Blog 16: Literature Response to “Elliptical”

I decided that I am going to fill out the blanks of “Elliptical” based on a couple of high school classes that I am a teacher’s assistant for.

“They just can’t seem to” focus on classwork for more than ten minutes. “They should try harder to” achieve success in the class and their future. “They ought to be more” attentive and encouraged to do well. “We all wish they weren’t so” talkative and social with each other. “They never” get much work completed or finalized. “They always” have homework, when they have plenty of time at school to do their work. “Sometimes they” pull out their phones and go on social media platforms. “Once in a while they” get so loud that the mostly laid-back teacher has to remind them to do schoolwork. “However it is obvious that they” don’t have much respect for the teacher and their own grade. “Their overall tendency has been” to prioritize sociability over academic achievement. “The consequences of which have been” a class grade average of about 60%. “They don’t appear to understand that” if they fail, they have to retake the class over the summer. “If only they would make an effort to” ignore tendencies and distractions that inevitably become bad habits. “But we know how difficult it is for them to” change who they are or ow they think. “Many of them remain unaware of” the void in their life after they graduate high school. “Some who should know better simply refuse to” because of peer pressure. “Of course, their perspective has been limited by” classroom rules and etiquette. “On the other hand, they obviously feel entitled to” control the environment in the classroom all by themselves. “Certainly we can’t forget that they” have six other classes crammed into one school day. “Nor can it be denied that they” are freshman in a high school made up of 1,268 unique students. “We know that this has had an enormous impact on their” attitude towards their role in the large school. “Nevertheless their behavior strikes us as” childish and ignorant. “Our interactions unfortunately have been” non-existent and sometimes frustrating.