me. As a student who has had to subsist with the uncompromising, authoritarian foundation that every student in America has to deal with, walking into Dr. Prestons class was such a change; a breath of fresh air. Everything in room 608 was unusual- by not confiding to the norm, in every way possible.

Finally a class and a teacher who actually trusts us students and treats us as peers. It is the most rewarding and gratifying feeling to have an English doctor and aficionado have confidence in us and reassure us that we deserve it. I know I personally deserved the trust and obligation to be present in this class. I know I did because I am responsible, trustworthy, and mature. Now I cant say the same thing for my colleagues- because they werent up to par. They would slack off, be disrespectful and were frankly, juvenile. I guess I shouldnt be surprised because this is prevalent in any class, anywhere. But youd think more of them would take advantage of the positive outcomes theyd receive with this abundance of trust, instead of abuse it.

In this course, we did quite a lot of reading which I was very happy about. We read three novels and one short story. In my freshman year we only read one novel, and in my sophomore year we only read one also. Isnt that awful? I have so much relish for reading important novels- especially as a class. My favorite novel we read this year was The Catcher in the Rye. It was so utterly engaging and relatable- especially since we were reading it as the same age as the main character. Everything that the main character was feeling or had felt was so precise to the life of a teenager. The emotions and honesty was impeccable. That was the only novel in which I completely connected with, I think. The other novels were very interesting but I feel like I linked with The Catcher in the Rye, so much because of how it was actually written. It was just another young adult talking to me- and I think we need more of that.

The most important aspect of this whole course is creating a masterpiece, and finding your passion. For some its hard, for others its quite easy- but in all, its a learning and growing process that benefits you in the end. I learned more about my passion and have gotten the opportunity to love it even more. Filmmaking. Thats what I want to do, and being in this class has made me realize how much I want to pursue a career in the film industry and has made me more eager than Id ever thought Id be. I will continue to pursue this passion of mine as a career and I dont have any doubts that I wont succeed. I know I will.

Like I stated before, we all individually created masterpieces and they were all so common even if their topics were polar opposites. What I learned from the other students presenting was that if you have something youre passionate about, go after it. Whether it was Christina, wrestling in competitions even though she might be injured. Or Mollee, auditioning in a play even though her morale might be low because she didnt receive a call-back on a musical she had previously tried out for. Whether it be Nathan, trying to get the right lighting for the perfect shot hed been trying to capture all day. Or Erika, staying up all night trying to find the right colors to use in an animation shed been trying to create. Even Dr. Preston. Teaching the same valuable, significant message over and over and over again until hes so sick and tired because his student simply werent paying attention. Passion keeps us going.

In conclusion, I felt very enlightened by taking this course. I am self-reflective and aware, and this class has made me feel like Im not alone or crazy for thinking like that. In the turbulent ocean that is the American education network, its not easy to stay afloat. Hitting like waves, one after the other; tests, study guides, strenuous homework assignments, multiple choice, book work, scantron, copy whats on the board, tests, study guides, book work. We students cant breathe. All we want is for someone (a teacher) to care. A mentor. We want someone to actually trust us. We are so much more than we are asked for at school.