Intro 

wow, this year has really flown by! From crazy D.I days to days where it almost felt too calm… this year was lots of fun. I’m here to give an end of year post, better known as “t-pol” before I go M.I.A all summer, so her it goes!

Cult speech 

“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.

My growth as a learner

This year I have grow in all my classes, but I’ve also brought this growth outside of school. I learned some new skills but I also, (and most importantly) continued to work and grow on previous ones. The first course I’d like to talk about is Humanities.

Humanities 

Throughout this year in humanities we went through many projects, and as this year has progressed I think I’ve shown lots of growth. A good example of this was the project that is just wrapping up right now, comic quest ww1! At the start of this project we were warned that the work for the comic book would pile up quickly and to finish it in time, we would need to stay on task at every opportunity. I really enjoy art, which is why I’ve found this project so enjoyable, however, i’m NOT fast at drawing which is something. I can accept. Instead of trying to change that i came face to face with it and found ways to problem solve. I knew from the very start I needed to stay on task, otherwise known as LOCKING IN!!! Working in class used to be a lot harder than working at home, because of distractions, and it was just hard to get in the right head space. We were given many class days to just work (thank god) so whenever these came up, i made sure I utilized them. By listening to music  or my trusty audio book I was able to blog out distractions. Another way I locked in was having a plan before going to class. For example, I would have the idea for a panel decided before showing up, so I didn’t waste unnecessary time. My work ethic and motivation is what has helped me throughout this year, and I’m confident I can continue that work and mindset next year.

Science 

I’ve had a lot of fun with science this year but I do have a project that stood out to me in particular. “Don’t worry BEE happy” was the name of our pollination project that was ALSO our spring exhibition. I really like animals and learning more about them, which is one of reasons I liked this project so much. Another reason I enjoyed it so much was that we were given the opportunity to educate the public on pollinators, (my group was hummingbirds) There were so many aspects that went into the final product at the spring exhibition, and it really was a team effort! My group all worked pretty well together, but in the future I think our communication could be a bit better so there was no confusion in whose doing what. Furthermore, I think i’ve gotten pretty good at helping manage the workload. I always do my part, but I’ve been striving to go beyond what is expected of me, staying open to do some extra things to help out. For example, I contributed lots of drawings for our food web, helping out other group members since it was something I knew I could handle. Overall, I’m proud of how my group worked together, presented and balanced research, letting everyone contribute and do their part.

 

 

 

 

Maker 

I wanted to talk about the 7 habits project for maker because they’ve been very helpful to me this year even though I didn’t think so at first. After reading the book I started to apply some of the 7 habits to my life and it’s made such a big difference! For example, beginning with the end in mind., that means having goals and a clear vision of what you want. I used this habit in the ww1 comic book project, and I’d like to think it was a large to contributor to my success. this is just one example of how Sean Coveys book has helped me grow and even though there were some parts of the book I didn’t enjoy as much as others, the idea of the 7 habits as a whole are very important.

 Vision Mission and Values

 

 

Success 

One of my biggest successes this school year has been showing resilience en persistence when met with challenges and setbacks. When something unexpected happened I didn’t fixate on it, letting it get the best of me. Instead I just looked for a solution rather than dwelling on whatever happened, even if the situation isn’t ideal.

Another success that I’ve gotten much better at is managing distractions. At the beginning of this year there were times when I struggled with staying focussed and got wrapped up in conversation, and even though I do slip up from time to time, I’ve learned how to recognize when I need a break and I’ve created better boundaries to help me stay on task.

Stretches 

Even with that growth there are still areas  I want to work on. For example, I still sometimes struggle with overworking myself. I’ve made progress in setting realistic goals and being okay with taking breaks but I want to keep improving on that next year.

Another stretch has been staying consistent with healthy routines like going to bed early. I made progress, but it wasn’t always easy to maintain, especially when school got busy. Next year, I want to build stronger routines so I’m not depending on last-minute motivation.

My response to the driving question

The driving question is “why do I feel I am ready to advance to the next grade level” 

 I feel ready to move to the next grade because I’ve learned to manage distractions, stay focused, and bounce back from challenges. I’ve worked on balancing my mental health with school, and even though I still have things to improve, I know how to keep growing

Thank you for being part of this process and for supporting my growth as a learner.