Writing Assignment 1 (1st Version)

Having a Part-time Job

       As many of my friends have a part-time job and share their experiences with me, I think maybe it will be a good opportunity to learn something new and make some pocket money at the same time. Fortunately, my cousin called me and asked if I want to be an English tutor in his cram school. I felt very lucky that I could have such a good chance; therefore, I accepted his offer immediately. Since then, I have worked as a tutor, teaching elementary school and junior high school students English for about one year. Also, I think that I have changed and learned a lot since I started to have a part-time job.

      First of all, I become much busier than before and I believe that this situation is many students who have a part-time job would encounter. As a result, the time management is very important to me now, and I have to know how to use my time well.  

      Before I had this part-time job, I tended to be lazy as well as passive to get everything done. For example, I used to do the assignment only two days or one day before the dateline. What is worse, I used to prepare the midterm and final exam in a very short time only because I did not manage my studying time beforehand. In order to be a good student and a good tutor, hence I need to be well prepared to do everything I should do, including my studies and my job. Now I am a more effective person and my academic performance is improved, too.

      In fact, I was a quite impatient person who always unwilling to do something unnecessary repeatedly. However, a good teacher or a responsible tutor should be patient as well as thoughtful to the students and this part-time job really makes me different. Working as a tutor means you have to teach your students something they don’t know or confused until they can totally understand. This was truly a challenge to me, but I am willing to explain a question to students for several times now. Because when I see my students have great progress in English, I would feel very happy and proud of them. Knowing that I am being helpful for them also makes me feel satisfied with this job. I think it is all worth it and it is also the greatest achievement of being a teacher.

       Finally, what I truly learned from this part-time job is the value of money. I once spent money improperly and bought something without serious consideration. Nevertheless, not until I started to work and make money did I realize that making money is not easy at all. Now I don’t want to spend my hard-earned money on something I like but I don’t need it very much. For this reason, I cherish and feel gratitude for all I have today.

      Learning is a process of gaining knowledge, skills and values which can take place in and out of the classroom. In addition, we can learn from our friends, daily life and personal experiences. As a result of that, I think this part-time job has changed me a lot and I also have learned some knowledge as well as values from my working experiences.

Short Takes - Footprints on the Flag

1.      She is an immigrant from China, working as a gallery attendant.

2.      Another conflict is between Anchee Min and the viewers in the gallery. The third conflict is between Anchee Min’s idea of freedom and American society.

3.      Among those conflicts, I think the conflict between Anchee Min’s idea of freedom and American society is the most important one in this essay. Because this conflict goes through this essay, Anchee Min’s own idea of freedom is very different from the point of view of American society which makes this essay full of intenseness.

4.      Anchee Min learned that everyone should be loyal to their own country when she was very young and she thinks that there are too many American who takes freedom for granted.

5.      Although Min does think that everyone has to be loyal to their country respect any symbol of their country, I think Min is a little too emotional toward the artwork.

Short Takes - Time to Look and Listen

1.   Magdoline Asfahani recreated her experiences by giving many examples with details to describe those experiences and her feelings at that time.

2.   I think “discrimination” is the most important subject in this essay. Paragraph 3-6 are all about the discrimination Magdoline Asfahani faced when she was a young kid. In the last two paragraphs, Magdoline Asfahani shares her opinion that the situation of discrimination is less serious in the world now.

3.   Magdoline Asfahani said “Anyone who is unlike the majority is looked at a little suspiciously, dealt with a little differently.” and “Education is the key to understanding.”

4.   The writer tries to tell the readers that we should treat everyone equally and we cannot judge anything without knowing.

5.   Thanksgiving is one of the most and meaningful holidays in America. The essay was published right after Thanksgiving which reminds all American that the reason makes their nation unique is because there are a lot of different cultures in their nation.

Short Takes - Learning, then College

1.   Meg Gifford stated “taking time off before college.” I can tell that the following paragraphs are about her life before college and how this changed her life forever.

2.   Meg Gifford was seventeen years old in the first paragraph and she decided to take a gap year before going to college. The second to the ninth paragraph are about Gifford’s life in the gap year when she is eighteen. The last two paragraphs, Gifford has attended two years of college and experienced a lot of things.

3.   I think that Meg Gifford used her time very effectively because by her age of twenty she had had many special experiences such as traveling, midwifery and teaching an old man alphabet.

4.   Pros: Meg Gifford wrote this essay in the chronological order and she also gave many supporting details. Cons: There are too many paragraphs in this essay which can be simplified a little more.
      Thesis: The decision of taking a gap year before college changed her life forever.

5.   After reading this essay, I think it is a good idea of taking a gap year before college. A gap year can let young people understand themselves and this real world more. 

Short Takes - A Fowl Trick to Play on a Lawn Tractor

1. Peter Dexter portrayed the peahen which came into his garage by telling the readers that how concentrated this exotic bird was standing in front of the trash compactor and staring at a small red light of the compactor.

2. I think Dexter was a little overreacted to the broken lawn tractor and his imagination of himself and the peahen is very interesting. Dexter characterized his lawn tractor as a living thing which makes terrible noises and was killed by him.     

        3. There are three conflicts in this essay. The first conflict is between Dexter and the peahen, the second one is between Dexter and the tractor and the last one is the tractor and the peahen.

4. I think the last paragraph is a successful resolution because the readers can clearly understand what the real problem of the lawn tractor is. 

5. If this narrative were in the form of a fable, I think this story tells us that what we think or believe is not always right and real.