A Student I am Thankful for

The student I am most thankful for in the class is Alaina. I have known her since I was three and she has always been the nicest person. She basically likes everyone and is good at so many things. She has a beautiful voice, which she is very modest about.

She also helps my four person group with all the questions with the book, she has a good sense of humor, and she is really down to earth. She definitely knows who she is and is not afraid to show who she is. That's something most teenagers (or people in general) cannot do.

For example, she was one of those people who never went through the obnoxious teenager phase. Around 7th and 8th grade, it seems that everyone is trying to act older. All the kids think they're really cool and that they are a lot older now. Which is fine, but at the time it can be annoying. It happened with me, but Alaina, however, did not have that issue. She was exactly the same. Changing grades did not change her at all.

Happy Thanksgiving, spend it well.

The Metaphorical Plow

It is a lot easier for people to follow. To do what others tell you or to follow a trend and have them plow the way for you. That way you are never the odd man out. No one would ever look at you differently and wonder what you were doing. However, the best people in the world are the plows. The ones who make their own paths and even if they don't make absurd amounts of money they are still happy. They have always worked the hardest and they will feel happier about themselves.

You have to be the plow. The person who does everything differently and enjoys themselves and not what other people necessarily tell them too. That is a big issue these days; especially in the teenage world. People  are all grouped into cliques and stay there. There isn't very much room to change. There are, of course, the followers who do whatever they are told is "cool." Anything from thinking someone is attractive, to liking certain shows. The people that actually have genuine interests are the ones, however, that people like more. There is something to actually talk to them about. They lead the way; they do things first. This does not mean be the first to do everything, but try to make your own path. It will always help you more in the end. Happiness should  not be what other people tell you to do. If you like something, then you should do it. If you don't, then don't do it. There is no reason to try and impress someone.

It is hard, however, to break away and do your own thing. It is much easier to fall into what others are doing. This explains a lot of our faults in our society. While a lot of people try to do their own thing, they do some of the things that others do and thats when it becomes a problem. One example of this was when the house market crashed. This was because banks were giving out money to people who couldn't pay it back. The only reason the house market crashed was because there was not enough "plows" who continued to do their own thing. They started to follow the trend and that was when it became a problem. We are still now trying to fix it two years later.

In conclusion, don't be that person. Be the plow.

A Direction the Class Needs

This class is one of my most entertaining and useful classes that I have. Not only is it fun and interesting, but it is very productive in class. We learn a lot and don't try to rush through topics that we don't understand. It is very common for teachers to stick to a schedule rather than the students understanding it. That way of approaching a class will not benefit the students. 

This class is also really good because it keeps interest in the first period of the day. It says a lot about a class if teenagers are learning a lot earlier in the morning. I also like that we discuss a lot and that the class enables people to give their own opinions and fight for them. 

If I had to change this class, I wouldn't change anything. What is going on is what the class needs, and it should stay the same. 

Modern Day Slavery

While slavery is technically illegal, it still exists today. However, it is in a different form then what people consider actual "slavery." Many people feel that they work their whole lives and then they die. That they really get no reward, but they constantly work in order so they can retire. Some people are finding out that they are not making enough money to do that and are instead working for people that make more money than them and that it will never end. Similar to slavery in America.

These people and slavery, however, are very different. It means:

–noun

1.

the condition of a slave; bondage.

2.

the keeping of slaves as a practice or institution.

3.

a state of subjection like that of a slave: He was kept inslavery by drugs.

4.

severe toil; drudgery.

These people are not kept in confinement. They have freedoms and are allowed to do/say what they want. So while some may consider what they do "slavery", it is not the same as what it used to be. These people are not forced to work at all. It is all their choice. People also expect more out of life now. People now expect things instead of wanting them. 

People have choices now. Thats the difference.