Lollipops in AP English?

In one of my earlier blog entries, I asked, “Why is Ms. Serensky the way she is? Does she teach like her high school English teacher?” When Ms. Serensky mentioned that blog entry on the Blog Banter, she said that she would answer my questions in a special discussion before the end of the semester. My curiosity peaked and I eagerly a waited the day when I would learn about the origins of Ms. Serenesky’s methods of madness. Finally, the day arrived. As Hayden and I walked up the stairs from AP Probability and Statistics, I mentioned my excitement and anticipation for English class. My news to Hayden, who had apparently forgotten about the special discussion and who clearly had not waited weeks to hear Ms. Serensky’s stories, did “not thrill [her]. It produce[d] absolutely no vibrations” (Wilde 11). As I walked into English class later that day, I saw the desks in a condensed circle. I immediately sat down and, with a sigh of relief, put all my notebooks and my pens away in my backpack and stared at the clock, waiting for the bell to ring. After Ms. Serensky joined the circle of desks, she circulated a bag full of assorted lollipops. “This cannot be,” I thought to myself (Shakespeare 1.3.17). I could not believe that Ms. Serensky was actually distributing candy during class. The bag was slowly passed around the circle with happiness and excitement building as it traveled. Finally the bag reached my seat. I peered inside and noticed the assortment of lollipops. So many choices! As I indulged in the choices before me and as my peers became distracted as they unwrapped their lollipops, Ms. Serensky explained the purpose behind the candy. She gave us lollipops so that we would stick them in our mouths and therefore not be able to interrupt or talk during her story. She also had intended for the lollipops to keep us somewhat focused on the story, but clearly that had failed. I picked out my lollipop and tuned in. I could tell that “she knows the story” well and that she has told it many times (Lahiri 28). Immediately I recognized parallels between my journey through AP English and Ms. Serensky’s experiences in college English. Much like my response to my first AP English 11 essay, Ms. Serensky described her feelings of defeat, anger, and sadness after receiving her first graded paper in college. As she explained her eventual acceptance of struggle on this paper and recognized that with her marked up paper she could learn more and develop into a better writer, I became highly motivated. This motivation increased as Ms. Serensky detailed how her hard work and effort paid off as she finally received the recognition that she craved from her professor. From listening to her empowering story, I realized that there is much more to assignments and work than a grade. I realized I can use assignments as learning tools, to help me become a better writer and a smarter person. Ms. Serensky’s story also emphasized to me that with hard work and many years of dedication, I can achieve that to which I put my attention. The lessons I learned from Ms. Serensky’s story have helped me significantly to “battle” senioritis as, on my favorite day in AP English 12, I learned the true importance off knowledge and determination.