7 Things I’ve Learned in 8th Grade

Hey everyone! Emma here. Sorry about how inactive I’ve been. With the Student Blogging Challenge over, I haven’t been posting much. My class plans on participating in the Spring Challenge, so I’ll be posting weekly when that starts. Today in class, we were given the assignment to write a 7- 9- or 11-point listicle (odd numbers catch the attention of viewers) about what we learned in 8th grade.

  1. How to Art
    • In the past year, I’ve used my drawing tablet and computer more often than I used to. I’ve learned how to make clipping masks, use different shading and coloring techniques. I’ve also tried different mediums traditionally, like alcohol markers. I’ve really expanded my knowledge and skill in the art world.
  2. Pointe
    • Throughout 8th grade, I’ve gotten a lot stronger on pointe in ballet, and I’m a lot more comfortable than I used to be. There are a few things I’m not so good at quite yet (ex: I still cannot pirouette on pointe), but I’m getting better and am very excited for the spring recital, where I will perform my first dance on pointe.
  3. Broadway
    • I was introduced to the Broadway musicals Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical the summer before 8th grade. Throughout the year, I’ve been exposed to other musicals, such as Newsies, Beetlejuice and Mean Girls. I have been sucked very deep into the rabbit hole of musical theater. I also learned that Broadway merchandise is incredibly expensive (looking at you, $70 Hamilton hoodie).
  4. Random History Facts
    • This year, I’ve spent a lot of time scrolling through Pinterest, and along the way I’ve discovered some pretty ridiculous (and possibly untrue) facts about history. For example, did you know that Thomas Jefferson invented Macaroni and Cheese, and popularized the swivel chair? Also, Aaron Burr set himself on fire (twice!) when he tried to light a candle  with a gun. One of my personal favorites is that Peggy Schuyler once got an axe thrown at her head while she was saving a baby (that’s a long story, please ask me to elaborate!).
  5. Studying
    • This past year, I have learned a lot about studying. At my school, the 8th graders take Civics instead of History. Civics is one class that you must study for. You cannot be there, get the notes, and walk in on test day ready to talk your way through it. Whenever I have a test or quiz in Civics, I spend at least two days studying before it.
  6. Spirit Week
    • Over the past year, I’ve learned that my classmate Nature Nerd (check out her blog here) has the most colorful wardrobe of the entire grade. Nobody out spirit-week’s her. Need to wear yellow for spirit day? She’s got gold lipstick, eye shadow and blush, a yellow tutu, shirt, leggings and some yellow jewelry. Forgot to wear your blue? I’m sure she has some blue makeup on hand. Wait, we were supposed to wear green? Take her scarf! She’s got enough green to spare. It’s really fun to watch people try to beat her in the extreme sport of spirit-weeking!
  7. Writing
    • I’ve always had story ideas floating in my head, but I first really started writing in 4th grade. Over the past years, especially 8th grade, I’ve learned a lot about how to, as Jack Kelly puts it in Newsies, “write good.” I’ve started, restarted and deleted so many stories, and the one I’ve still stuck with has been edited, rewritten, and cringed at a lot over the past three years. I’ve learned how to write well, describe a setting or experience, and how to structure a story (plan, plan, PLAN), through Communications class, as well as trial and error.

Thanks for checking out my blog! I hope you enjoyed reading about what I’ve learned in 8th grade, and I hope you learned something, too! If you enjoyed it, I would love it if you left me a comment and a link to your blog so I can return the favor.

All About Me

All About Emma

Nine interesting facts about me!

 

  • I am a twin. I have an identical twin sister named Lily, who shares a lot of my interests. She’s my best friend and I get a lot of my ideas for stories, drawings, and animations from her. She even helped me name this blog!
  • I’m a dancer. I take dance classes three times a week, and have been for almost eleven years. I do ballet, jazz, and pointe. Don’t ask me to pick a favorite! I really enjoy different aspects of each style, but I really like learning choreography. It’s very difficult, but I love it and it’s really shaped who I am.
  • I’ve never been out of the country. I have never been out of the United States in my life, or been further west than Kentucky, for that matter. If I could travel anywhere out of the U.S., I would love to go to Greece, or to visit New York again.
  • I’m a huge book nerd and fangirl. I love reading and probably fangirl a little too much for my health. Right now I’m reading the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan, the Alex and Eliza trilogy by Melissa de la Cruz, and the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson.
  • I’m a writer. I love writing stories, and I have so many ideas I want to write about. I hope to get published when I’m older, if I can stick to an idea. I keep starting a story, getting bored of it, and dropping it. I’ve really only stuck with one (my first), and I’m even on hiatus from that. I shift interests quickly, and I can never seem to stick with one plot.
  • I’m an artist. I love drawing and art of any kind. I work digitally with my drawing tablet at home, and traditionally in a sketchbook, printer paper, the back of schoolwork, or any paper, really. Currently, I prefer digital drawing. The things you can do with layer styles and changing the opacity make it so much easier to, for example, make something look like it’s glowing. Not to mention line art is worlds easier with that undo button!
  • I’m an animator. …okay, not really. I would love to make animatics and animations, but I can never seem to finish one. Similarly to my writing, I loose interest and drop it. If I can ever finish one, I hope to make a YouTube channel in the future where I can post them, along with speedpaints.
  • I’m a big fan of Broadway musicals. I love Broadway (and other) musicals and am currently obsessed with the soundtracks of Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen, along with BeetlejuiceMean Girls, and Six, to name a few. If you find art on my blog (I promise you will), it’s probably fanart of a musical.
  • I’m an okay singer. I like to think I don’t sound like a dying animal when I sing. I’ve definitely improved my singing over the years, and my friends keep telling me I’m good, but I don’t know. I know for a fact that I’m not the best, but I really enjoy it. You can often find me in my bedroom, belting songs like “For Forever” from Dear Evan Hansen or “Heart of Stone” from Six. I really only sing show tunes.

 

Thanks for stopping by! Leave me a comment and a link to your blog so I can return the favor!