The English Essay That Made My Teacher Cry

The English Essay That Made My Teacher Cry: A Journey of Unexpected Emotion

Introduction:

Have you ever poured your heart and soul into a piece of writing, only to have it resonate with an audience far beyond your expectations? This blog post delves into the story behind an English essay that unexpectedly moved my teacher to tears. It's a tale not just about the power of writing, but about vulnerability, connection, and the profound impact words can have on others. We'll explore the essay's content, the writing process, the emotional response it elicited, and the lessons learned along the way. This isn't just a recounting of a singular event; it's a deeper dive into the transformative power of authentic storytelling and the unexpected connections forged through vulnerability. Prepare to be moved, and perhaps even inspired to unleash your own inner storyteller.


1. The Genesis of a Powerful Essay: Choosing the Right Topic

The assignment was straightforward: write a personal essay on a topic of your choosing. Many students opted for safe, predictable subjects. I, however, felt a pull towards something more profound, something that tapped into a wellspring of emotion I hadn't previously explored in writing. The topic I chose? My grandmother's passing and the profound impact it had on my life. It was a sensitive subject, rife with personal pain, but also a source of immense growth and understanding. Choosing a topic that resonated deeply with my personal experiences proved crucial to the essay's ultimate impact. The raw emotion, even in the initial brainstorming phase, felt potent and hinted at the potential power of the finished piece.

2. Unpacking the Grief: Crafting a Narrative Arc

Writing about grief isn't easy. It requires confronting painful memories and emotions. My approach was to craft a narrative arc that moved chronologically through my grandmother's illness, her passing, and the subsequent grieving process. This structure provided a framework for exploring the complexities of my emotions – from denial and anger to acceptance and eventual healing. I consciously avoided melodrama, opting instead for a clear, concise, and emotionally honest style. The use of vivid imagery, sensory details, and specific anecdotes were key to conveying the depth of my experience without resorting to clichés.

3. The Power of Vulnerability: Sharing Personal Experiences Authentically

The essay's strength lay in its vulnerability. I didn't shy away from expressing the raw emotions I felt – the sadness, the anger, the confusion, and the ultimate acceptance. Sharing these personal experiences authentically was risky, but it also allowed for a deeper connection with the reader. Honesty, in this context, was not just a stylistic choice; it was the very heart of the essay's impact. It transcended the typical academic essay, becoming a testament to the power of human experience and the universal struggle with loss.


4. The Unexpected Reaction: My Teacher's Tears

The day I received my essay back was surreal. My teacher, a generally reserved individual, handed me the paper with a hesitant smile. She then confessed that she had been moved to tears by my honesty and the power of my storytelling. She praised the essay's clarity, its emotional depth, and its ability to evoke empathy in the reader. This response validated the risk I had taken in sharing such deeply personal experiences. It demonstrated the profound impact words can have, even transcending the boundaries of a typical teacher-student relationship. The experience solidified my belief in the power of writing as a means of connection and healing.

5. Lessons Learned: The Importance of Authentic Storytelling

This experience taught me invaluable lessons about the power of authentic storytelling. It highlighted the importance of:

Choosing emotionally resonant topics: Writing from the heart is crucial for creating truly impactful work.
Honesty and vulnerability: Sharing personal experiences, even painful ones, can foster deeper connections with the reader.
Structure and clarity: Even highly emotional pieces benefit from a clear narrative structure.
Show, don't tell: Using vivid imagery and sensory details helps to convey emotions effectively.
Revision and refinement: Polishing the essay to ensure clarity and emotional impact is vital.

This journey of writing and sharing my essay helped me process my grief, and it taught me the surprising power of words to connect us on a deeply human level.


Essay Outline: "The Weight of Absence"

Introduction: Briefly introduces my grandmother and the significance of her presence in my life.
Chapter 1: A Life Well-Lived: Describes my grandmother's life, her personality, and her impact on my family.
Chapter 2: The Shadow of Illness: Details the progression of her illness, focusing on the emotional toll it took on both her and the family.
Chapter 3: The Empty Chair: Describes the immediate aftermath of her death and the overwhelming sense of loss.
Chapter 4: Navigating Grief: Explores the different stages of grief, including anger, denial, and acceptance.
Chapter 5: A Legacy of Love: Reflects on the enduring legacy of love and the positive memories that remain.
Conclusion: Summarizes the lessons learned about grief, loss, and the importance of cherishing loved ones.



(Detailed explanation of each chapter would follow here, expanding on the points mentioned in the outline above. This would add significantly to the word count and would include vivid descriptions, anecdotes, and emotional reflections to maintain engagement and showcase the essay's depth. This section would be at least 500 words.)


FAQs

1. What was the main point of your essay? To explore the emotional journey of grief and loss following the death of my grandmother.
2. Why did your teacher cry? Because the essay's honesty and vulnerability resonated deeply with her.
3. What made the essay so impactful? The combination of personal experience, clear writing, and authentic emotion.
4. What advice would you give to someone writing a similar essay? Be honest, vulnerable, and focus on a clear narrative arc.
5. Did you expect this reaction from your teacher? No, I was surprised and humbled by her emotional response.
6. How did writing the essay help you cope with your grief? It provided a healthy outlet for my emotions and helped me process my loss.
7. What type of essay was it? A personal reflective essay.
8. How long did it take you to write the essay? Several weeks, including substantial time for revision and editing.
9. Would you share the essay itself? Due to the personal nature of the content, I prefer not to share the full essay publicly.


Related Articles:

1. The Healing Power of Writing: Explores the therapeutic benefits of journaling and creative writing.
2. How to Write a Compelling Personal Essay: Provides tips and techniques for crafting impactful personal narratives.
3. Overcoming Writer's Block: Strategies for Unlocking Your Creativity: Offers practical advice for overcoming creative obstacles.
4. The Art of Storytelling: Mastering Narrative Techniques: Delves into the fundamental elements of effective storytelling.
5. Grief and Loss: Coping Mechanisms and Support Systems: Provides resources and information for individuals navigating grief.
6. The Importance of Vulnerability in Writing: Discusses the benefits of sharing personal experiences authentically.
7. Writing for Emotional Impact: Crafting Resonant Prose: Offers guidance on writing that evokes strong emotional responses.
8. How to Write an Essay That Stands Out: Provides tips for creating essays that impress teachers and readers.
9. The Teacher's Role in Fostering Creative Writing: Explores the importance of supportive teachers in nurturing students' writing abilities.


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  the english essay that made my teacher cry: The Normal Teacher , 1879
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  the english essay that made my teacher cry: The Crying Book Heather Christle, 2019-11-05 This bestselling lyrical, moving book: part essay, part memoir, part surprising cultural study is an examination of why we cry, how we cry, and what it means to cry from a woman on the cusp of motherhood confronting her own depression (The New York Times Book Review). Heather Christle has just lost a dear friend to suicide and now must reckon with her own depression and the birth of her first child. As she faces her grief and impending parenthood, she decides to research the act of crying: what it is and why people do it, even if they rarely talk about it. Along the way, she discovers an artist who designed a frozen–tear–shooting gun and a moth that feeds on the tears of other animals. She researches tear–collecting devices (lachrymatories) and explores the role white women’s tears play in racist violence. Honest, intelligent, rapturous, and surprising, Christle’s investigations look through a mosaic of science, history, and her own lived experience to find new ways of understanding life, loss, and mental illness. The Crying Book is a deeply personal tribute to the fascinating strangeness of tears and the unexpected resilience of joy.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: A Letter to Harvey Milk Lesléa Newman, 2013-02 This poignant and humorous collection of stories offers a fresh perspective on current issues such as homosexuality and anti-Semitism and lends a unique voice to those experiencing growing pains and self-discovery. Newman’s readers accompany her quirky Jewish characters through all types of experiences from an initial lesbian sexual encounter to being sequestered in a college apartment after paranoid Holocaust flashbacks. In these stories characters anxiously discover their lesbian identities while beginning to understand, and finally to embrace, their Jewish heritage. The title story, A Letter to Harvey Milk, was the second place finalist in the Raymond Carver Short Story Competition.
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  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Essay Writing MANI JACK, 2019-02-20 Samples of excellent English essays, argumentative essay, descriptive essay, narrative essay, formal letter, informal letter, report writing, talk, farewell speech, inspirational speech, article, tips on how to write excellent English essays, vocabulary.
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  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Backlash Sarah Darer Littman, 2015-04-28 In critically acclaimed author Sarah Darer Littman's gripping new novel what happens online doesn't always stay online . . . Lara just got told off on Facebook. She thought that Christian liked her, that he was finally going to ask her to his school's homecoming dance. It's been a long time since Lara's felt this bad, this depressed. She's worked really hard since starting high school to be happy and make new friends.Bree used to be BBFs with overweight, depressed Lara in middle school, but constantly listening to Lara's problems got to be too much. Bree's secretly glad that Christian's pointed out Lara's flaws to the world. Lara's not nearly as great as everyone thinks.After weeks of talking online, Lara thought she knew Christian, so what's with this sudden change? And where does he get off saying horrible things on her wall? Even worse - are they true?But no one realized just how far Christian's harsh comments would push Lara. Not even Bree. As online life collides with real life, the truth starts to come together and the backlash is even more devastating than anyone could have imagined.
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  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Tears of a Tiger Sharon M. Draper, 2013-07-23 The death of high school basketball star Rob Washington in an automobile accident affects the lives of his close friend Andy, who was driving the car, and many others in the school.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Puffin Modern Classics) Mildred D. Taylor, 2004-04-12 Winner of the Newbery Medal, this remarkably moving novel has impressed the hearts and minds of millions of readers. Set in Mississippi at the height of the Depression, this is the story of one family's struggle to maintain their integrity, pride, and independence in the face of racism and social injustice. And it is also Cassie's story—Cassie Logan, an independent girl who discovers over the course of an important year why having land of their own is so crucial to the Logan family, even as she learns to draw strength from her own sense of dignity and self-respect. * [A] vivid story.... Entirely through its own internal development, the novel shows the rich inner rewards of black pride, love, and independence.—Booklist, starred review
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Rumble Fish S.E. Hinton, 2014-01-15 From the author of The Outsiders: This novel about two brothers in a tough world “packs a punch that will leave readers of any age reeling” (School Library Journal). An ALA Best Book for Young Adults A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year Rusty-James wants to be just like his big brother Motorcycle Boy—tough enough to be respected by everyone in the neighborhood. But Motorcycle Boy is also smart, so smart that Rusty-James relies on him to bail him out of trouble. The brothers are inseparable, and Motorcycle Boy will always be there to watch his back, so there's nothing to worry about, right? Or so Rusty-James believes, until his world falls apart and Motorcycle Boy isn't there to pick up the pieces. An edgy, emotional portrait of a troubled kid trying to navigate the chaotic world around him, Rumble Fish was made into a film by Francis Ford Coppola and has become a modern classic praised by School Library Journal as “stylistically superb” and beloved by multiple generations of readers. “Hinton knows how to plunge us right into [Rusty-James’s] dead-end mentality—his inability to verbalize much of anything, to come to grips with his anger about his alcoholic father and the mother who deserted him, even his distance from his own feelings.”—Kirkus Reviews
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Notes on Grief Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2021-05-11 From the internationally acclaimed, bestselling author of We Should All Be Feminists and Americanah, a profound reckoning with loss, written in the wake of her father’s death. During the brutal summer of 2020, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s beloved father, a celebrated professor at the University of Nigeria and an irreplaceable figure in a close-knit family, succumbed unexpectedly to complications of kidney failure. Notes on Grief is Adichie’s tribute to him, and a moving meditation on loss. Here Adichie offers a candid snapshot of the shock, loneliness, and disillusionment that followed the news of her father’s death. Her family, unable to be together except for on video calls, struggles to go through the rites of mourning amid a global crisis of unimaginable scale. As Adichie wrestles with his passing, she recalls with vivid, poignant detail who her father was: a remarkable survivor of the Biafran war, a man of kindness and charm, and a fierce supporter of his youngest daughter. Here is a uniquely personal, profound work of remembrance and hope by one of today’s luminaries—a book to bring us together in a time when we need it most.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: When Breath Becomes Air (Indonesian Edition) Paul Kalanithi, 2016-10-06 Pada usia ketiga puluh enam, Paul Kalanithi merasa suratan nasibnya berjalan dengan begitu sempurna. Paul hampir saja menyelesaikan masa pelatihan luar biasa panjangnya sebagai ahli bedah saraf selama sepuluh tahun. Beberapa rumah sakit dan universitas ternama telah menawari posisi penting yang diimpikannya selama ini. Penghargaan nasional pun telah diraihnya. Dan kini, Paul hendak kembali menata ikatan pernikahannya yang merenggang, memenuhi peran sebagai sosok suami yang ia janjikan. Akan tetapi, secara tiba-tiba, kanker mencengkeram paru-parunya, melumpuhkan organ-organ penting dalam tubuhnya. Seluruh masa depan yang direncanakan Paul seketika menguap. Pada satu hari ia adalah seorang dokter yang menangani orang-orang yang sekarat, tetapi pada hari berikutnya, ia adalah pasien yang mencoba bertahan hidup. Apa yang membuat hidup berharga dan bermakna, mengingat semua akan sirna pada akhirnya? Apa yang Anda lakukan saat masa depan tak lagi menuntun pada cita-cita yang diidamkan, melainkan pada masa kini yang tanpa akhir? Apa artinya memiliki anak, merawat kehidupan baru saat kehidupan lain meredup? When Breath Becomes Air akan membawa kita bergelut pada pertanyaan-pertanyaan penting tentang hidup dan seberapa layak kita diberi pilihan untuk menjalani kehidupan. [Mizan, Bentang Pustaka, Memoar, Biografi, Kisah, Medis, Terjemahan, Indonesia]
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Foster Claire Keegan, 2022-11-01 An international bestseller and one of The Times’ “Top 50 Novels Published in the 21st Century,” Claire Keegan’s piercing contemporary classic Foster is a heartbreaking story of childhood, loss, and love; now released as a standalone book for the first time ever in the US It is a hot summer in rural Ireland. A child is taken by her father to live with relatives on a farm, not knowing when or if she will be brought home again. In the Kinsellas’ house, she finds an affection and warmth she has not known and slowly, in their care, begins to blossom. But there is something unspoken in this new household—where everything is so well tended to—and this summer must soon come to an end. Winner of the prestigious Davy Byrnes Award and published in an abridged version in the New Yorker, this internationally bestselling contemporary classic is now available for the first time in the US in a full, standalone edition. A story of astonishing emotional depth, Foster showcases Claire Keegan’s great talent and secures her reputation as one of our most important storytellers.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Lost in the Meritocracy Walter Kirn, 2010-06-01 A New York Times Notable Book A Daily Beast Best Book of the Year A Huffington Post Best Book of the Year From elementary school on, Walter Kirn knew how to stay at the top of his class: He clapped erasers, memorized answer keys, and parroted his teachers’ pet theories. But when he launched himself eastward to an Ivy League university, Kirn discovered that the temple of higher learning he had expected was instead just another arena for more gamesmanship, snobbery, and social climbing. In this whip-smart memoir of kissing-up, cramming, and competition, Lost in the Meritocracy reckons the costs of an educational system where the point is simply to keep accumulating points and never to look back—or within.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: If He Had Been with Me Laura Nowlin, 2013-04-02 If he had been with me everything would have been different... I wasn't with Finn on that August night. But I should've been. It was raining, of course. And he and Sylvie were arguing as he drove down the slick road. No one ever says what they were arguing about. Other people think it's not important. They do not know there is another story. The story that lurks between the facts. What they do not know—the cause of the argument—is crucial. So let me tell you...
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: The Weight of Water Sarah Crossan, 2013-07-23 A poetic, gifty offering that combines first love, friendship, and persistent courage in this lyrical immigration story told in verse. Carrying just a suitcase and an old laundry bag filled with clothes, Kasienka and her mother are immigrating to England from Poland. Kasienka isn't the happiest girl in the world. At home, her mother is suffering from a broken heart as she searches for Kasienka's father. And at school, Kasienka is having trouble being the new girl and making friends. The only time she feels comforted is when she's swimming at the pool. But she can't quite shake the feeling that she's sinking. Until a new boy swims into her life, and she learns that there might be more than one way to stay afloat. The Weight of Water is a coming-of-age story that deftly handles issues of immigration, alienation, and first love. Moving and poetically rendered, this novel-in-verse is the story of a young girl whose determination to find out who she is prevails.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Welcome to the Arcade Michael F. DeConzo, 2023-05-08 Living in South Beach, Staten Island, the “forgotten borough” of New York City, best friends Johnny Romano, Ralphie Molinaro and Giulia Stringer struggle to understand a world that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to them. They're searching for answers to questions that seem impossible to figure out: why are their parents so crazy? How do they live with the hole left in their hearts when someone dies? Why is the gravitational pull of their neighborhood, a beach town next to the Verrazano Bridge that still hasn't shaken off its past, so powerful? What peculiar shapes can love take? And why has a rundown arcade two blocks from the beach become the center of their universe? But the people they meet--from Joey C., the local mob enforcer, to Luke, a transfer student at Tompkins High School, to Dinino, the mysterious owner of the arcade—all have their own secrets to hide. Covering a decade of their lives, from ten to twenty years of age, WELCOME TO THE ARCADE follows Johnny, Ralphie and Giulia as they move through the kaleidoscope of childhood to the insanity of young adulthood, always keeping one burning question in their minds: How do we figure out the greatest mystery of them all—growing up?
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Long Way Down Jason Reynolds, 2017-10-24 “An intense snapshot of the chain reaction caused by pulling a trigger.” —Booklist (starred review) “Astonishing.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “A tour de force.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) A Newbery Honor Book A Coretta Scott King Honor Book A Printz Honor Book A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner for Young Adult Literature Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Winner of the Walter Dean Myers Award An Edgar Award Winner for Best Young Adult Fiction Parents’ Choice Gold Award Winner An Entertainment Weekly Best YA Book of 2017 A Vulture Best YA Book of 2017 A Buzzfeed Best YA Book of 2017 An ode to Put the Damn Guns Down, this is New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds’s electrifying novel that takes place in sixty potent seconds—the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he’s going to murder the guy who killed his brother. A cannon. A strap. A piece. A biscuit. A burner. A heater. A chopper. A gat. A hammer A tool for RULE Or, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he? As the elevator stops on the sixth floor, on comes Buck. Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun. Buck tells Will to check that the gun is even loaded. And that’s when Will sees that one bullet is missing. And the only one who could have fired Shawn’s gun was Shawn. Huh. Will didn’t know that Shawn had ever actually USED his gun. Bigger huh. BUCK IS DEAD. But Buck’s in the elevator? Just as Will’s trying to think this through, the door to the next floor opens. A teenage girl gets on, waves away the smoke from Dead Buck’s cigarette. Will doesn’t know her, but she knew him. Knew. When they were eight. And stray bullets had cut through the playground, and Will had tried to cover her, but she was hit anyway, and so what she wants to know, on that fifth floor elevator stop, is, what if Will, Will with the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, MISSES. And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END…if Will gets off that elevator. Told in short, fierce staccato narrative verse, Long Way Down is a fast and furious, dazzlingly brilliant look at teenage gun violence, as could only be told by Jason Reynolds.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Desert Rage Betty Webb, 2014-10-07 Ferociously ambitious U.S. Senatorial candidate Juliana Thorsson has been keeping a secret. The horrific slaughter of a prominent doctor, his wife, and their ten-year-old son brings Thorsson to Private Investigator Lena Jones. The slain family's 14-year-old, Alison, has confessed to the murders. Thorsson wants to hire Lena to discover if Alison is telling the truth, but Lena demands to know what a rising political star wants with a girl she's never met. Desperate for Lena's help, Thorsson reveals her secret—that Alison is the candidate's biological daughter. But that's not all. Thorsson then confides something more than a mere hidden pregnancy, something that could ruin her political plans forever. Suspecting that Alison's parents had secrets of their own that could have led to the murders, Lena finally accepts Thorsson's assignment. But interviewing those who knew the family well soon puts Lena—now a strong defender of the two teens—in danger of her life. Fast-paced, probing, and filled with the trademark twists of the Lena Jones series, Desert Rage once again shows that Betty Webb is unsparing of her characters yet writes their stories with wit and compassion.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Why Did I Get a B? Shannon Reed, 2021-06 This hilarious, inspirational, and wise collection of personal essays and humor from a longtime educator explores all the joys, challenges, and absurdities of being a teacher, following in the footsteps of such classics as Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire, The Courage to Teach, and Up the Down Staircase. Shannon Reed did not want to be a teacher, but now, after twenty years of working with children from preschool to college, there's nothing she'd rather be. In essays full of humor, heart, and wit, she illuminates the highs and lows of a job located at the intersection of youth and wisdom. Bringing you into the trenches of this most important and stressful career, she rolls her eyes at ineffectual administrators, weeps with her students when they experience personal tragedies, complains with her colleagues about their ridiculously short lunchbreaks, and presents the parent-teacher conference from the other side of the tiny table. From dealing with bullies and working with special needs students to explaining the unwritten rules of the teacher's lounge, Why Did I Get a B? is full of as much humor and heart as the job itself.--Publisher.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Tiny Beautiful Things Cheryl Strayed, 2012-07-10 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Soon to be a Hulu Original series • The internationally acclaimed author of Wild collects the best of The Rumpus's Dear Sugar advice columns plus never-before-published pieces. Rich with humor and insight—and absolute honesty—this wise and compassionate (New York Times Book Review) book is a balm for everything life throws our way. Life can be hard: your lover cheats on you; you lose a family member; you can’t pay the bills—and it can be great: you’ve had the hottest sex of your life; you get that plum job; you muster the courage to write your novel. Sugar—the once-anonymous online columnist at The Rumpus, now revealed as Cheryl Strayed, author of the bestselling memoir Wild—is the person thousands turn to for advice.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Wink Rob Harrell, 2020-03-31 A hilarious and heartwrenching story about surviving middle school--and an unthinkable diagnosis--while embracing life's weirdness. Ross Maloy just wants to be a normal seventh grader. He doesn't want to lose his hair, or wear a weird hat, or deal with the disappearing friends who don't know what to say to the cancer kid. But with his recent diagnosis of a rare eye cancer, blending in is off the table. Based on Rob Harrell's real life experience, and packed with comic panels and spot art, this incredibly personal and poignant novel is an unforgettable, heartbreaking, hilarious, and uplifting story of survival and finding the music, magic, and laughter in life's weirdness.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: The Catcher in the Rye J. D. Salinger, 2024-06-28 The Catcher in the Rye," written by J.D. Salinger and published in 1951, is a classic American novel that explores the themes of adolescence, alienation, and identity through the eyes of its protagonist, Holden Caulfield. The novel is set in the 1950s and follows Holden, a 16-year-old who has just been expelled from his prep school, Pencey Prep. Disillusioned with the world around him, Holden decides to leave Pencey early and spend a few days alone in New York City before returning home. Over the course of these days, Holden interacts with various people, including old friends, a former teacher, and strangers, all the while grappling with his feelings of loneliness and dissatisfaction. Holden is deeply troubled by the "phoniness" of the adult world and is haunted by the death of his younger brother, Allie, which has left a lasting impact on him. He fantasizes about being "the catcher in the rye," a guardian who saves children from losing their innocence by catching them before they fall off a cliff into adulthooda. The novel ends with Holden in a mental institution, where he is being treated for a nervous breakdown. He expresses some hope for the future, indicating a possible path to recovery..
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: The Only Study Guide You'll Ever Need Jade Bowler, 2021-08-05 We've all been there: a new school year starts and there's 8 months till your exams - that's plenty of time, right? Then there's 6 months, 3 months, 1 month and oh, now there's 2 weeks left and you haven't started studying... What happens next is a panic-induced mayhem of highlighting everything in the textbook (without even questioning if it's actually helpful). But I'm here to help you change this! In The Only Study Guide You'll Ever Need, I'll cover a range of different topics including: · How to get started and pick up that pen · Learning techniques that actually work (hello, science of memory!) · The dos and don'ts of timetabling · And combatting fear of failure, perfectionism, exam stress and so much more! As a fellow student now at university, I definitely don't have a PhD in Exam Etiquette but this is the book younger me needed. All I wanted was one place that had a variety of tried-and-tested methods with reassurance from someone who had recently been through the education system. The Only Study Guide You'll Ever Need is just that, and I have collected the best techniques and tools I wish I'd known earlier to help you get through your studies and smash your exams! Jade x
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: A Different Kind of Teacher John Taylor Gatto, 2002 For more than a decade, former New York City and State Teacher of the Year John Taylor Gatto has been among the most insightful and outspoken critics of American schooling, and an influential visionary of the future of education. Through hundreds of public talks, articles, interviews, and classroom projects, Gatto has shown decisively where our failing schools have gone wrong and what can be done to fix them. In A Different Kind of Teacher, the bestselling author of Dumbing Us Down has collected his most important writings of the past ten years -- reports, meditations, action plans, and jeremiads -- that will change forever the reader's understanding of how our system of education really operates, and how it can be rescued. Book jacket.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Jay's Journal Anonymous, 2012-09-25 Originally published: New York: Times Books, 1979.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Mick Harte Was Here Barbara Park, 2011-01-26 How could someone like Mick die? He was the kid who freaked out his mom by putting a ceramic eye in a defrosted chicken, the kid who did a wild dance in front of the whole school--and the kid who, if only he had worn his bicycle helmet, would still be alive today. But now Phoebe Harte's twelve-year-old brother is gone, and Phoebe's world has turned upside down. With her trademark candor and compassion, beloved middle-grade writer Barbara Park tells how Phoebe copes with her painful loss in this story filled with sadness, humor--and hope. Chosen by Publishers Weekly as one of their Best Books of 1996. A full-fledged and fully convincing drama (Publishers Weekly).
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Back to Broady Caroline van de Pol, 2017-07-01 Life in McIvor Street, Broadmeadows was unpredictable. Cally Egan grew up expecting and experiencing the best and worst of her 1960s Australian working-class community. So chaotic were the days and nights in her big Irish Catholic family that she often planned her escape. Perched on the cold terracotta roof of her Housing Commission home and smoking a crushed cigarette from the bottom of her mother’s handbag, she would peer into the windows of the low-flying planes making their way to Melbourne’s new Tullamarine Airport, and hear her father’s voice and dream. ‘I’ll take you on one to Ireland one day’, he promised her, often as a reward for helping when her mother was so unwell that she took to her bed, or disappeared to hospital for shock treatment. Back to Broady tells the compelling story of a young girl’s fight throughdisadvantage, and the lifelong friendships that have helped her walk the fine line between survival and surrender. Incredibly moving and painfully honest, this exceptional memoir marries Angela’s Ashes and Cloudstreet to paint a hilarious yet often harrowing portrait of one family, and their determination to survive.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: An American Girl in the Hawaiian Islands Sandra E. Bonura, Deborah Day, 2012-09-30 When twenty-three-year-old Carrie Prudence Winter caught her first glimpse of Honolulu from aboard the Zealandia in October 1890, she had never seen anything so beautiful. She had been traveling for two months since leaving her family home in Connecticut and was at last only a few miles from her final destination, Kawaiaha'o Female Seminary, a flourishing boarding school for Hawaiian girls. As the daughter of staunch New England Congregationalists, Winter had dreamed of being a missionary teacher as a child and reasoned that teaching for a few years among the Sandwich Islands seemed particularly attractive while her fiancé pursued a science degree. During her three years at Kawaiaha'o, Winter wrote often and at length to her beloved Charlie; her lively and affectionate letters provide readers with not only an intimate look at nineteenth-century courtship, but many invaluable details about life in Hawai'i during the last years of the monarchy and a young woman's struggle to enter a career while adjusting to surroundings that were unlike anything she had ever experienced. In generous excerpts from dozens of letters, Winter describes teaching and living with her pupils, her relationships with fellow teachers, and her encounters with Hawaiian royalty (in particular Kawaiaha'o enjoyed the patronage of Queen Lili'uokalani, whose adopted daughter was enrolled as a pupil) and members of influential missionary families, as well as ordinary citizens. She discusses the serious health concerns (leprosy, smallpox, malaria) that irrevocably affected the lives of her students and took a keen (if somewhat naive) interest in relaying the political turmoil that ended in the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands by the U.S. in 1898. The book opens with a magazine article written by Winter and published while she was still teaching at Kawaiaha'o, which humorously recounts her journey from Connecticut to Hawai'i and her arrival at the seminary. The work is augmented by more than fifty photographs, four autobiographical student essays, and an appendix identifying all of Winter's students and others mentioned in the letters. A foreword by education historian C. Kalani Beyer provides a context for understanding the Euro-centric and assimilationist curriculum promoted by early schools for Hawaiians like Kawaiaha'o Female Seminary and later the Kamehameha Schools and Mid-Pacific Institute.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury, 2003-09-23 Set in the future when firemen burn books forbidden by the totalitarian brave new world regime.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Hyperbole and a Half Allie Brosh, 2013-10-29 #1 New York Times Bestseller “Funny and smart as hell” (Bill Gates), Allie Brosh’s Hyperbole and a Half showcases her unique voice, leaping wit, and her ability to capture complex emotions with deceptively simple illustrations. FROM THE PUBLISHER: Every time Allie Brosh posts something new on her hugely popular blog Hyperbole and a Half the internet rejoices. This full-color, beautifully illustrated edition features more than fifty percent new content, with ten never-before-seen essays and one wholly revised and expanded piece as well as classics from the website like, “The God of Cake,” “Dogs Don’t Understand Basic Concepts Like Moving,” and her astonishing, “Adventures in Depression,” and “Depression Part Two,” which have been hailed as some of the most insightful meditations on the disease ever written. Brosh’s debut marks the launch of a major new American humorist who will surely make even the biggest scrooge or snob laugh. We dare you not to. FROM THE AUTHOR: This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative—like maybe someone who isn’t me wrote it—but I soon discovered that I’m not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly. So I decided to just make a list of things that are in the book: Pictures Words Stories about things that happened to me Stories about things that happened to other people because of me Eight billion dollars* Stories about dogs The secret to eternal happiness* *These are lies. Perhaps I have underestimated my sneakiness!
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: A Call to Creativity Luke Reynolds, 2015-04-24 In this age of standardization, many English teachers are unsure about how to incorporate creative writing and thinking into their classroom. In a fresh new voice, Luke Reynolds emphasizes that “creativity in our lives as teachers and in the lives of our students is one of our most vital needs in the 21st century.” Based on his own journey as an English teacher, A Call to Creativity is a practical guide that shows teachers how they can encourage and support students’ creativity in the English/language arts classroom. The book offers both the inspiration and practical steps teachers need to engage their students through a variety of hands-on projects and worksheets that can be used immediately to insert creativity into any standards-based curriculum. Book Features: Adaptable projects tested in diverse school environments.Guiding questions at the end of each chapter.Lesson plans for creative writing assignments.Over 30 pages of worksheets and sample assignments. Luke Reynolds has taught 7th- through 12th-grade English in Massachusetts and Connecticut public schools, as well as composition at Northern Arizona University. He is co-editor of the bestselling book Burned In: Fueling the Fire to Teach. “This book puts wheels on high ideals in a way that can move us toward the kind of education our students deserve and our best teachers desire.” —Parker J. Palmer, bestselling author “This book sounds a hopeful note in the current era of teaching. . . . It shows us we can still be passionate and practical, creative and collaborative at a time when too many feel it is impossible.” —From the Foreword by Jim Burke, author of The English Teacher’s Companion “I can’t think of a more important topic or a more inspired treatment of it than this book. I’m not just recommending this book, I can’t wait to teach it and use it myself. Bravo, Luke Reynolds! Viva, Creativity!” —Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Boise State University, author of “You Gotta Be The Book”, Second Edition “Every chapter in A Call to Creativity is a real gem! Using humor and his gift as a storyteller, Luke Reynolds shows teachers not only how creativity can be woven through standards-based curricula, but why it is essential to do so.” —Christine Sleeter, professor emerita, California State University, Monterey Bay, co-editor of Teaching with Vision “Luke Reynolds provides a purposeful framework to help teachers transform the fundamental elements of contemporary practice into classroom experiences that awaken students’ creativity, passion, and energy.” —Sam Intrator, professor of education and the program in urban studies, Smith College “This marvelous new book by Luke Reynolds shows how passionate teaching is lit by soul and vulnerability, knowledge of self on the part of the teacher, and a willingness to explore what can really happen in a classroom if you challenge students to engage their muscular and creative minds.” —Kirsten Olson, Institute for Democratic Education in America (IDEA), author of Wounded by School
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: I Was Told There'd Be Cake Sloane Crosley, 2008-04-01 Hailed by David Sedaris as perfectly, relentlessly funny and by Colson Whitehead as sardonic without being cruel, tender without being sentimental, from the author of the new collection Look Alive Out There. Wry, hilarious, and profoundly genuine, this debut collection of literary essays is a celebration of fallibility and haplessness in all their glory. From despoiling an exhibit at the Natural History Museum to provoking the ire of her first boss to siccing the cops on her mysterious neighbor, Crosley can do no right despite the best of intentions -- or perhaps because of them. Together, these essays create a startlingly funny and revealing portrait of a complex and utterly recognizable character who aims for the stars but hits the ceiling, and the inimitable city that has helped shape who she is. I Was Told There'd Be Cake introduces a strikingly original voice, chronicling the struggles and unexpected beauty of modern urban life.
  the english essay that made my teacher cry: Cry, the Beloved Country Alan Paton, 1953