I Know That I Have Grown as a Learner, But How?

Quarter three has challenged me in many different ways.  I have learned that I have to prioritise different subjects.  By way of example, I know that humanities is not necessarily a struggle, while math definitely is.  This is not to say that I should not apply myself as much, but just balance out my efforts.  For quarter four, I will focus on being prepared by taking in-class notes, studying off of extra resources and making sure that my knowledge of each unit is solidified.  

How have I grown as a student?

Artifact: Musical Successes

I used to think of band as a class that I was not very good in.  In quarter two, I struggled with certain SmartMusic assignments which did not exactly lift my spirits.  Now, I know that practice completely pays off.  In band, I have sincerely tried hard to become a better student in band.  I have seen my improvement reflected through the fact that I received either first or second trombone on the pieces in the second semester concert repertoire.  

What have I struggled with the past that I still need to work on?

Subject: Math

I used to think that my learning was not reflecting on certain assignments, although now I know that I just have to put even more effort into math when studying in order to improve my learning. I will put more time into math then before so that I can succeed in this class.

What am I truly proud of? Successful?

Link to Artifact: Now Would I Live in The Community?

I used to think that a seven was nearly unattainable on certain assignments and that it was a complete challenge. Now I know that I can achieve a seven on all assignments. It just requires time and effort, as well as looking over work with a (very) critical eye.

If anything, this past quarter has helped me grow as a learner.  In quick, I know now to prioritise my "challenge subjects," but, at the same time put an equal amount of effort into the subjects that I am stronger in.    

How Can I Be Better?

In Community Time, we have been thinking of SMART goals.  SMART is an achronym that helps you set goals that are more successful.  S means simple, M means meaningful, A means actions, R means realistic and T means track.  I will be sharing two goals, one academic, one non academic.
My academic goal is to get grades that are 5-7.  (7 is the highest achievable grade for our grading system)  I think that this is simple if I apply myself, so I will study harder this year.  This goal is extremly meaningful to me, because I feel like my grade is a reflection of part of me.  I want to be able to feel better about my school life because last year, there were some days that I did not feel too self confiedent.  In terms of actions, I will try to carve out at least an hour devoted to studying and working (not on homework) on what I need help with.  I think that this goal is fairly realistic, as long as I strive for more.  To track, every week, I will check on my grades to see how I am doing on certain assignments.
For my non academic goal, I would like to jump 80 centimeters in a horseback riding competition and get at least third place.  I think that this goal is not too simple, but I think I will be able to do it.  It is meaningful to me.  Horseback riding is something I really enjoy doing and I want to be better at it.  As for actions, I will work very hard in lessons and take into account what my instructor is telling me to do, and use it to improve.  Also, after every 3 lessons, I will ask my instructor what I am doing wrong or what I can do better.  I think that this goal is realistic, as long as I keep at it.  To track, I will ask my dad to video tape parts of my lessons when I am doing something right or wrong and have him show me so I can improve.

I look forward to a great year and a fresh start!

General Reflections

I have shown the most success in being innovative.  I think that since I am more of a visual thinker, being innovative is something that is easier for me. One artifact that our Lab Safety Video for science.  We were innovative because in our video, we named the tools and then we had an act out of how and why you would use certain tools, but we added humor so it would be fun to watch and easy to understand.
I think that I have become more of a critical thinker because I have had more opportunities to show my thinking in subjects like science, math and humanities.  I think that this core value will continue being a core value I succeed in.  I think so because, for example, in humanities in book clubs, when we ask/answer a question, we need to use textual evidence and pull out the important parts. I think that the literature circle homework forms best showed my growth as a critical thinker.  I think so because it shows that I was able to find deep questions and support them.
I think that being a risk-taker is challenging because sometimes I have trouble communicating my ideas so that I take it to the next level and make my assignment exceed expectations. I think that my apostila from Sao Luiz do Paraitinga best shows that.  I think so because it shows that I covered what was easy for me, but what was hard was just on the surface. My goals are to try and exceed what the expectations were, so that I can find out my strengths and weaknesses are when it comes to projects.