This year my thoughts and confidence in English have varied greatly depending on the topic and the task. English has always been an area I struggle in as I can’t always comprehend very well and I get confused easily. I find this subject especially difficult as I prefer and am better at practical learning. In English this year we have focussed on a variety of topics including analysis of a current affairs segment, creation of current affairs segment, short story analysis, creation of a short story, novel analysis, poetry analysis, poetry anthology and soon a Shakespearean production of midsummer nights dream. I have been challenged in English this year and have found some aspects particularly difficult.

Confidence

My confidence in English has never been great as it is not my strongest subject. This year it still isn’t great however some of the practical tasks or out of class tasks I have felt better about. This is mainly because English is a comprehension based subject which I struggle with. Through some of our novel studies assessments I felt more confident as I was well prepared and it was something that I understood better. During our poetry anthology I also felt more confident as I have always enjoyed writing poetry. I understand it and there is a formula to write each type of poem. During our short story analysis I was not very confident due to the fact I didn’t understand it the best and what was required of me. I find it difficult to explain my thoughts resulting in my low confidence in English.

Marks

I feel that my marks in English this year have reflected my understanding of the topic we focused on. If I understood the topic I would usually try harder and resulting in my grade being better. If I was confused on the content, the assessment or what was required of me I usually didn’t do as well or try as much. As English isn’t my favourite subject I am not as motivated which I feel is shown through my grades. I procrastinate about tests and just doing them. This will usually result in me not completing the study required and not performing the best of my ability.   

Participation

My participation in class this year started well. I was participating in class which resulted in my understanding growing. However as the year went on my participation in class discussions has lowered as the topics changed. This resulted in my understanding of these topics to decrease. My involvement in class discussions allows my understanding, confidence and marks to grow and flourish. 

Collaboration

There have been few opportunities to collaborate in English this year. Once was when we were creating our current affairs segment. The only other time is now performing the  midsummer nights dream play. When creating our current affairs segment we had to collaborate when coming up with our ideas for the segment and giving out roles between acting, filming and editing. My group consisted of two others who I was friends with. That resulted in us being able to work well together however not all roles were split evenly. For example I took any roles the other two didn’t want to do leading to me doing a fair amount of it. Including all of the editing, some acting and some filming.  I have enjoyed working with my peers in these collaborative tasks and continue to improve my collaboration skills.

Learner Agency

Learner agency is about shifting the ownership of learning from the teachers to the students. It allows the students to have choices in their learning model. This year we have had many occasions to take control of our learning. We had many opportunities throughout the year to be proactive, take ownership of our learning and have a voice toward our learning. We had the ability to collaborate with our teachers allowing both the student and the teacher to benefit.

Organisation

Organisation is a skill that varies in ability for me. This is because I find it difficult to become and stay motivated. This means that if I am unmotivated I usually am not very organised. I become extremely forgetful and unenthusiastic towards the topic. When I am enjoying a topic I rarely forgot things and tend to take more notes and study better.

Goals for 2023

• Improve my grades
• Take more notes
• Study better