Saturday, November 08, 2008

How Michael feels about sport

Write a reflective essay, I said to my class of not-very-academic 16-year-0lds, about something you're interested in. I want to feel your enthusiasm. Your personality should shine through. Try to make the reader see the fascination too. So if you're keen on sport, for instance..... [etc etc]

This is what I got.


How I feel about sport

When I was young, I loved playing football and watching it. My favourite football team was Manchester United. Whenever I watched them play I got really happy. I used to play football with my friends too. I wasn’t that good though.

I was a goalkeeper most times although I’ve been a defender, midfielder and striker. I was really rubbish as a midfielder. I let in goals when I was a goalkeeper. I really wanted to improve my goalkeeping because people got angry if I let a goal in. I did improve but I was still not good.

I hated midfielding because I didn’t have any skills and I wasn’t a fast runner. The ball always got taken off me. I wanted to improve my midfielding as well but couldn’t because I was just rubbish at it. I actually couldn’t stand being a midfielder.

Being a striker was a bit easier. I scored some goals. Defending was fine for me as well. I did really good defending. It was just that sometimes I didn’t do good defending if I had to play against really good footballers. I hated that but still tried and tried.

Whenever I got tired, I didn’t really make an effort, though. If I did, it wasn’t much of an effort. I would just stand back as a defender or a goalkeeper. I got really tired running. Sometimes I did work really hard to play good football but I was probably the worst in my team.

I’ve stopped playing because I can’t be bothered any more. I didn’t play for three months and then I played for a week and then that was it. I haven’t played since then. It’s now been nine months since I played. I don’t want to play it any more because I was simply rubbish and I can’t play football anyway. I hate it now. I just like watching it on tv but I don’t watch it that much now anyway because I get bored. Cricket is much better than football, watching it and playing it, because I’m better at it.

I hate playing tennis and volleyball because I’m rubbish at them. I quite like basketball. It’s an all right sport to play. I hated hockey really really much. I couldn’t play hockey at all. I was really bad at it. I only played hockey three times in my life. I never played after that because I couldn’t play it. I never played tennis because I didn’t want to play it. I just didn’t like table tennis. I thought it was boring. Snooker was fine but I was really bad at it. And I was scared playing rugby.

Yup, makes you want to get out there and play, doesn't it?

(Mind you, that's how I feel about most sports too.)




No, no! Not for cats!

20 comments:

  1. holla wuzup2 teacher..
    happy nice days..
    what happen your cat..

    see my blogs ok
    thank your

    http://mdaffandiinmyside.blogspot.com

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  2. After the child essay I would neither go out to practice any sports.

    You'll have to cheer up this boy.
    Hi from Spain

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  3. Personality shining through? Poor Michael is all I can say!

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  4. 'When I was young......'!!!!!!

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  5. Michael needs an enthusiasm injection for..... something.....anything! But since I was "rubbish" at hockey, I feel his pain....but I was awesome at lacrosse!
    Am I seeing things? Or did Thimbleanna really hand quilt that quilt for you? You do know what hand quilting means, don't you? It means she LOVES you!

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  6. I think he definitely got his point across.

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  7. LOL ... one of those moments when you know you've successfully communicated with your students. That's priceless Isabelle.

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  8. Yes, Molly, she did hand-quilt it (see her blog, http://thimbleanna.com/
    September 29th - sorry I don't know how to do the underlined "here" that people do). She used a bowl. And a lot of patience, I'm sure. Yes, I did realise that it means she's a very very very nice person! But I already knew this.

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  9. Am I a bad person for enjoying this essay?

    One of the things I appreciate is his self-honesty. He admits that he's "rubbish" at certain things.

    I hope some adult in his life with introduce him to stamp collecting, wood working, or some other enjoyable pursuit which doesn't involve balls or pucks.

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  10. Now Isabelle. You must have an open mind. He wrote about something he's really interesting in -- he's really interested in not being good at sport LOL!

    And Molly -- you are correct -- I do LOVE Isabelle and the lil' Life family! And I love seeing pics of the catlets with the quilt too. That first picture cracks me up -- he (she?) looks like he (she?) is studying the toe-grabber stitches!

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  11. I just love that it wan Anna that cat-sat for you. You are both so sweet... a good combo! I love the bows tied aroung the kitty and your daughter. You are clever, Isabelle. I'm so happy that a good time was had by all.
    ~Joni

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  12. How funny!

    I wonder what he DOES like doing?

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  13. Well, his personality shone through so I suppose he got that bit right!

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  14. Priceless! Laughed my way through this!

    He definitely has personality!

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  15. I had to laugh at your comment about our son sounding like your brother. The post card story does sound so much like our son!!

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  16. That sounds like a teen essay, explaining why he did not like sports in a ho hum sounding way, I am guessing it is too much effort on his part to participate.

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  18. I felt quite sad reading that, it felt like his life was on a huge downward spiral and the poor lad only 16.

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  19. Priceless! I had tears of mirth over this one :) Poor lad, I hope he likes music and art.
    Mind you, that's how I feel about most sports too! LOL
    ( So when I read your last sentence I really chuckled)
    I do like swimming though...but there's nowhere to swim around here. Phoey!

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  20. P.S. What? You're not sharing that gorgeous quilt with the catlets?? :)

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