Re: "Ms. Valdez" by Vy Truong

Last year, the freshman class had a different English teacher. We addressed her has Ms. Valdez. Many of us really miss her and wish that she was still here. She left a big memory in ASTI history. I found a blog post that described her on Vy Truong's post posted 2 weeks ago and I would like to respond to it: 

"She was one of the most mmm..interesting teacher ever. Ms.Valdez always had to have it her way and be right no matter what. She even said “when I’m right I’m right and when I’m wrong, I’m still right,” that was Ms.Valdez... We read many books in her class... She made reading more understandable and always found a deeper meaning in everything we read. Her essay’s were a pain to write but it got easier as the year goes on but Ms.Valdez never gave out A’s, it would be rare when she did... I have to admit she was an amazing teacher. I have learn so much in her class than I learn in all my years of middle school. She would always make class interesting and keep the class predictable. Also she was able to interpret the reading very clearly and lets us say whatever we want about the reading. She just wanted use to express ourselves as a student and help us find the bigger meaning in everything" - Vy Truong

I do have to agree with everything Vy said in her blog post. She was a strict and tough teacher. She usually gave us a lot of reading each night ranging from 10 pages to 56 pages and it usually took me 2 hours to read it while annotating. Everyday after we read, we would have a small quiz that tests what we read. She says that this makes sure that the student actually reads instead of skipping it and pretend. By the way, the questions' answers are rather specific so you really actually have to read word for word. Her essays were specific prompts that we would have to answer and provide a deep analysis for it. She usually gave a short period to brainstorm, write the essay, and edit it for mistakes (about the total of a week to a week and a half). Her standards for grading essays are very strict because she wants our essays to be college bound so essays in her class doesn't go above a B.

Yes, she is a very strict teacher, the strictest that I have ever experienced but she does have a good personality. Before, she allowed us to eat in class because she does herself and it would be unfair. She allowed us to randomly talk about the book and allowed us to express ourselves freely in Socratic Seminar and in our writing. She is a nice person to talk to especially when you are sad. She may look mean but she is kind. She only wants us to learn and be successful in college.

Speech: Bullying in Alameda and how it can be stopped

Alameda has been a home to me for almost four years and I have enjoyed living here ever since then. There are many reasons for that. Alameda is a safe neighborhood and a great school district with very little dangerous incidents or gang fights. Another reason is that the city has many great activities to participate in. For example, there are swimming lessons during the summer, boy and girl scouts, and fairs and parades.

Unfortunately, there are some problems in Alameda that should be solved immediately. My major concern is the common bullying of misfits at school and outside of school. As a young adult living through my educational career, I have experienced bullying first hand. I was teased but had not entered the stage of physical abuse. Although bullying is generally thought as physical, it can also be cyber bullying, mental bullying, and verbal bullying. Cyber bullying includes texting or posting mean messages about a person. Mental bullying can be ignoring a person or giving them dirty looks. Verbal bullying is the most common. This type of bullying includes calling a person names or talking about them behind their backs. Bullying never ends up as a good thing and no one ever wins. Bullying usually starts with jealousy or anger at another student. The jealous or angry student begins teasing other peers and it later becomes a chain reaction.

Bullying can happen in many ways. At school, students can be judged by their personality or their looks. They could also be teased by what they do or how they act. The internet is another place where bullying happens constantly. During these past few years, the internet has been becoming a rather a popular place to chat and email each other. Forums such as Myspace and Facebook can hide the user’s name or be created with a fictitious name. Bullies can use this system to tease or post hurtful comments to make the victims feel depressed.

An example of bullying happened on Monday, March 31 where nine bullies led a month long campaign of bullying in Massachusetts which later led to the suicide of a 15 year old girl. She was physically abused and verbally harassed because a small group of students were displeasured by her minor dating relationship from about six weeks ago. She was later found hanged in her apartment.

    As once said by Martin Luther King Jr., “the ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and the cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.” What Martin Luther King means is the fact that no one speaks up when someone is in trouble. During the Jim Crow Era, Negroes were afraid to speak up because they feared that mobs would come after them and lynch them. At school, students who are victims of bullying are afraid that if they speak up to the teachers or the principle, they will be physically abused and teased afterwards by the bully. This is the main problem of bullying. It continues on and on because no one has the courage to speak up for themselves and for the other students in risk of the dangers of being bullied.

Everyone should speak up when someone is in trouble. Students shouldn’t be afraid of the bully at all. I also suggest that teachers and the principle should pay more attention to each student. When using the internet, I suggest staying away from signing up for websites where random people can comment anonymously. When using Facebook or Myspace, make sure that the friends that you approve aren’t strangers.

Building a comfortable education where young adults are happy is important to their educational career. If bullying cannot be stopped, kids will live through their educational career in fear and depression similar to those in the civil rights movement and the girl that committed suicide. I understand that stopping bullying takes a large amount of time and effort. But, as long as everyone puts in some effort, it can be stopped permanently.