#18: A Reflection, Of Sorts.

My Accomplishments

            One of the few assignments I am quite proud of is the archetype/fairy tale group presentation assignment from several weeks ago. This assignment specifically gives me a great deal of pride for a few reasons. Firstly, it is the culmination of the knowledge I had learned from group assignments until that point. My work relations with my group here were at an all time high. All that I had learned from the constant stream of B-pluses had been addressed. Secondly, the project gave me insight into the meanings of archetypes and just how common themes are perpetuated in every single story. It taught me that identification of the theme is key in analysis of any literary work. Lastly, this project had an analysis in which I was an integral part, as well as a creative tweet all my own. During my presentation, my analysis fell short of where I wanted it to be, and I focused too much on meaning and not enough on the topic sentence at hand. Though this was primarily for time-based reasons, this project also taught me the importance of being concise, yet deliberate with presentations. Despite this, however, this was definitely one of my best presentations in this class.

            Another assignment I took a great deal of pride in was our Independent American Drama Film Project. This was especially rewarding for a few reasons. First, I was able to pick a group of people whom I knew I could work well with, minimizing any challenge of the “forming” stage of development. In addition, the creativity aspect of the project appealed to me as an opportunity to transform some of the knowledge I had learned into a new format that was not limited to writing. In this way, I take pride in the creative liberties I allowed that conveyed the essence of the novel. For example, the framing device used that James and I came up with was perfect for the play itself, and contributed greatly to conveying the meaning of Six Degrees of Separation as a whole. Though the storyboards were off and we honestly could have been more professional about costumes, filming, and line memorization, the overall product is definitely one of my top physical achievements in this class.

My Class Involvement

            Holistically, the amount of work I put into AP English is entirely proportional to my grade. I generally prioritize AP English over many of my other classes, and I always do my best to read, annotate, and complete work assigned. I consistently am self-motivated to do the work assigned (my parents definitely do not nag me to do work) and for that reason, I am intent on improving my grade in the class and working to get a 4 or 5 on the AP exam. Being proactive in this regard, I often took point on group presentations, starting and completing my parts of the presentation early, then moving on to ensure our proper analysis. I would also help other group members when required. Another mark of this self-motivation comes in the fact that I enjoy helping my peers by reading their papers and thesis statements. It helps me to apply what I’ve learned to both assist others and strengthen my own skill in the subject matter. In these aspects, I would consider myself very involved.

On the contrary, though I know that it is in no way an excuse, with all of my other AP classes and over-involvement in extracurricular activities, I often found myself lacking time. I would be lying to you if I said that there were not late nights at 2am when it came down to reading/annotating a foster chapter versus getting an extra hour of sleep. Though I have regrettably skipped homework once in a while, I was generally successful in making it up within days following these infractions. In this regard, I would consider my participation slightly lacking. In addition, I, like many others, am guilty of occasional bouts of laziness. When I write a paper, I realize instances where I can better incorporate a quote, better word a phrase, or better perpetuate an argument. I unfortunately do not improve where there is room to improve, out of the blight of laziness more than anything else. Though this does not happen often, it (along with the other examples above) reaffirms my original claim that my grade in this class is reflective of the amount of work I put into it.

My Goals: Where are we now?

            First and foremost, I believed that the goals I set forth for myself were good ones. I still do, as they were doable and measurable. The first one I want to address is that of becoming a better test taker. I was able to achieve this by trimester’s end. I learned, both through this class and AP Physics, the importance of time when it comes to testing. I learned and utilized test-taking strategies like narrowing options and understanding when the time simply wasn’t worth answering the question. Though I did not do the ACT/SAT reading practices I had consigned myself to do, I did focus hard in studying for tests like the Unit 1 test we took many weeks ago. With the opportunity for test corrections, I made note of the mistakes I made and the vocabulary I needed help with. Following corrections, I did the necessary research and learned the terms. In my mind, I took this one step further and progressed my application of these terms in my writing and analysis. I was able to do this much before the deadline I set of the first paper by incorporating them into the literary analysis group presentations. More often than not, I learned and applied more than two devices per presentation, meeting my time-stamped goal.

            That being said, I utilized only one “new” device in my first paper, so take this application with a grain of salt. Unfortunately this, along with other goals, was not met. With how busy I was this past trimester (again, my own fault) I was hardly ever able to pick up a book for pleasure. The one book I started was Ernest Becker’s The Denial of Death. Though the first 25 pages have been thoroughly fascinating, I regret my lack of resolve and time to read to improve my comprehension of texts. The only saving grace is my actual annotation, though in a work of nonfiction prose like this, I’m not quite sure how much complexity and figurative language exists. So, in retrospect, I would consider two-thirds of my goals successes, and the last third a work in progress. Overall, I’m happy with the improvement in my performance in this class, one that has been rising while other classes have been falling. AP Literature this trimester began as a bit of a nightmare for me, but it transformed into a class that has taught me how to think differently and understand things more deeply. I can honestly say that I enjoy coming to class most days, and am glad I chose to take this course.