“Thank you for coming to my presentation of learning. I am an expert on my learning. I am also responsible and accountable for my 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 has been a lot, a lot of stress, reflection, strategizing and full of pride. I am proud of myself and how much I have grown and I know that grade 8 me would be shocked and amazed about the person I am today.  As I look back on the year, three success behaviours stand out: Communication and Collaboration, Self-regulation and Agency.

The Big Three:

 

Communication and collaboration:

with peers

As someone who understands the confusion of not knowing your role on a team, I strive to ensure everyone knows the game plan. This year the time where I had to play on my communication skills was during DI. Our teams were made up of two grade 10’s and four grade 9’s. As the grade 10s, we were the leaders of the groups, responsible for keeping things on track. Having clear communication and effective teamwork is crucial when doing DI. The more we progressed, I focused on making sure there was open communication within our group. Lucky for us we had minimal stress throughout the proccess.

Although DI might not be my favourite activity, it always pushes me in different ways. The ways I work in a team, how I present myself, and the ways I handle challenges. Overall I am proud of our journey. I can look back on the process and say that everyone’s ideas were heard and involved in our final result. That is what I love about working in teams, being able to look at what you created and see the areas were everyone came together.

Self Regulation:

Self Care – Identifies sources of stress and knows when to seek help from adults before stress or anxiety becomes overwhelming

I can handle my emotions, I don’t have a high temper and I can recognize when I am getting stressed. Being able to realize when I need to reassess my situation allows me to manage my workload more effectively. From experience, I have learned that trying to push through without taking breaks leads to confusion and mixed up thoughts.

One specific project that I was stressed about before we even started was the peas in a podcast project. I was very nervous because I hated hearing my voice and I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Recognizing that I was kind of overreacting, I talked to my mom about ideas for a good podcast which helped me settle down. Finally, the big realization hit me… oh my gosh my dad’s work has a whole recording set up my podcast’s going to be amazing.

When we finally started the project it became a whole different story. I had to navigate people’s schedules and the time frame of the project but I knew that I had a solid plan and with that, I could adapt with ease. I stayed optimistic and reassured myself that I would be able to get it done. In the end, I got 100% and I was very proud of myself. This project was a reminder to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations because once I can achieve that my work will keep getting better. 

If you want you can listen here!

 

Agency:

Seeks extra help when needed, Accepts feedback and makes revisions 

My goal for the past few years has been to attend more tutorials, ask clarifying questions and actively seek help when needed. This year I have stepped up my efforts, espically my tutorial game. I haven’t shyed away from going to tutorials, and the 30 minutes I have there have genuinely helped me. Even if I don’t finish an essay or wrap up a blog post during the tutorial, it gives me the time to pinpoint where I need to focus during class time.

I have become better at identifying my needs and seeking support from others based on that. This is particularly true for essay writing, it is always helpful to get another set of eyes to look over your work before you hand it in. There is always some value in receiving feedback on the flow of my sentences and suggestions on what I should add or take away. For instance, the Save Juno Beach humanities project involved a lot of writing essays, paragraphs etc. The feedback I got from my peers, teachers and parents significantly improved my work. They found my run-on sentences, the spelling mistakes I missed and if a sentence made absolutely no sense. Being able to seek help, take feedback gracefully and apply it to your work can make all the difference. 

Strategies and habits:

To keep moving forward positively I have developed stratgies and habits that are important to my success as a learner. The strategy that has been the most effective is mapping out what I need to get done. Whether it’s writing a schedule for my day or ordering the importance of projects to finish. This approach allows me to visualize how my day will look and plan accordingly.

My Goal:

Mainting Balance

At the start of the year in the project New Year, New Me we talked about the benefits of having a balanced life. Now, as we near the end of the year I have been reminded about the importance of maintaining that balance. As soon as I missed one blog post things started piling up and I found myself facing the most homework i’ve had all year in the last week of school. I felt very burnt out as the new week began. I lost the balance between my school work, social life and technology. I know that I am capable of managing my time and responsibilties to make sure I keep a healthy balance.

In the end this year has been a transformative journey and I am proud of the progress I have made. These “Big Three” success behaviours have helped me navigate challenges and also strengthened my ability to work effectively in teams, manage my emotions, and seek help when needed. I am committed to continuing my growth within maintaining balance in my life, and applying the strategies and habits that have proven effective into my grade 11 year.