To say that this year has been a journey would be an understatement.
From my very incomplete book about the manhattan project, to our poetry performances at our Star Wars exhibition, to the field study that I didn’t attend thinking that I would be going on the second one. To coronavirus happening and canceling school for three months, to our deep south field study being cancelled, to the serious outcry of racial injustices lately that coincidentally ties in with our current unit, and to our incredible Macbeth film that was cut short because of a series of unfortunate events. The list goes on…
Now, from the start of this presentation/blog post you might be thinking that I am just going to be talking about all of the bad things that happened this year. When really, I believe that this year has made me mentally stronger and shaped me into a better person. Not all by myself of course, but through PLP and the teachers that keep it going.
Habits
For real though, I feel like have grown so much this year, mentally and physically. First off, PGP has really helped me with my habits. Especially in quarantine. I found myself scheduling out my days, stacking my habits, and staying fit. Which is what my goal in PGP actually was. Atomic habits was the nugget of gold that I needed to help me get through these past few months. I believe that it really helped me stay sane.
I like to think Atomic habits is the glue holding my life together right now, and I think I demonstrated that pretty well in my three part podcast series I made for my PGP artifact. Which leads my into my favourite piece of work I have completed this year.
Creation
Now, in my opinion, my favourite piece of work from this year definitely has to be my work on our Macbeth film. Operating the camera was really something a took a lot of pride in and I felt like I was really dedicated to it during the work on the film. Although it wasn’t completed, I still felt really proud of what I had done and felt like I definitely did my part during that project. I attended pretty much all of the shoots, did exactly what the producers asked, and also gave my creative vision on set as well.
When we are talking about actually completed work though, I really think I did a great job on my podcast series for PGP. The main reason I chose the podcast format for this three part project was mostly because of my interest and experience in audio, music, and vocals. I think this really ties into my MPoL post because I talked about utilizing my interests in projects to make them better and more personalized, this is definitely something I felt like I accomplished this year and I think it is well demonstrated in both the Macbeth film and my PGP podcasts.
One last thing I am proud about is my James Clear blog, blog post. I felt like I did a really good job on explaining my thoughts, but I wont be the judge of that… Go read it yourself!
Engagement
I think for our current unit in PLP I have been really working hard to bring up more controversial topics and actually have a discussion started. I feel like I have pretty involved lately in our “We Shall Overcome” unit, especially in our zoom calls with the class and in our groups, and I am hoping to really have a meaningful and intelligent symposium next week.
Work Habits
In my MPoL post I talked about upping my “work habits” in my report card. I believe with the amount I have been involved in PLP lately and the work I have been completing, I will be able to have a “good” in the work habits section for this report card.
Strategies
One of the things that I talked about in my MPoL post that I feel like I have not lived up to is the “Timing My Homework” part. I don’t know if it was because of quarantine or what but I honestly completely forgot about this strategy, I am hoping to use it in some way shape or form next year.
In Conclusion
I feel like I am ready to advance into the next grade level because I have taken the steps to grow as a learner, and as a human being. I believe that I am set up for academic success in the next grade. I am also confident that I will stay motivated and driven to complete solid, engaging, and meaningful work. I will also continue to use the things I have learned in PGP this year to keep me sane, motivated, and organized. With all of these things in mind I know that I will be prepared for whatever comes my way in September.