Wow, can you believe it? Only a few more days left of Grade 10!
As I look back on this incredible year, I’m amazed at how much I’ve grown both as a learner and as a person. The PLP Success Behaviours have truly prepared me for the exciting challenges of Grade 11. Let’s dive into my year in review!
But first, the TPOL declaration:
« Thank you for coming to my presentation of learning. I am the expert on my own learning. I am also responsible and accountable for my own learning. You can expect me to give an honest evaluation of my progress. We will discuss my strengths and opportunities for growth. Thank you in advance for listening and for offering feedback that I can use to improve as a learner. »
This year, we’ve been focusing on the PLP Success Behaviours—essential actions and attitudes that drive our success. Today, I’ll highlight the three that best illustrate my learning journey: agency, communication & collaboration, and self-regulation.
Agency
This year, I’ve consistently demonstrated my commitment to delivering exceptional work on every assignment. I actively seek clarification and guidance from teachers and peers to refine and elevate my projects, embodying a mindset of continuous improvement. Embracing this approach, I eagerly welcome revisions to ensure my work consistently meets the highest standards of quality.
One example of when I took charge of my learning was during the composition of my WWII essay. I attended several tutorials to ensure I was on the right track and would meet the deadline. I accepted feedback from peers, teachers, and my parents through multiple rounds of revision.
The final product is something I’m very proud of—a strong piece of writing that reflects the significant effort I put into it.
Another example was a more recent humanities project called Cray Cray Yay Yay. In this project, my two group members and I had to create a PechaKucha presentation about why it takes a crazy person to change the world, focusing on philanthropy. Throughout the project, we constantly made revisions. We improved our script for better content, adjusted the presentation slides for consistency and originality, and added or removed information to perfectly time our presentation. In a PechaKucha, the 20 slides automatically change every 20 seconds, even if you aren’t done talking. We practiced our presentation several times, twice in front of the class where we accepted feedback from our peers. My team persevered through the challenges and delivered an entertaining PechaKucha on presentation night.
Communication & Collaboration
This year, I’ve significantly improved my communication and collaboration skills. By working on various projects, I learned how to effectively team up with others to achieve our goals and create outstanding work.
In Destination Imagination, I embraced a leadership role to ensure my team’s success. With a tight deadline and a heavy workload, I made sure everyone had a role and could contribute meaningfully. I took on extra responsibilities like filling out necessary forms and expense reports, enhancing our script, creating last-minute props, and ensuring all tasks were completed. I am incredibly proud of what my team accomplished, and I cherished the entire process, the ups and the downs. The challenges we faced only strengthened our bond and resilience. I also learned the importance of being an adaptable team member, regardless of the project or team. Our perseverance and flexibility paid off—we achieved 1st place at Destination Imagination Provincials.
One of my biggest takeaways from participating in so many group projects this year is the ability to utilize the different strengths of my team members. The amazing thing about teams is that we can compensate for each other’s weaknesses and collectively achieve excellence.
I never really got to showcase the podcast project we did in October! Making a podcast was a new and exciting experience for me! Although our project was rushed, I learned a lot in a few weeks. Reflecting on my final product, I see areas where I could have improved, like having more time for additional episodes and refining the editing process for smoother transitions and balanced sound effects. Despite these challenges, I loved the podcast project because it allowed me to unleash my creativity through storytelling, engaging discussions, and insightful interviews. It was a valuable opportunity that helped me develop my communication skills by learning to articulate ideas clearly and connect meaningfully with my audience. Give it a listen!
Self regulation
Focus. Balance. Self-Care.
These are three things I strive for but have struggled to consistently achieve this year. Balancing school, sports, friends, and life has been a significant challenge for me. As someone who loves sports and has several commitments outside of school, my schedule is always packed. Despite my best efforts to stay focused at school, I often find myself overwhelmed with the sheer volume of PLP homework and assignments from other classes.
This semester was particularly demanding, as I juggled science, math, humanities, and careers all at once. The constant workload left me feeling stretched thin. There were many moments when I missed deadlines due to my various commitments. On several occasions, I had to sacrifice going to practice to finish my work and ensure I got a reasonable amount of sleep. Just when I thought I was catching up, a three-day absence for outdoor school counselling would set me back again, leaving me to scramble to catch up on missed work.
Strategies That Have Helped Me:
One of the most effective tools I’ve found for organizing myself is the app “Things.” It has been invaluable in tracking everything I need to get done and prioritizing my tasks. By breaking down my workload into manageable chunks and tackling them one by one, I’ve been able to stay more on top of my responsibilities.
As I head into my intense and important grade 11 year, I know that managing my time effectively is crucial. Time management has never been my strong suit, partly because I often feel like I don’t have enough time. At the start of this year, I experimented with time-blocking my calendar to better understand my daily schedule. Although it takes some effort to set up, I found it to be incredibly helpful. I plan to return to this method for grade 11 to ensure I stay organized and balanced.
While this year has been challenging, I’ve learned a lot about the importance of self-regulation. By continuing to refine my strategies and tools for managing my time, I hope to achieve better balance and focus in the coming year. This will improve my overall well being and levels of happiness.
Taking charge of my learning, knowing when to seek guidance, and refining my work have empowered me. I’ve learned the importance of collaboration and the satisfaction of creating work that reflects my best effort. Though I still have room to improve, especially in self-regulation, our recent careers project has reminded me of how much I’ve achieved this year and that I have a lot to be proud of.
Why do I feel the PLP Success Behaviours have prepared me to advance to grade 11?
I’ve proven to myself that with determination and perseverance, I can overcome any challenge. The Success Behaviours have provided me with a strong foundation and invaluable tools for meeting higher academic expectations and navigating life’s complexities. I am extremely grateful for the experiences, laughter, and friendships forged this year, which have enriched my learning immeasurably. Looking ahead, I eagerly anticipate the adventures and challenges of grade 11, along with another exciting PLP field study. For now, I eagerly anticipate a well-deserved summer break.
Thank you for reading or listening to my TPOL! Any questions?