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!
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
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.
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.
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?
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?
I think all of the pieces of advice are very helpful. Especially the ones about Lit Trackers! Definitely do not push those off until the last minute because you will regret it (I know from experience). But I think the piece of advice that resonates with me the most would be turning in your rough draft on time. Having a completed rough draft available for critical friends is really helpful. I know critical friends can seem scary sometimes but it really does help to construct a really good essay. Also having a good essay outline for Mrs Caraway to look over is very helpful. Always ask her for help if you need it, she'll give it to you straight so that you know how to do it well, but she will do it in a sweet and helpful way. Don't be scared :)
ReplyDelete:-)
DeleteThe best piece of advice is to have fun with it. If you're having fun it makes it easier to come in everyday. Some Tristan wisdom: don't work on the Lit Trackers by yourself. Always group up with as many people as possible, it makes it a lot easier.
ReplyDeleteThat lit tracker piece of advice really hit different; working in groups not only makes it so much easier to get it done, but you also gain so many more ideas from others that you may not have thought of before! Also the part about staying engaged with the books you read, from personal experience it is so much harder to write a good essay without taking good notes on the book and participating in the discussions. Paying attention in the discussions gives you some great insight and notes to use in future essays and assignments. And even if there are assignments that you don't feel are important, every assignment ends up helping you in the class and are all vital! This is honestly such a fun class and is so much more fun if you let yourself get into it and have a good time :)
ReplyDeleteYay! I am so happy to hear that!
DeleteI found the advice in regards to not over thinking but trying to not be too relaxed to be particularly helpful since I typically fall into these two extremes in classes which end up making things tougher on me in the long run.
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice that really resonated with me was to annotate the text. I have experience both sides of this coin and have learned from my mistakes. I would like to pass on this bit of advice. Not only does annotating the text make it easier to analyze it when the time comes to write the essay, but it also makes your understanding of the text grow. In my experience, there is a visible difference in my grade between when I annotate my text and when I don't.
ReplyDeleteThat is interesting! I have the same to be true in my experience, too!
DeleteThere was so much advice to choose from; however, the piece that stood out to me the most was taking the feedback in stride and improving your future essays based on it. Even though it may feel difficult, it really helps in the long run and will make you feel so proud when you look at how far your writing has come.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that was not explicitly mentioned in this blog of advice that I feel all incoming DP L&L scholars should know is that YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORK ON THE LIT TRACKER ALONE!!! Find a group of people to work on it with you, divvy up the work between your group. Or, if you want to *spice* things up, make a class lit tracker and have everyone in the class work on one together. (Also, if you want to be able to easily show Mrs. Caraway how much work each person did, require that they have to pick a specific font color and complete their work with that font color)
Great suggestions!
DeleteHonestly all of the advice was so wise and applicable! The piece of advice that really resonated with me was asking for feedback and how we shouldn’t settle for “good enough.” Instead of just going through the motions and completing all of our assignments, I should strive to go above and beyond in all of my assignments and strive for excellence in all that I do! It can be difficult to ask for feedback and receive constructive criticism, but in the end it will make me a better writer and a better person. All of the advice was so incredible and all of the seniors will be so missed next year :)
ReplyDeleteThe advice that has the biggest impact on me is the advice relating to finishing your LIT Tracker as you read the book, as it is an advice I often ignore, causing massive panic before it's due, and I am hoping to remedy this senior year. The best advice I can give is to have a consistent sleep schedule, especially if you have the class early, as you don't want to be dozing off in the middle of class and miss valuable information.
ReplyDeleteThe advice that resonates with me the most is to come to class with an open mind ready and willing to dive into literature. I feel that it is so important to approach this class with a certain degree of readiness and excitement, or else each day will feel like a chore. So going off of this, I suppose my advice is to put in effort, always. No matter how tired you are, how long your week was, or how many other assignments you have. Put in the work, because life is what you make of it, and it makes all the difference in the world when you approach this class with a smile and a determination to accomplish great things. You are way more capable than you think you are, and with every stressful or tricky assignment, you grow and become better because of it. You are surrounded by so many loving and supportive peers, that really when you look at this class it doesn't feel intimidating or scary. You are capable of accomplishing many great things, so why not strive to do that each day? (I believe in you! We are all in this thing together!!!)
ReplyDeleteSuch great encouragement! :D
DeleteThe advice that resonates with me the most is doing the lit tracker while reading the book rather than doing it the week before. For future DP students, I would highly recommend this. For Taming of the Shrew, I did it the week before and it was horrible. I did the lit tracker slowly while reading Pride & Prejudice and it was a lot less stressful.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to all the advice so much and it is all so important! I think personally, keeping up on the lit trackers and taking good annotations is something that resonates with me. The best thing I discovered halfway through this year was the power of groups!! Although we all hate group projects, group lit-trackers help you so much! Not only are you able to split up the work, you are able to use other perspectives from your friends that is definitely beneficial for the final essay. Also I think keeping your past work organized in a google folder with all your resources helps not only with each essay but also the next year and looking toward the IO (from what I read haha). I have thoroughly enjoyed this class and really reading and understanding all the content covered. If you really put in the work you learn more and don't be afraid to ask for a critical friend or Mrs.Caraway to better yourself. You got this!
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice that resonated with me and that I would like to expand on is not to hesitate to reach out to your teachers. Despite the mess of this year, I have learned that changing one thing can change absolutely everything. Communicating with your teachers allows for synchronicity wherein they will understand how to best support you and feel the extent of your efforts in their class. Alleviating unnecessary pressures plays an immense role in taking care of yourself and cultivating your opportunity to learn. Mrs. Caraway’s teaching is methodical and challenges your flexibility of mind. Nonetheless, her L&L class provides a space to nurture academic strengths, weaknesses, and personal values. Feeling comfortable in your learning environment will give you room to enjoy the process of drawing connections and develop confidence in free-thinking beyond the scope of the content.
ReplyDeleteThe range of advice that stood out to me was to pay attention, ask questions, and keep track of everything with your notes. It's so helpful to make sure you understand everything that happens in class and to be involved, even if it can be difficult to put yourself out there. Going along with this, my advice would be that if you have something to say during a class discussion, just say it! Don't be afraid to butt in (respectfully, of course) and say what's on your mind, because you'll regret it if you don't. Speaking from experience, it's worth it to see whatever you said turn into an entirely new discussion or give everyone something new to think about.
ReplyDeleteI really love that suggestion...it is rewarding to watch your words take off and engage with others. :) Especially poignant advice for us introverts!!
DeleteThe advice that best applied to me was to have fun with the books. I'm usually pretty tunnel visions in my language classes, reading with my only intention being finding essay quotes and a topic, but having more fun with the books should help me find more value in them, which can in turn still help my essay's.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it sounds almost contradictory with my above statements, my advice still would be to try and pick your topic ahead of time so that during the reading process you can be gathering information that relates to your topic. One of my favorite things about this class if that you can create your own prompt. Choose a topic that you genuinely find interesting, even if it doesn't necessarily fall in line with common essay prompts or the book your doing. For Pride and Prejudice, the majority of discussion and themes will revolve around Lizzy and Darcy's characters and relationship, as well as how the setting influences the plot. Though they didn't often get much of a spotlight, I wrote about the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet because I found them the most interesting from the very beginning. Because I chose a topic I enjoyed, it made the essay writing process much more engaging.
The advice which resonates with me most is well all of them, but specifically the student that says not to feel bad about asking questions whenever you have them even if you think they sound dumb. I ask a lot of questions and sometimes it is difficult but it is good to be reminded that in the future I'd regret not asking enough question rather than asking too many.
ReplyDeleteThe best piece of advice I have really is this class is difficult, but if you follow all the steps laid out by Mrs. Caraway then it will definitely be much more stress free and fun! Another thing I have for anyone that procrastinates but is also a perfectionist. If its worth doing well then it's also worth doing poorly. In that I mean to say if you just can't find the motivation to do something perfectly, then it's better to do it poorly than not at all. DP can be stressful and sometimes it's ok to just do your best, and sometimes your best is just trying, even if it isn't your best work. DP is a lot but don't stress too much, it's a great experience and the main thing is what you learn. Good grades are amazing but in the end 10 years from now you won't remember what grade you got, what stays with you is the experiences, friendships, and everything that you learn. All you have to do is believe in yourself a little, or if you can't do that just fake it, trust me believing in yourself is half the battle. :)
I think being present is something that is important. Not just being physically there and prepared, but being mentally prepared. It is fun and easy when you are ready for class with the assignments and ready to absorb the new information. The lit trackers and the readings are very important to do so you actually know the information before the class begins.
ReplyDeleteAlthough all the advice the seniors gave was helpful, there were two pieces that really resonated with me. “Try not to overthink your assignments” as well as “the level of effort you put in is the grade you’ll get”. Both of these statements are so true because sometimes the answer you’re looking for is in the question itself and when you overthink, you’ll miss the whole point and if you don’t put effort into your assignments, then you won’t get the grade you want. Regarding the assignments, two pieces of advice I would give to the incoming DP scholars would be: work on your lit tracker in a group and write your blog responses on a google doc before you type it onto the blog site. It will be so much easier to work in a group for your lit tracker because you’re able to ask questions and bounce ideas off each other. Writing your responses for the blog on a separate google doc is really helpful because if you don't post your answer right away, then your response is deleted. If it gets deleted, you have to retype everything and it’s the worst so write it on a different document so you can copy and paste it at the end.
ReplyDeleteTwo specific pieces of advice truly resonated with me. "If you work with Mrs. caraway, she'll work with you" and "find balance with your school and personal life" because these are two things I struggle with. It's so easy to just try to push yourself to do that one assignment even if you have no time at all, then end u settling by just turning it in late. I'd like to add that Mrs. Caraway is very understanding and if you communicate with her, she will try to help however she can. Balance is also a major major concern especially when taking DP classes and managing school, family, a job, and friends all at the same time. Time flies by so fast that it's so easy to just get caught up in one of those aspects rather than trying to balance them all.
ReplyDeleteI’ve learned quite a lot from this blog, but the main things that stuck out to me was concerning IB as a whole and future assessments/assignments. If I am able to prepare for next year's exams and the IO then I have a better chance of being successful. I think that the advice about understanding how IB works and the “specific philosophy” that they hold is great. Learning my audience when it comes to work that I have to submit is huge. I am grateful for this advice and the example they have set. I would like to add that Lit Tracker’s are a tool, not another piece of homework. When they are complete and utilized to the fullest they provide lots of useful information while writing your final essays.
ReplyDeleteI really loved all of the advice, I thought it was all applicable and useful in regard to entering and continuing in DP. Perhaps the pieces of advice that I found the most helpful were the ones regarding the lit tracker and the ones reminding me to soak up all of the information I can. The lit tracker is something that is very important later and even though I know that and have been told many times, it is still something I struggle doing. In regard to the information intake, it is easy to just think in terms of getting the next assignment done but ultimately this won't help. It is this concept that I wish to expand on when regarding advice.
ReplyDeletePay attention to what is being taught. Listen to what is being said and take the time to think about it. There are a lot of interesting conclusions that can be determined from what is spoken about in class. Similarly, if you have an idea, say it. It's really interesting to listen to other points of view so if you have them, don't be afraid to say them :).
The advice that most helped me was the advice that encouraged me to make the most of my time here. Some advice that i would like to say is that no one is going to remember that thing you did, enjoy your time here and push out the thoughts that put you down and make you doubt yourself
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice that stood out to me the most was the one that said to check the blog and website as often as possible. Especially while we were online, figuring out how to get all that together took some time. And learning to do it regularly took some getting used to. But once I did, it was relatively easy.
ReplyDeleteThis is coming up unknown - can you reply with your name? Thank you!!
DeleteThis is me, Wendy Schwartz. I still don't understand why it constantly shows me as unknown. It says I'm signed in while I type but once I submit it, it's marked as unknown. Sorry for the confusion.
DeleteThe advice I found the most profound was that you’ll end up regretting the things you don’t do and not the things you do. When I think back on the short life I’ve had so far, I can say that I don’t really regret anything I’ve done, but I end up being stuck on all the missed opportunities and times I’ve hesitated. This advice is easily applicable in and outside of the classroom. The regret really hits me past midnight when I end up doing all of my missing assignments at once and I begin to question why I had not just done all of them the times they were assigned. If I had to give anyone any advice in general, it would be to take consequences (both positive and negative) for what they are and remove any good or bad connotations you have with them. Perhaps you total your car and have to walk to work everyday and one day, you win the lottery with the scratch ticket you bought on the walk home. What I am trying to get at is that you’ll never know what the future holds so there is no point in being stuck over “bad” consequences” or waiting for “good” consequences to happen. A good day is earned, never given.
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice that resonates the most with me, I feel, would be the one of "put thought and effort intoall ofyour assignments because in the end it willbenefit you". I feel this way as I tend to be discouraged from putting my all inot some assignments, if the assignment doesn't seem to have a purpose I get super discouraged to put much thought and effort into it. Having a students reassurance that I'm not being handed busy work, will definitly help to encourage me in future work! It's been a tough year, but I know that all of us will pull through it!
ReplyDeleteDEFINITELY do your lit tracker as you go !!! from the first two books, I waited until last minute which caused a flood of stress. With Pride and prejudice, I started my Lit tracker about a month in, got some really good annotations(almost 50 pages) by just listening to Mrs. Caraway and put them in my lit tracker as she was talking!!! it saved HOURS. And guys, I literally mean hours. these take so long and WILL help so much.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I have been so blessed to know such a kind and caring teacher. Mrs. Caraway, you know just the surface of the impact you have made in my life so far. Year 1, even incoming year 2, never be afraid to ask for help. It pays off. I began my Junior year working 2 jobs(necessary) and was working sometimes 60 hour weeks, struggling to be motivated online and Mrs. Caraway, along with the rest of my teachers, were so so gracious and understanding. I have battled mental health issues in this mess of life and also many blockades with health, but if you just ASK FOR HELP you will never be let down. Life happens. we all know that.
Also- every assignment is going to help you!!!! Mrs. Caraway never gives busy work. You will love this, but you need to take every assignment seriously!
Another thing, you will not be as good of a writer as you think you are. It is a learning process and 100% means nothing if you did not learn how to improve. Always take Mrs. Caraway's advice to heart and master implementing and interpreting her suggestions. I went up to her to figure out what I was doing wrong after consistent mistakes and she sat down to help me. I got a better grade than I ever have and It's all because of her encouragement and willingness to be helpful in every way possible
One last thing. ANALYZE- NOT DESCRIBE OR EXPLAIN
I really like the evidence to have fun with it and to do the lit tracker as you go because if you push it off it becomes a terrible task but if you did it through the process of reading the book it is not that hard.
ReplyDeleteI could really take the Lit Tracker not Lit After advice to heart. I have a tendency to wait until the last minute to do the Lit Tracker. Advice I would give: Make use of outlines and do body paragraphs first.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the message of self dedication and perseverance within the seniors' advice. The one that resonated with me the most was "The level of effort you put in is the grade you get". This piece of advice perfectly encapsulated the essence of the class and the shift in becoming an IB scholar. I would like to add that participation is your best friend, the more you participate the better off you will be as a learner.
ReplyDeleteThe advice about keeping up with your work/upcoming deadlines and not procrastinating really resonated with me. The Lit Tracker advice also resonated with me. Personally, the Lit Trackers would start off as a fun and useful resource, but the longer that I would wait to work on them the more daunting they would become. Going forward I would encourage everyone to not worry about being perfect. It is so much easier to just get the work done in a timely manner than over thinking it and making it take twice as long.
ReplyDeleteReading this as I finish off this year, what resonates with me the most is the advice about the IO. Anything to do with speaking stresses me out because I’m not that good at it but I know if I really prepare and practice I will do good. I have grown up and gotten to know so many of these seniors and their words mean a lot to me and reading these made me so SAD. I am sure I will continue to seek and use their advice in the future. What I have personally applied to myself and have been practicing the past couple of weeks is just procrastination and the quality of work I turn in. My advice would be when doing an assignment, try to go above and beyond what you would typically turn in. It sounds kind of dumb since you always want to try your best but it has made such a big difference in my life. The more I practiced going beyond, the less I began to think of it as extra work and it just became a habit. Also enjoy class while you can because the school year goes by so fast. Soak it all in.
ReplyDeleteThe advice from above that resonates with me the most is "seek out a full understanding of IB" This is something that can definitely help me this last year because if I focus on what certain assignments are asking of me specifically, I will have an easier time completing and understanding the assignment. If I were to add onto any of the advice from above, I would stress the lit tracker. When we read books and then have to do an essay at the end of the unit, it is so much easier when you fill out the lit tracker as you read each chapter! And it actually saves you time if you were to just try and complete it the night before it is due! If you complete it as you read, then you will have more detailed information in it and your entire essay for the novel will pretty much already be noted out for you. I think that is some of the best advice I could give about Lit-Trackers.
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice that I felt that really caught my attention, was to have fun with the books we read as some like taming of the shrew can actually be funny at times and it’s important to have fun with something instead of just working all the time, which can be draining, as I usually just read books just because I am told to do so, but once I started reading Persepolis it was actually very interesting to read as you learn new things, especially how other people view the world. There isn’t anything in particular that I would like to add to the advice above, but I would like to emphasize that you should really do your lit tracker on time instead of procrastinating and leaving it for the last week, as it is going to be more work, it’s going to stress you out more, and you’re not going to do as good of a job as you should, trust me it's not fun. So when you receive that Lit tracker make sure you work on it, you don’t have to do it all at once, but do it progressively chapter by chapter until once you reach the end of the book, then in time your lit tracker is done!
ReplyDeleteThere are so many pieces of advice that I resonated with in this blog. One was focusing on the end goal of IB Lang & Lit and identifying what IB expects on the exam, so that along the way we can be picking up information and skills to prepare for it. This is especially helpful for the IO coming up senior year! Keeping track, taking notes, and organizing the articles/text pairings from Year One will make preparation for the Internal Assessment so much easier. I also really liked the piece of advice about using audio books to help with the nightly reading homework. It makes the reading go by much faster and adds a new layer of meaning as you listen to the tone of the words on the page. (Listening to the audio book as you read might also keep you accountable and make it less likely that you will fall behind on your readings! Don't push aside your reading homework! The class is discussion-based and it is SO interesting when everyone has something to contribute. If you aren't reading, it really restricts the amount of meaningful conversations that you can have as a class).
ReplyDeleteIB Language and Literature has been such an awesome class so far. The range of texts and assignments we have covered in Year One has really opened my perspective as both a reader and a writer. Mrs. Caraway is an amazing, encouraging, and approachable teacher. Never be afraid to ask for help, advice, or feedback. Feedback is your best friend in this class! You don't have to have it all figured out. Go into IB willing to learn and grow, and you definitely will :)
GREAT advice, Alyssa! :) Thank you!!
DeleteThere was so much I liked or appreciated. They said to enjoy it while you can, be ready and willing to learn new things, being willing to ask for help and grow. I want to work on taking these things to heart. They also mentioned the IO and being prepared for it, and that's something I haven't even thought about but certainly should. I love this class and need to fully appreciate it as I go. If I do I will gain even more and remember it well for a long time. Sometimes it's difficult to be open to new or unfamiliar things and be vulnerable when it comes to asking questions or receiving feedback. All of these things help us to develop and improve though and can be a life lesson we get through this class, or any others.
ReplyDeleteMy advice would be to find a way to enjoy it all, no matter how big or small. If you enjoy what you're doing it makes it easier and more fun. In our texts find a lesson, literary devices the author uses well, a character, or whatever works for you that will keep you engaged. The works we read for Year 1 were soo good you just need to find your favorite parts. It helps you participate in discussions, write easier and better, and allows it to stick with you.
The advice about finishing LIT trackers while reading the book stood out as I would follow that advice for the first couple chapters but then would forget about it and it ends up taking a lot of time to complete the weekend before its due.
ReplyDeleteI believe the best advice that I learned from this was to have fun and keep up with lit trackers. We only get one senior year so we have to make it a good one. Learning from these peers that completing work on time and enjoying while you do it really changes your outlook on school.
ReplyDelete-Kylie Ashenfelter
DeleteAll of the advice resonates with me mainly because everything said is something that I believe as well, especially being open-minded, constant effort, and staying engaged, but what i also find very strong is trying not to overthink work or questions because I do that alot which causes many roadblocks for me and to just take risks because as someone said on the blog “You’ll regret the the things you don’t do more than the things you do.” My only thing to add that might have been said is to just have fun and don’t worry / stress because life is filled with many things and we have so little time that its not worth it to fill out lives with stress so we need to try our best to have fun but at the same time get our work done, lol.
ReplyDeleteI would say the advice that resonates most with me is the advice urging scholars to not be afraid to ask for help. I've always had trouble asking for help, both because I want to do it on my own, and because I don't like feeling like a burden. Despite this, I would also advise scholars to ask for help, and remind them that is their teachers' JOB to help them. Just ask for help when you first need it, and don't wait until the last minute.
ReplyDeleteI believe the best piece of advice would be becoming familiar with my end goal. This piece of advice helps show that keeping a goal in mind and not changing is always good in order to not lose track of your progress or focus. Another thing that I would advise scholars to do is to try and calm down and think what they did wrong when they get a bad grade for their essay and assignment. Its better to think and review what you did wrong rather than getting mad and ignoring it.
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice that really stuck with me was to absorb from Mrs. caraway all that I can whether I feel it to be important or not because in the long wrong every piece of information will be helpful to me at some point. To add to that, I'd like to say that there never is anything wrong with reaching out. As intimidating as confrontation can be, its one of the best tools we have, whether it be through email or a face-to-face meeting, when in doubt, communicate with Mrs.Caraway as much as you can.
ReplyDelete-Jessica A. Herrera
The comment about using the class website and another comment about finding audiobooks to combat a slow reading capability really resonated with me because they push for more independence as a scholar.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to give advice, I would say: "It's always good to know what you're doing, read the class website, use all resources available, and don't look dumb asking a question that you have the materials to answer yourself." (No bad questions except for those that you already know the answer to)
I believe the most important word of advice is to engage in the books and participate in conversations. This is slightly intimidating being in a DP class and with students who could answer questions more thoughtfully. Hopefully I will be able to keep up with the class and feel comfortable enough to not be afraid to answer wrong. -Joslyn Horning
ReplyDeleteAs I read the advice given, a piece I find helpful is to not overthink assignments. I have struggled with overthinking, which leads to doubt then stress, and before I know it, I’d wasted valuable time. This blog has allowed me to realize that instead of overthinking I can take that tension and instead ask for advice and I do not have to be afraid to ask for help. I feel my tendency to overthink is going to be tested this year since DP will be a challenge, and I’ve recently started a job that requires me to find the time and attention to balance both demands. This is going to be a difficult challenge, however reading the wise words from this blog, I know I’ll have support through it all. This year I am hoping to find balance in my life, and a system I can apply in the future when I feel overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteI think balancing work and school now prepares you to be a more organized and prepared college student. :) Just keep communicating, and keep a calendar. You can definitely do this without overthinking. :)
DeleteOne piece of advice from your blog that I’ve found quite interesting was to always annotate everything you read, enabling you to keep track of the story. I find this method extremely helpful for future references, being able to trace your own paths will encounter easy steps on the way. I say my greatest source of excitement is that I’ve been very into learning new things in life and just having that motivation will encourage myself to be a better person. I am here because I want to challenge myself with new obstacles. I want to see if I'm powerful enough to achieve DP language and literature. My overall goal is to complete this two year program successfully but in order to achieve that I would have to follow all the terms Mrs. Caraway has for me. -Jared Mamaradlo
ReplyDeleteAs I read through the blog, one piece of advice that stuck out to me the most was to try not to overthink the assignments given and make sure to make every deadline that heads your way. The main thing I struggle with in school is my anxiety. Every time I have assignments for class I tend to overthink them and ask others for help to see if my assignments are good enough to be turned in. I lack self-confidence in my academics. I am here in DP Language and Literature because I really want to get into college and hopefully will not have to take Language and Literature in college if I pass the DP exam next year. I hope to accomplish the year, the ability to have self-confidence in my academics, and to improve my ability to write properly with the correct grammar, structure, and punctuation. I also hope to not overthink every assignment in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI still tend to overthink things, too. So I think we will work on learning to give yourself grace. If something isn't just perfect, that is okay. That is how we grow. :)
DeleteThe advice to not overthink my assignments and focus on getting them done on time and do my best really helped. I often make assignments more complicated than they have to be. This just causes me more stress. I just need to make sure that everything is done on time and done to the best of my ability. I decided to take this class because I enjoy English and writing. I won't have fun if I stress myself out too much. I hope to learn as much as I can this year and pass with good grades.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteLet yourself make mistakes: EMBRACE them. Discomfort and mistakes are how we grow. :)
DeleteXavier Trujillo
ReplyDeleteAlyssa's advice resonated with me the most as I know her personally and know she is a very hard worker. I think my most stressful point of this class will be maintaining organization and keeping track of my notes. I am hoping to accomplish a passing grade this year in this class and learn some new factors around language and its ancient roots.
The most helpful piece of advice I read was to be engaged and always pay attention to reading. My greatest source of anxiety will probably be doubting my own writing abilities. My greatest source of excitement will definitely be talking about the books we read over the course of the year. I am really excited to have good conversations about the books. I am here because I think I have good writing skills even though I tend to doubt them A LOT and because I love a good literature discussion. I am hoping to accomplish making more friends and grow outside my comfort zone. I want to be able to talk to the kids in my class about the books we read, but it may be hard because I rarely open up to new people. I am super excited for literature this year and all the new things I will learn.
ReplyDeleteThis is Hana btw
DeleteThe advice that I found was most helpful and interesting was to not be afraid to ask questions. The advice said that there was no such thing as a dumb question and how no one judges someone else's questions. Also, doing the lit tracker will be very helpful for myself and with my future finals. My greatest source of anxiety is the final and the future essays to come. I'm here because English is my strongest subject and I would like to have more of a challenge for myself. I hope to complete all of my work on time and get good grades through the year.
ReplyDeleteThis is Elizabeth Vazquez ^
DeleteI LOVE to hear that it is your strongest subject. :) I love to find more English nerds like me! :)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWords of advice that I find interesting and helpful from this blog is keeping up with the books and annotations because it will help with future assignments. I find that my greatest source of anxiety is being able to keep my grades up while dealing with other things going on in life. I’m hoping to accomplish annotation skills and things that will help me with my overall reading and writing skills.
ReplyDeleteOops! Name did not come through. Can you reply with your name?
DeleteThank you!
So much of the advice really resonated with me so its so hard to pick just a few, but the advice to communicate, be open-minded, and to take risks with my work just seem so helpful but also some of the easiest things to forget to do. I think its easy to just live in your own little shell and not care about what is happening around you or grow from the people around you. I also think it really shows something that most of the advice had something to do with the IB Learner Profiles Traits because it shows how much we can grow from this class, Mrs Caraway, and the IB mentality if we really buy into the program and the process. It’s so amazing to see how much the class of 2021 grew through this class and I’m excited to see how our class grows as scholars, leaders, and friends.
ReplyDelete-Olivia Elledge
You will be amazed at how much you grow! I always tell scholars at the end to go back and reread this blog. You will be so much more confident!
DeleteI found Ciara, Thompson, Ishan Perra, and Eban Townes Quote to be very relatable. I appreciated the book we read as a class if I’m engaged. I feel other people can be the same if they are present in the discussions and readings. Though I am worried about being stressed about homework and balancing my home life with school. I joined DP L&L because I wanted to get ahead of college and take my English learning to the next level. I’m hoping in this course that I will become a more adept writer for my stories.
ReplyDeleteThis is Danielle Young in Period 2 By the way.
DeleteThe most helpful advice was the advice that said you should keep up with all of your deadlines and not wait until the last minute. It sounds as if you finish everything in a timely manner the class will be a breeze. My biggest worry is whatever the big test will be at the end of year two. I'm taking the class so that I hopefully don't have to take as many English classes in college and hopefully I can be successful in that.
ReplyDelete-Luke LaMar
In this blog post, the advice from the seniors is helping me to prepare to stay organized the next 2 years. I am so excited to get into communicating with the class and learn many new topics as well as keep up with the lit trackers. The lit trackers are very interesting to me and I would like to learn more about them. They seem like they will help me stay on task and well as keep me organized. I tend to get some anxiety when I feel unprepared and embarrassed and very excited when I can express myself and not be judged. I am here because I love communication and literature. I feel that they go very well together. I am hoping to improve how I talk with others and express myself as well as work on my spelling and grammar.
ReplyDeleteI love communication and literature, too! :)
DeleteThe words of advice that I find most helpful are when people talked about not pushing assignments behind, not procrastinate, and how it helps you not stress. My greatest source of anxiety is when I have to present in front of a class because I tend to get really nervous and I feel super uncomfortable when I present. My greatest source of excitement is to read all of the books this year because I'm excited to see/read what they are about. I'm here because I want a challenge in my language and literature class and I want to improve my writing skills.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why it came up as unknown but I'm Aubrey Montgomery
DeleteIt's okay to be a little uncomfortable when you present - I think everyone is, so you are not alone! But the more you get through those opportunities, the easier it gets, I promise. ;)
DeleteWe get to read some really great books! That's my favorite part, too!
The most helpful piece of advice that instantly jumps out to me is to ask questions to gain deeper insight. My greatest source of anxiety would be preparing for all of the testing senior year, however, I am most excited to read and analyze various texts through different lenses. I am here because I want to become a stronger writer and a better critical thinker by keeping up with my work and developing my annotation skills.
ReplyDelete- Bree Dickson
DeleteWords of advice that I found to be the most helpful was to keep on track with the courses to avoid procrastinating, to ultimately reduce stress.However there was so many other pieces of advice that I found to be extremely help as well such as setting up study plans not only for English but for all subjects. (suggested by Claire Barragan-Bates, and more)Although I did find one piece of advice to be very interesting as they had suggested to absorb everything that Mrs. Caraway teaches. My greatest source of anxiety in a long term aspect would be taking the DP exam. However, I am really exited to be introduced to new Ideas, perspectives, and concepts associated with literary texts.I am here to become a better writer and because I enjoy writing. What I hope to accomplish this year is to refine the way I critically think and to improve my communication skills.
ReplyDelete- Jasmine Redfield
The main piece of advice that stood out to me was paying attention to deadlines and when things are due because it seems as though if I listen to the deadlines for assignments, I can pass through the class pretty easily. Another piece of advice I’ve found helpful was knowing that if I ever need help with a specific assignment I can always ask Mrs.Caraway for help and she would be welcome to me asking questions. My main source of anxiety is writing the bigger essays like the HL essay and other big writing assignments like the IO. However reading this advice eases my anxiety a little more because it makes it feel like they’re not impossible to accomplish. My goal for this year is to improve on my writing and communication skills with others in class including Mrs.Caraway.
ReplyDelete- Allyson Mills
Nothing is impossible, I promise! :) One day at a time is the way to approach it, for sure!
DeleteThe piece of advice that stood out to me the most was to avoid procrastinating by paying attention to deadlines. My greatest source of anxiety this year are the larger assignments such as HL essays and exams. My biggest excitement is to be introduced to new ideas and literary texts. I am here to learn and prepare myself for college, I hope to achieve improvement in my text analysis, reading and writing skills.
ReplyDelete-Madeline St. Louis
DeleteI am also most excited about diving into the texts with all of you! :)
DeleteWhen reading through the advice given, I found those that talked about keeping up with the assignments and not procrastinating were the most helpful. I tend to procrastinate when I have multiple assignments to do, which acts as a source of unwanted anxiety in my life. Hearing advice from individuals who have experience in the subject area makes me see the importance of productivity in, not only this class but all IB classes. I’m here to understand the important skills and information of Language and Literature, and I hope to improve these skills and the way I communicate with others.
ReplyDelete-Tatum Aguilar
DeleteThe words of advice of staying organized and not being afraid to take risks or ask questions stood out to me the most. Another piece of advice I found quite helpful was to keep up with the lit trackers. I see that staying organized, keeping up with the work, and paying attention will help me to be successful in this class. I find that my greatest source of anxiety is the DP exam at the end of year two. My goal this year is to become a stronger writer and to grow my critical thinking and communication skills. I am excited about this class and what this year will bring.
ReplyDelete- Jacelle Martinez
DeleteDon't worry about the exams. My job and commitment is to be sure you are prepared. :) Testing is always a little daunting, but I promise you will be ready. :)
DeleteSarah Emmett,
ReplyDeleteThere were many great pieces of advice given, but the most helpful were the ones about not procrastinating and really trying and doing my work. I tend to have a problem with procrastination and time management so it is really inspiring to see others have that too but they were able to push through and be better. My greatest source of anxiety would be not being able to do all my work. Because I have school until 6 30 I'm sometimes working late into the night and I'm worried I wont be able to do everything. I do like English and I feel being in this class can really help me learn more about it and feel more connected. This year I'm hoping to complete all my classes and be able to continue some in DP next year as well.
Soleil Sanchez
ReplyDeleteThe advice that most interest me was 'the effort you put in is the grade you get.' I like that piece of advice the most because the graduating seniors tell us that this class is all about the effort you put in. I'm most nervous about taking the DP exam at the end of my two years of the class, overall the test seems very stressful to me but I look forward to finishing my two years of DP L&L as a full diploma program candidate. I am most forward to reading novels this year. In sophomore year I didn't read a lot of novels so I am most looking forward to analyzing different books in class.
I am SO excited to read the novels with all of you in person! You will LOVE them!
DeleteI find the piece of advice about not overthinking assignments to be the most helpful, as I feel like I do that a lot and just make it harder for myself. Besides the usual anxiety of being able to balance work and life, I find socializing and talking with others my greatest source of anxiety, which is why I don’t tend to talk. I’m trying to get over it, especially because I know there are always instances where I have to actually talk to people or present, but I noticed it more last year (I really hope people didn’t notice but it seemed pretty noticeable to me online but it may have just been me). Though on the side I do video edits and those seem to be my source of comfort and excitement and I really want to bring that “persona” into who I am in person. I took this class to challenge myself to get back into the swing of things but also to grow as a writer and language itself, and I hope I am able to do that, and outside of that I would like to be more social, which doesn’t really have to do with the class but it's more an overall goal.
ReplyDelete-Danae Martinez
I really appreciate that you have both academic and social goals. Especially after last year, BOTH are SO important.
DeleteHello, I am glad to be a part of this class. The advice that I find most helpful, even though it may sound simple, is to just do the work before the deadlines. It sounds very basic, which is why it sticks out to me, it encourages students not to overthink the assignments, but to just simply do them. My greatest source of anxiety is the amount of time it may take away from me. I know there will be a lot of work ahead of me, so I worry I may not be able to live my normal life while also keeping up with classes. However, at the same time I am excited for harder classes. I welcome the challenge. That is also partly why I am here, to be challenged, and to go above and beyond. Not to mention the fact that this may help me with college is nice. I am hoping to simply pass, although that won’t stop me from trying to get the best scores I possibly can.
ReplyDelete- Jeremy Mequi
The advice that most resonated with me was “You'll regret the thing you don't do more than the things you do” This is because it’s easy to look at assignments and say if its not graded its not important but when the final comes around it would be really nice to have the work to go with it. My greatest source of anxiety when it comes to this class and the DP program as a whole is that the workload will pile up on itself and I won't be able to go the extra mile to succeed. I am here because I want to be challenged so that going to college isn't so much of a shock. While I’m in this class I want to improve upon my writing skills and my ability to use rhetorical devices in writing.
ReplyDelete-Christian Anderson
Love the goals you have set for yourself. Remember to always take life one day (and sometimes even one moment) at a time. Stay engaged in the moment. Focusing on too much all at once is overwhelming. Enjoy it as much as you can. :)
DeleteI found that most of the advice seemed to center around being in the conversation and always thinking. This is interesting because I like classes were you always have to be on your toes, waiting for the next moment of engagement you can take. My greatest flaw is procrastination coupled with loss of time. I am very good at procrastinating and loosing track of time so before I know it, that paper I thought was due in a week is due tonight and I am going to be late. I want to get better without procrastinating and get a better sense of time. The only way I know how is to make some form of schedule so that's what I will try and do this year.
ReplyDelete-Noah Preciado
Getting really good at scheduling your time will be a priceless skill in college!
DeleteI think that a lot of this advice is helpful in a lot of classes, because the biggest takeaway is the mindset. Having a positive mindset is probably the most important part to not only doing good in class but also enjoying it. It makes it easier to do good too, as long as you make an effort to be positive. This is a very good reminder to make the most of it to make it easier and more enjoyable for the whole year and in all classes. My goal is to try and keep a good outlook on school and this class this year.
ReplyDelete-Charles Gregg
That is a perfect goal! We cannot always control what we must face in a course, but we can always control our attitude! :)
DeleteMost if not all of this advice is very useful. The one that resonated with me the most was being engaged in every book. There's always something more that you can learn. I'm looking forward to the first book, I'm curious how we would analyze it as it looks more like a comic. My goal is to keep myself from getting too anxious and locking myself into procrastination.
ReplyDelete~Landon Cozad
Words of advice that I find interesting and helpful from this blog is keeping up with the books and annotations because it will help with future assignments. I find that my greatest source of anxiety is being able to keep my grades up while dealing with other things going on in life along with the thought of college now that highschool will be ending soon. I’m hoping to accomplish annotation skills and things that will help me with my overall reading and writing skills.
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice I found was the best was to buy physical copies of the books we read for annotation. It's very important to be able to annotate a text so I can come back to it later. It also helps cement what you're reading in your head and understand it. My goal is to become better at annotating and writing in general.
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice that I found most helpful is to keep annotations and (as much as it hurts) annotate the books.
ReplyDelete- Nyah