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The Weirdest Year of My Life – tPOL 2020

The Weirdest Year of My Life – tPOL 2020

This year has by far been the weirdest year of my life. Spring break decided not to end this year and because of that, we’ve all had to adjust to a remote way of learning. I started this year off with high hopes. In October we travelled to Albuquerque. Three or so weeks later I ran away to sunny Cambodia with the circus and in January I was off to freezing cold Montreal for yet another circus-related event. Fast forward to the end of spring break and I’m spending all my time inside with little social interaction due to COVID-19. Not exactly the year I thought I was going to have. All in all, this year has been a time of unforgettable experiences.

Reflecting back on the year, there is one thing that stands out to me most and that is the amount of collaborative work I’ve done this year. In December the whole class worked together to create our version of the cantina from star wars; with a little beat poetry flair. To give you guys a bit of an inside scoop, my friends and I were just talking about how proud we were of that room a couple days ago.

To kick off the new year, the most daunting project was announced to us. In just two months the whole class would be working together to create a film that took the story of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and put a 50s twist on it.

When I was given the role of screenwriter I was overwhelmed with excitement and anxiety. I had always wanted to see something I write, become a reality and this was the chance. However, at the same time, there was a lot riding on the quality of the script. Working with the other key creatives and having logan as my script editor made the whole process a breeze. I was really proud of myself for taking on such an integral position. In the beginning, it was out of my comfort zone but I soon became comfortable when sharing my script drafts with the rest of the class. I worked really hard on solidifying the story and being open to feedback was defiantly one of my strengths during the process. I have so many drafts saved to my desktop that its kind of insane.

The best part about working in a team where you control one specific thing is seeing your talents shine. My ideas didn’t get lost like they could in a small group project, instead, I got to be my own boss. Besides all-mighty producer Alivia who was my boss.

I think the teachers were a little skeptical about attempting this project with another grade level, especially since they were going away during our filming time. In the end, it was nothing to worry about. I think our class did an exceptional job and we absolutely would have finished the project if schools hadn’t been shut down. I’m so proud of the work I did on this Macbeth film and I believe that my efforts could be seen in the final product. I would not hesitate to share this project with the world. In fact, I was talking about it to someone I know who was interested in seeing it when it was done!

I have to say that I’ve really been enjoying the We Shall Overcome unit. It’s unfortunate to say that the topic of the civil rights movement is not yet history. However, I am thankful to have teachers who push us to educate ourselves on events of the past so that we can become better people in the future.

For those that don’t know, the final project for the unit is a group symposium. A moderator is required to lead the discussion and I was chosen by my group for the role! As the moderator, I’m not only leading the conversation but I’ve also been in charge of moderating our work sessions. I think my ability to wrangle a group of people really comes in handy here. I’ve always been good at getting people together and keeping them on task even when they are are people who are known to clash.

If there is one thing I’ve learned from this project, it’s that I’m not always the best at remembering what tasks need to get done. One thing I admire about Emily is her ability to organize tasks that need to get done. It’s helped our team stay on track and I plan to work on that skill in the future. I believe it is a skill I can easily adopt by simply keeping notes of everything that’s going on in a project.

In some way, the COVID pandemic has made me realize how valuable going to physical school is. At first, it was exciting, not having to go to school. All of a sudden the tables had been turned. However, I soon realized how bleak schoolwork can get when you’re all alone in your bedroom. Without that classroom atmosphere and good friends around to lift your spirits, it’s easy to lose motivation.

In the beginning, homework was manageable. It was a slow start with classes and some teachers were ready to go before others. As the weeks progressed I stopped exercising and I wasn’t able to see my friends. Before long I found myself unable to do the homework I was supposed to be doing. If there is one thing I found frustrating about PLP work, it’s that everything felt like business as usual and at times I felt like things were too self-guided. In a time like this, I craved a sense of routine, something to stick to. Normally I would have thought of the Think and Create posts as a creative challenge but instead, they felt like an impossible task. How was I supposed to think up something completely unique to myself when I was already trying to understand and control the brain that was causing me such grief?

PLP work felt the same but I could tell the teachers had changed. They aware of how difficult things were for me and super accommodating. I hold myself to a pretty high standard so it wasn’t easy to admit that I wouldn’t be completing the last few assignments. In the end, I was probably more disappointed in myself than the teachers might have been.

The most valuable thing I learned this year is how lucky I am to be able to go to school and have supportive teachers and friends around. I learned a lot about myself and how I react to remote learning and I value school a lot more because of it. Next year is going to be like stepping into the unknown. I know it won’t be easy and there will be times when I fall but knowing what I know about myself now has prepared me for whatever lies ahead.

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