Whether it is for a grade or just a fun activity, writing is something I have always enjoyed. When I first got started in Mr. Engle’s Journalism class I was excited for the possibilities. Abby told me how good of a teacher he is, so I wasn’t worried. I received my first paper back in his class and was surprised with how detailed his grading was. The English teachers I have had in the past weren’t as meticulous as he is. They would correct minor mistakes that I made but never to the point of Mr. Engle. He opened my eyes to the wonderful world of passive voice and split infinitives. I had no clue what those things were. When my first essay was passed back, it took me four tries to get it right, and it looked as if Mr. Engle’s pen had broken and the ink splattered all over my paper. After seeing that first assignment, I promised myself that I would try my absolute best on every paper from that point on. I never wanted my paper to look like that again.

When Mr. Engle assigned us our four writing projects, I thought this is my chance to show that I do indeed have some writing skills. I had several ideas of what I wanted to do by the time Mr. Engle finished describing what the assignments were about, and I started right away. I typed my review essay and my interview essay with no problem. I even had fun changing things and rearranging words to make it sound better. I struggled a lot with the last two essays I had to write, the reporting essay and the participation essay. I buckled down and completed my reporting essay even though it came out worse for wear. Finally, it was time to write the participation essay. I had several ideas in mind, but when I wrote them, they just sounded bland. I typed up different stories for a week, but none of them reached the expectations that I set out for myself. As I went, it seemed as though I was forcing myself to continue writing them. If that was how I felt, I couldn’t imagine how the reader would feel, so I would end it and start over. This pattern continued until I came up with the current idea.

I am really grateful I pushed myself to take the opportunity of joining the Freshman Journalism class. In the past, I never tried to use descriptive words as I was writing. Fearful that I would say the wrong word, I always played it safe in hopes the teacher didn’t think I was brain dead. This year I wanted to do better; I wanted a paper that I would be proud to have published with my byline. I have already learned so much about writing and grammar in this class, and I can’t wait for more opportunities to expand and make my writing skills better.