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Work Hard Play Hard
My work this quarter has been average. To me, the word average means up to par, consistent with standard, and mediocre. I am not proud to call my work average. I don't see average as exemplary or praise-worthy. I constantly strive to put my best effort in everything I do, but in English this year, it is not evident. It is difficult for me to keep up, with much work in other classes and the work in English. I feel that my grade in this class reflects my effort, yet that my effort is still not enough. On many of the blog posts, I often found myself receiving B's, so I believe I began getting intimidated by blogs.
Successes...
My greatest success in English class this quarter has been in the discussions about books. For example, the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sheet was difficult for me to complete. I often found myself both confused and irritated by filling out an entire sheet, even though it was not an excessive amount of work. I think it is harder for me to write out my thoughts on a guided worksheet; I am better at expressing myself when I am free and can take a conversation various ways. Using the internet discussion was great because I could communicate my thoughts with everyone in the class, and I could form my own ideas off of theirs. I also enjoyed discussing using my voice, which I did for both of the Frankenstein sections. I found that discussing came easier to me when I was speaking. I'm the type of person who likes calling more than texting. I find it is easier to discuss something when you're speaking face to face, not when you're typing on a keyboard through a screen.
...and Failures
My greatest challenge in English class this quarter has been writing my blogs. It is difficult for me to prioritize what is important and what isn't. I also feel as if I don't make my blogs personal, and I think they sound forced. I try to write in a more relatable manner, yet I believe I am still doing something wrong. In the past, I have written more essays and done more formal writing. Typing using more sophisticated vocabulary used to be very common for me, but on blogs I'm supposed to make sure everything is understandable to the reader (basically, anyone). On my first blog, I did not understand a lot of the assignment. I completely cited all my sources incorrectly, I didn't know how to separate my paragraphs into headers, and more. On blogs, I normally receive a mean score of an 83. I believe that if I continue outlining my thoughts and writing more blogs, I will improve in the future. I simply have to keep trying and striving to succeed.
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Improvements for the Future
Speaking of improving my work in the future, I will outline my work and finish my work ahead of time. When writing blogs I scored poorly on, such as the Kraken blog, I did not have a plan for my writing. My writing was very unorganized and confusing. When I wrote the outline for the position paper, I found it was so much easier to do the hard part (outlining) before drafting. I also believe I need to get my work done ahead from now on. It was so much easier for me to write the English position paper. Other assignments we did, like some blogs and SCOUT sheets, felt very rushed. I will offer myself more time to understand the assignment before I do it, and I will also not procrastinate. I understand the value of living and learning after English class, because I am trying new things, venturing out of my comfort zone, and learning.