Writing
Much like reading, writing was a subject area that came naturally to me. I was always writing stories and letters. Growing up (and still to this day), my dad emphasized the importance of reading in order to be a good writer. Essentially, the better one is at reading the better he or she will be at writing. Reading allows for people to see how words work together to form sentences, how those sentences form paragraphs, paragraphs form pages, and so forth until there is a completed story. Reading also helps navigate writing because it sparks creativity and imagination. Much of my elementary school writing was influenced through books and stories that were read and heard in class.
Although I learned basic spelling and writing skills in kindergarten with Mrs. Chism, through the program Handwriting Without Tears, my writing skills truly developed in first grade. I will always remember the composition books we had to write stories and the templates where we would write and illustrate a story. Writing became a way for me to share with others my comprehension and experiences. We wrote poems, narratives (which were and are my favorite), biographies and research papers, and letters. As I became older, I spent much of my free time writing. It was one of my greatest hobbies. Penning words to paper is one of the most beautiful forms of art, so whenever I could write, I wrote.
First grade also further developed my spelling skills. Spelling is one of the most essential skills in order to write. My classrooms all throughout elementary school had sections of the walls dedicated to words we learned how to spell. In kindergarten words included "the", "cat", and "me", while in fifth grade the words were more advanced: "competition", "environment", and "pilgrimage". Throughout elementary school, there were weekly spelling assessments. These assessments helped me become aware of not only how to spell a word, but what it meant and how to use it.
My formal essay writing is always in the works. I credit Ms. Welsh's junior year English class with giving me the significant tools and valuable lessons on formal essay writing. I was able to write pages upon pages with each paragraph's topic sentence relating back to the thesis statement, something that was always easier in theory to me. I've always used the beginning tactics from elementary school, but they have only grown stronger the older I have gotten and more experience I have become.
During my senior year of high school, I served as Editor of The HMHS Shield. Working on the publication of the yearbook was an incredible honor. I loved every second of it - finding pictures, applying layouts, creating captions, and seeing it all come together. My position allowed me to pursue my love for writing and be a part of a great memento of my senior year.
Pictures: First Day of First Grade, September 2008
Editor of The HMHS Shield, March 2020
