The Classical Introvert's Blog

       For me, writing serves two main purposes: to communicate ideas and to express one’s emotions. Initially, my approach to writing stemmed from personal experience, without consideration for the established writing theories. Thankfully, I am now acquainted with these existing theories and practices so that I may use them to enhance my writing skills.      Firstly, I identify the purpose of the text, whether it is to inform, entertain, persuade, or argue. This was the knowledge I gained when I was in high school: the four main types of essays, and I believe these types dictate the tone of my writing. Unlike the writing practice stated in the sociocultural theory, I never considered who my target audience was and what potential impact my text would bring them. I believed simply aligning the tone with my chosen type sufficed.      Secondly, I brainstorm the contents of the text based on my chosen subject. I write carelessly without ...

  As a young teacher, I still consider myself as a learner. I would like to compare myself to a preschooler, filled with curiosity, and still fumbling with the classroom world. I am still familiarizing myself with the actual realm of teaching and learning. As I absorb new experiences, I admittedly make mistakes and am still in need of mentorship. Fortunately, my experienced co-teachers, who serve as my role models ensure me that I am not alone with my journey towards becoming a better educator. Relearning the foundations of education has helped me grasp a deeper understanding of the teaching-learning process. During my six months of teaching, my mistakes were due to my lack of confidence in my skills as a teacher. Seeing again the importance of understanding growth, development, and maturation, and the role of teachers has been enlightening. When I finally return to teaching after I finish this course, I feel positive that I will have acquired more skills to enhance my teaching m...

  Zen Shin, a Japanese Buddhist monk says “A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.” How inspiring is it that a flower focuses only on its growth and beauty without needing to compare with others to stand out? Flowers teach us a valuable lesson about embracing one’s own uniqueness and appreciating one’s own journey toward self-improvement rather than being consumed by comparison.             Flowers seem to understand the concept of individuality better than school systems. I grew up in a culture of the traditional school system where there is a heavy emphasis on competition and comparison. Underperforming students are grouped separately from the ones who excel. The practice of segregation felt like a punishment for not blooming well with the others. It undermined the students’ needs and different ways of learning. It harbors a feeling of isolation and inadequacy that can diminish the d...

  Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s “The Lie” is a short story that shows arrogance and entitlement of privileged people which was portrayed in the characters of the Remenzel family. Eli, the main character in the story hides the truth from his parents that he failed to pass the entrance examination; only to be revealed in the worst way possible. When the parents find out that their son was denied admission to the most prestigious school for boys where all his forefathers had gone, they had demanded the board to make an exception for him. The Remenzels are known for the many contributions to their school that had led to opportunities for the less privileged, at least according to Mrs. Remenzel. In the beginning of the book, they displayed prejudice towards the less fortunate and the ‘colored people’ but are then veered towards a revelation that would cause them shame. They are humbled when the chairman disagrees with their arrogance and commands.   Discussion:     ...

              “The Bet” is a short story written by Anton Chekhov in 1889. There are two main characters in the story: the banker and the lawyer. They had made a bet on one another after discussing whether capital punishment is better or worse than life imprisonment. The banker wagered two million that the lawyer will not last five years in prison. The lawyer took the bet and added ten more years in prison in order to prove that life imprisonment is better than death penalty. The lawyer would be locked away with strict supervision inside the banker’s lodge in his garden. The lawyer can request any kind and at any quantity of books, musical instruments, wine, and tobacco; however, he is strictly not allowed to communicate orally nor was he allowed to hear human voices. He can only communicate through writing outside of his cell.   Discussion:             The excer...

  Lockdown A swarm of magical sceneries had bedazzled Gregor’s mind at his first spoonful of his mother’s peanutful sweet corn maja blanca. The coldness was of vivid blue of the twilight sky above a calm pool that can cool his roasted skin in this hot of a summer weather. The flavor was savory milky heavens, the coconut milk and the condensed milk in it was blended perfectly just for him. The corn and crushed peanuts were scattered in a pattern of the bright dots in the sky he sees at night. His first bite was like no other bite he had before. The food had twirled elegantly inside his mouth, dancing from teeth to teeth as the taste buds of his tongue relished the grace of the flavor. When he swallowed his food, there was only one conclusion to all the story plots he had in his mind as he was eating. It was love. Gregor understood now why it tasted so perfectly that no expensive restaurant can compete with the pudding we ate that day. He felt the love in the hands of the person who ...

  Spirits Rebellious: In Marxist Critical Perspective by Kate Borlasa               “Spirits Rebellious,” a book written by Khalil Gibran, originally published in Arabic in 1908 contains three short stories entitled: Madame Rose Hanie, The Cry of the Graves, and Khalil the Heretic. The characters in these stories share the same fictional universe in the country of Lebanon where they struggle to attain financial and moral justice in their society. Gibran uses freethinking characters who break away from the oppressive social rules by following the “truth.” He conveys the messages and lessons in his book by discussing the concept of humility, justice, and the teaching of Christ as opposed to human laws and societal norms. This textual analysis of Spirits Rebellious will look on the Marxist elements depicted in the stories. Karl Marx’s theory discusses the concept of capitalism and how it causes division among the society:...