Reflection: My accidental class is actually right up my alley

     I have participated in multiple Honors courses prior to this once. So far, I have always had a positive experience. I was excited to register for this course since I love using literature to discover different viewpoints of the world. What I was not expecting, though, was the focus of this class. Never, in my entire life, did I think I would accidentally sign up for a class about dogs. And it turns out that that unexpected twist in my expectations turned out to be just what I needed.

    One thing I have noticed about this class is that it just sucks you right in. The readings, the concepts, the discussions are all fascinating and difficult to try to stop thinking about. I often find myself connecting the ideas I've learned in this course to ever little thing in my life. For example, I often see people walking their dogs while I'm at Quidditch practice. I automatically start thinking about how that dog might represent their owner and what their interaction means. I've even received a ball to my face because I was so distracted by my thoughts. A little strange, yes, but it's hard to miss these connections once you start noticing them.

    What has truly made this class valuable is the fact that I can relate what I learn to my personal life, interests, and career goals. Now, I'm able to see the impact of my interactions with dogs as a child and how those interactions reflect my own personality. I treated my grandpa's dog, Jasmine, as a life-long friend and as such it's easier for my to treat others with a similar attitude. I may not fully understand this other living being, and I may not always know how to act with them, but I can still care for them and try my best. 

    I am also obsessed with stories. I love exploring each unique element: the characters, the plot, the language, the imagery, the space between the words. Each part of a written story has this beautiful idea to it that we can understand on a deeper level. Through this class, I've learned how to explore another story element- the connection between dogs and people. For example, I remember that there is a dog called the Grimm in the Harry Potter series. Just like many people during the early days of the world, big black dogs were terrifying and often seen as evil and bad omens. However, other people had their own unique perspectives. Some saw it as a more tragic figure, a character who took all the blame and darkness upon themselves for others. Others say the Grimm as a loving character, one that looked intimidating at first glance but was actually a kind hearted creature. I love exploring this new train of thought and can't wait to ponder on it more with my research project.

    Finally, literature will be an everyday part of my future education career. Students will read and write and see these concepts often. By focusing on something they're likely familiar with, like a dog, I will be able to help my students gain a better understanding of what they're learning especially in relation to literature. How does color vision and color blindness work? Well let's look at a human's vision as compared to a dog's. Why did people rush to California during the Gold Rush? Well let's compare that to a hungry dog scouting the kitchen floor for a meal. And that's just looking at school topics in comparison to dogs, not to mention the discussions about dogs in books like Because of Winn Dixie and White Fang.

    In summary, I am glad that I took this class as it turns out that what I learn throughout this course will help me in many areas of my life.