WORD TO THE WISE: Sage Advice from the Class of 2021 to a NEW Generation!

 

Well, it is hard to believe, but we have closed yet another year at Odyssey.  After a rollercoaster ride of a year, the Class of 2021 managed to finish their senior year sitting for DP exams, returning to an in-person option to be with their friends, and yes, they even were able to attend a very fancy Masquerade Ball themed Prom!  As they are gearing up right now for a traditional graduation ceremony, we are getting prepared for summer assessments, and a new year of DP Literature and Language analysis!

This is a surreal goodbye for me.  Honestly? It is the last class to have one of my own children as part of the mix.  Next year, there will be no more "Caraway" kids on campus.  But it is also a tough goodbye because we have been through so many ups and downs through a difficult ending of their junior year and the beginning of their senior year.  While it managed to come together in the end, it has been a bumpy ride to get us all there, and it has certainly managed to bring this class closer together. They have, no doubt, learned a great deal over these past four-plus years; not just academically, mind you, but also in the realms of life skills and cultivating and nurturing relationships, through all the trials and tribulations.

Class of 2021, it is for this reason that great reflection is in order; a reflection that can help our next generation of upperclassmen--juniors and seniors--as they navigate through unfamiliar and uncertain waters and build upon their knowledge as IB scholars.  Please know I will ALWAYS and FOREVER be in your corner, cheering you on, through all of life's challenges and celebrations!  LOTS of love, gratitude, prayer, and pride to YOU from me!

So, IB Language and Literature Students of now and tomorrow, here it is, advice from your seniors to you:  those who have successfully reached the summit of IB Language and Literature in the DP program will give you pieces of the map and a compass to guide YOU on your journey.  They have officially and successfully finished both years of study against some pretty crazy challenges and odds, so really take their words to heart!  And to you seniors who are quoted here, please know that I have learned just as much, if not more, from working with you as you did in this classroom, and I will miss your intensity and determination through all the seasons.  This advice is quite meaningful in light of the experience, and so...

Buckle up, here we go!

Be engaged in class and show that you are paying attention. Mrs.

Caraway is cool, and she'll work with you if you work with her!

Try not to overthink your assignments and follow the given deadlines. It honestly makes it soo much easier to write your final if you’ve kept up on all the little steps along the way.

The level of effort you put in is the grade you’ll get! -Alyssa Ludlow & Isaiah Flores

Nobody is thinking about you like you think they do. ASK the questions you need; there are NO dumb questions! Paying attention to the in-class discussions with Mrs. Caraway will help you understand not only what is going on in the book, but also help give you information for your lit trackers.

SHE KNOWS. When you come to class unprepared, she can tell. She has been doing this for a REALLY long time!

DO THE BLOG. They will sneak up on you and they are honestly an easy grade bump!

Keep track/organized with your past notes. Every assignment relates to one in the future, so make sure to keep tabs on your previous units!

LIT TRACKER NOT LIT AFTER! You will have a straight anxiety attack if you wait until the last minute to finish these! Get a good team together and get it done WELL!

ENJOY THE TIME YOU HAVE. There are a lot of fun projects and things we get to do in class together. Take this time to enjoy them. It goes by too fast. - Rachel Dionne

Put thought and effort into all your assignments because, in the end, it will benefit you.

Be engaged with every book you're reading in class as well as class discussions because you can always learn something new. - Ciara Thompson, Ishan Perera, Eben Townes.

When being introduced into the DP Program, you'll find Mrs. Caraway's Language and Literature class incorporates a different style of work. With all the pieces of literature we read, there is an assigned lit tracker that is due at the end of the book. I would strongly recommend completing them as you go not only to prevent procrastination but to generally format your essay in the end. With a completed lit tracker, you basically have your essay written with the quotes and analysis.

Throughout my two-year course in Mrs. Caraway's class, I have come to learn how important it is to gain perspective. This perspective can be gained through the different units and contexts that unite both literature and your personal life. By first gaining your own perspective and opinion on a certain topic, your overall appreciation for this class will grow immensely. I have found that when I really dedicate myself to the literature and material that I am learning, I am able to become more open-minded and perform better in the class.  

When you first start the DP Language and Literature Program, become familiar with your end goal. Familiarize yourself with what exactly you will be tested on; recognize the differences between paper 1, paper 2, and look deeply into what the IO consists of. When you know your end goal, you know what you are working towards and how exactly each piece throughout the program fits into your path.

Future juniors and seniors, I plead with you to come to this class with an open-minded attitude and willingness to gain a new perspective as you dive deeply into the reasons and impacts behind the literature. -Paige Thelin, Zack Wright, Sara Swanson, Martin Ramirez

Keep up with the reading assignments. It will help you with your assessments and your DP exam. However, if you have trouble reading quickly, find an audiobook and listen along as you annotate the novel.

Maintain a balanced lifestyle with school and your personal life!

Check the language arts website!!

Do rough drafts/outlines on time (you WANT the feedback!) - Lauren Peterson, Max Oransky, Terry Grabau, Noah Caraway

Stay Organized!

Practice for the IO; don't stress about it! - Joelle Zipp, Fiona Cassidy, Hanna Dixon, Kiyah Bell

Any IO resources make sure to keep them and do not put off the IO preparations! - Clare Lanzotti & Ashley Mills

For every book that you read, make sure to keep detailed ANNOTATIONS and mark quotes so you don’t have to go back through.

I HIGHLY recommend actually buying the physical books, versus online! It’s so much easier to follow along, and remember valuable quotes if you have the book in your hand.

Keep all your documents such as your past essays, practice paper 1’s, group analysis. One good place to keep this is in Padlet! You can upload your documents and they will always stay there!

Tell Mrs. Caraway as soon as possible if you need help or if you are scared of anything. (Like phobias). - Brooke Barbee, Haley Larkin, Melissa Sanchez, Yovi McCombs-Zepeda

Always ask for feedback. Getting feedback is usually uncomfortable but we only grow when we are not comfortable! Not settling for "good enough" and continuing to seek out excellence is impossible without asking for help. Going above and beyond for your learning is never something you'll regret.

Don't settle for "I don't know." Always critically evaluate and digest everything in class! Especially in L & L,. This will help you to write better essays, have more compelling discussions, and enrich you as a learner.

Seek out a full understanding of IB. IB operates within a very specific philosophy of teaching so to be successful, you need to understand this philosophy. Make sure to get the syllabi for each of your classes and formulate a study plan for the tests ahead of time so you are prepared come May of your senior year. - Claire Barragan-Bates, Noah Moore, Reese Padgett, Hunter Hershberger

This class is low risk with a high reward. If you are willing to retain the knowledge given, you will, without a doubt, become a better writer and reader than when you joined this class. - Talon Roberts

Don't be afraid to reach out to your teachers.

You'll regret the things that you don't do more than the things you do. 

If you plan to go on a trip, or miss class for ANY reason, talk to her first!!! (AKA: Tell her when Senior Ditch Day is!!)- Matthew Kenison, Hamza Aziz, Andrew Dixon, Kiana Charette

Always show up!!!!!

Stay attentive. The most regretful thing you could do is not to pay attention in class. Year 2 is incredibly fun and interesting. The topics that we talk about are things you bring home and talk about with anyone that just so happens to be next to you. So, do take my advice and pay attention.

The biggest takeaway from this class that I would put onto future students is to soak in every bit of information Mrs. Caraway throws at you, whether you think it's necessary or not. Her class isn't easy, but it is definitely worth all the hard work! I have noticed that I have become a much better writer than I was before coming into her class because I took in every piece of feedback I received from her and put it into the next essay that I wrote. If you take the time to listen to her advice and use it in your writing in the future, you will be a better writer at the end of the two-year program!

Okay, now it's time to reflect and respond!

Future Year 2 scholars: What piece of advice above really resonates with you? What advice or words of reflection would you like to add?

Year 1 Scholars: Welcome! What words of advice do you find most helpful or interesting? What do you see as your greatest source of anxiety and/or excitement? Why are you here, and what are you hoping to accomplish this year?