Come into every class and each book with an open mind. This class has helped me grow as a person and I have learned so much about myself, others, and the world. Embrace the new knowledge and use it. Don't be afraid to participate in conversations and work with your classmates, it makes a big difference not just in the learning experience but in life (and it really helps when it comes to assignments).~Aurora Earl
SHE KNOWS. When you come to class unprepared, she can tell. She has been doing this for a REALLY long time!
Do the homework - sometimes it seems like a lot but it will always help you. Take it from somebody who knows, turning things in late is never the way to go. Just do the work, do it on time, and you’re set!~ Ally Bill
Find an essay structure that works best for you. Then continue to refine it until you are comfortable writing with it. Having confidence in your essay structure will help you to write essays better and, if you are able to follow a structure that works for you, you will find that essays aren't nearly as hard as they first seemed to be.~ Riley Thompson
Read all of the books and participate in discussions! It can be really impactful and fun!" - Renae Schmucker
The best advice I can leave you is to remain engaged and to enjoy every moment. I understand the struggle to remain present in class but it makes all the difference to your comprehension of text when you engage in class discussions. Remember to enjoy the little things and your small victories in class. You’ll do great! PS: Lit trackers are always better when you work as a group ;) ~Christella Santiago
If you can help it, do not stress over things in school, at least not to an extreme amount. You know soon you will be starting your life, college, work, or wherever life takes you, that is sooner and closer than you may think. You will be okay, push through, but do not wear yourself out, grades matter, but so do you! Enjoy your last year, and Juniors, start strong!~ Kristy Gagliardi
1) Express your thoughts in group discussions! There will sometimes be entire class periods, especially in Year 2, completely dedicated to sharing your thoughts and observations as a class. Don't be afraid to share what you think. It is so much fun hearing everyone's perspectives, and it makes reading the books so much more enjoyable. 2) Take pride in the work that you turn in. Don't submit something with the mindset that it's just "good enough." Submit your best work each time, because this is how you grow as a writer and as a student. School isn't just about passing; utilize each assignment as a chance to learn and improve.
~ Alyssa Fine
Don’t be afraid to pair up with people and get different viewpoints on the lit trackers! They’re super intimidating, but they often don’t have to be done individually, and doing it with your table group or friends opens up great discussions on your books! Also, just trying your best to genuinely enjoy the book makes the class so much better, if you’re into a book it will be so much more fun when you have to do stuff with it! Good luck y’all! :) ~Emmaline Walser
Practice trying your hardest in every assignment and you'll notice over time it becomes routine. ~Ashlyn Barney
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.
My advice to the upcoming juniors and seniors would be to stay on top of the lit tracker and fill it out as you read it rather than fill it all out at the end. I would also recommend keeping up with all the readings because it gets extremely easy to fall behind so make sure to prioritize time management. ~Brionna Robles
You've got to find some way, no matter how small, to enjoy the books that you're reading. It will make your time fun and enjoyable. Make sure you talk once a day ~Tristan Schmidt
If you are going to procrastinate, learn what you can procrastinate on and what you can not procrastinate on. thank you.~Joe Barcala
Check the language arts website!!
Do rough drafts/outlines on time (you WANT the feedback!)
Try new things and see what all you can do, there is no limit except the one you make for yourself (and the due dates for assignments). ~Darby Slack
Be authentically yourself, always. This is the only life you will live, and you are the only you to ever exist.
Try hard in school. Being indifferent and complacent about life is not cool, and it won’t get you very far.
Implement the culture of error in your life. Make mistakes, a lot of them. Learn from them, grow from them, and make mistakes all over again. It's okay to be imperfect, expected even!
Do the lit trackers, fill them out with your friends and groups. Put important quotes and character-defining moments on the document. Essentially, fill out the lit tracker with the inevitable future essay in mind. This will help you so you don’t have to scramble to find quotes last minute!
Try not to procrastinate (especially with the essays). I know that it’s tempting, but you will always end up giving yourself way more stress than necessary.
Comparison is the thief of joy. Just do your best and try not to compare your grades or progress to your classmates and friends. You are doing amazing and making progress on your own time.
Respect others, you never really know what your classmates could be going through.
Work hard, be humble, be kind, help others, and you will make life easier for yourself and everyone around you. ~ Ashley Hoffman
Have as much fun as you can. Yes, schoolwork is important but if you’re stressing too much you won’t have any memories to look back on :) ~Halle White
Take good notes in your books! I hate writing in books but use a pencil so you can erase it later, it helps you make so many connections in the novel you might not have seen and makes your analysis skills so much better when you analyze while you read. I wish I would've taken notes like I did Senior year in my Junior year because it would've helped me with my essays and made the discussions so much better. Also, don't be afraid to say anything that you think while reading in class, the discussions are so beneficial to understanding the book and sometimes you think of something that others don't. TURN IN YOUR ASSIGNMENTS ON TIME! It's so much less stressful and you have a more beneficial critical friends session. CRITICAL FRIENDS IS SO BENEFICIAL! Ask multiple people to look at your essays, even outside of class. I usually have at least 2 people look over every essay and it gives me a better perspective. The last thing I would say is to complete your lit tracker in a group because it allows you to have other people's notes and perspectives which ends up being really beneficial. ~Charleigh Wilson
Do your Lit Trackers while reading the book or join a group so that someone else can do it for you at least.~Anders Sabo
Hello everyone, I have two pieces of advice, first treat Mrs. Caraway very well because she is very kind, generous, and understanding. Don’t take advantage of her kindness, just talk to her without makings excuses about the situation. 2)Even though it seems a tiring and long process of doing the lit trackers, keep on top of them and don’t finish them the night before it is due. Do your lit trackers anytime you are reading, it is easier in the end when this is finished for writing your essays. Enjoy these last couple years of school -it will go by fast; make the most of every moment! Love, Celeste Dillon
Make sure to fill out the lit trackers as you have active conversations in class and do them on time! I understood the books so much more when I wrote everything down in my lit tracker. Also, do not procrastinate in this class. Your essays and assignments are all something you NEED. Mrs. Caraway does not believe in busy work which means you are doing everything that you should be and need to be doing! Have fun and enjoy the class and if you aren’t at where you want to be in your writing, set time aside to work with Mrs. Caraway to improve because chances are she knows how to help you ;) practice at home too and always strive to improve because it will pay off. ~ Rebekah Bosc
Just try to be on top of all of your work, it'll help in the long run when you have a lot of assignments due at once. ~Carol Young
Dig deep into all of the books that you read! Mrs.Caraway chooses amazing books for the DP English classes to study and the class is so much more enjoyable when you become immersed in the characters, setting and plot. Alongside this, don’t judge a book by its cover, or what the summary on the back of the book says. Truly read the book and if it isn’t your favorite I can assure you that there is at least one thing or take away that you can find in the book :)
Get to know your fellow classmates! If you’ve known these people your whole life or if this is your first class with them, get to know them better. Ask questions about their lives. Learn their insights and beliefs on topics. You will see these people four out of the seven days of the week and I promise you that it’s worthwhile to move outside of your personal bubble and get to know those around you. After all, we rise and grow by getting to know others and lifting them up.
Use a planner! Or a sticky note, or a doc, anything that you can write down your assignments and due dates on. We’ve all tried to remember every assignment and then are frantically rushing the period before English to finish the work. Manage your time well and set yourself up for success by organizing your assignments and due dates.
Ask questions! No question is a dumb question no matter how dumb you feel asking it. You never know when your question will answer someone else's question or how much clarity it will bring! Mrs. Caraway has infinite knowledge beyond the topic of English and she will truly do whatever it takes to answer your questions and help you succeed.
Use grammarly and read your essay out loud before you submit! It helps you to catch any and all grammatical errors. And don’t EVER forget to capitalize I - that is the most important rule of writing- ALWAYS capitalize I and proper nouns. ~ Ella Pedersen
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?
The piece of advice above that really resonates with me the most is the one about having more than one critical friend. To me personally, it is so much nicer when more than one person is reading your essay(s) because it allows you to open you mind to other things that you didn't know to explore or write about in your essay(s). Word of advice I would like to add is to never ask Mrs. Caraway if you are going to be absent if there is going to be work while you are away. The answer will always be "Yes, in DP you always have work to do." Another piece of advice I would like to add is to never have negative thoughts about your writing because it can reflect on your work. Always have a positive mind set before and while writing. It will be beneficial to you in the end.
ReplyDeleteThe words and advice that helped me were all of the encouragement for this class next year. The seniors did a great job of explaining how to succeed but with positive engagement. I really liked how some of the seniors put their information into separate sentences with numbers. This made it very easy to clearly see how many things are important to be doing when I am a senior. My greatest source of excitement is the new books we're reading next year. The source of anxiety that I am feeling is coming from which HL essay I will choose to submit either this year or wait until next year. I am feeling very confident in my recent HL essay after I do some revisions to it; so I am confident that it will all be okay. I am here because I love to read and write, I love to see different points of view and use words to dig out deeper meanings that the author hides in books. This year I am hoping to keep an A in this class as well as next year. I am also hoping to use one of my HL essays from this year to submit to the DP program. - Marley Grjegian
ReplyDeletenumber 2 is what I agree with the most. DP L&L instantly becomes hard when you don't have a friend group or are too socially awkward. Working together is a life saver and sharing the weight of something like Lit Tracker. Filling out a lit tracker is hard on you're own but if you're working with a large group or even a dedicated partner it can become easier. But students are than just class partners they're people. And you should have fun in class and making friends is something you will have to do for the rest of your life. and practicing on balancing work and friendship. -Danielle Young
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Darby Slack’s piece of advice on trying new things. Specifically, trying these new ideas on rough drafts and outlines so it can be determined if the new ideas were good and should be used or not. Checking the language arts website is also another great piece of advice for ones that need even more guidance over projects or essays. Personally, I don’t have a lot of brand new ideas on how to write my essays, I usually follow what has worked for me in the past and just improve based on what was graded high and low. But whenever an idea comes to me, I usually only want to try them on rough drafts and not try a risky change for a final draft. I would like to get feedback before I post something for a grade. Still, anytime I ever want to start writing something, I will always want to fill out the outline given to use. It makes connecting all my ideas much better and cohesive as a whole. I would just like to add to never ever give up. Even if your first draft isn't the best and scores lower with lots of mistakes, it is only a rough draft and a good place to learn from your mistakes. By learning from your past mistakes, you can make a paper much better than any of your past works and all of these improvements have added over years to make you the best writer you can be. Don’t give up, be persistent and always reflect to improve. -Noah Preciado
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice that resonates with me the most is being passionate about your writing. I've had some papers that I was very invested in and I enjoyed them. I've also had some papers that I only wrote because I needed to. I have seen that the papers that I am excited to write always end up being a better quality. You will enjoy yourself more if you engage with the content. It is important to be proactive and have fun! Make sure you are checking Mrs. Caraway's weekly updates and the class website. Not procrastinating and taking the time to enjoy yourself are the keys to being successful in this class. - Taylor Alger
ReplyDeleteAshley's advice really spoke to me because the best part about this class is the experience. Being authentic and living for the moment is what really makes this class an amazing experience and it really allows us to grow as students, leaders, and people. Working hard and pushing personal boundaries is what allows us to achieve and really grow. I would like to add the fact to make the most of our time in class. You only have 2 years here and it can be so fun and fulfilling if we trust the process and find the joy in the work and the people. Love the books, love your classmates, and love Mrs. Caraway and you will have an amazing time.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Olivia! :)
DeleteFrom Sarah Emmett:
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice that resonates with me most is to dig deep into the books Mrs. Caraway has us read. There is so much information and conversations to be had about the books and that information is also so helpful when testing comes. The piece of advice I would add is to also have fun with the book. These books are fun, stop thinking about them as homework and instead think of how fun they are and you too will have fun and enjoy them a lot more. Also people tend to get a lot more information and remember more if what they learned was fun.
The piece of advice that most resonates with me is the advice that said you need to be passionate about your writing. It's important to me to be passionate about it because if I'm not passionate about it, I start to procrastinate a lot. It's also much easier to write something I'm passionate about because I become much more interested in my writing.
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice that I resonate with the most would be Halle Whites advice to have as much fun as you can without completely neglecting your grades. I feel like its so easy to be stressed in the moment and be consumed by worry and anxiety but its important to realize that you only get 1 round trip on this earth and you should try your best to make it fun and make memories. My greatest source of anxiety would be finals overall fearing the end result. I am here to prep myself for my future English college course and I hope to gather resources so that I am more prepared for the future writing I will have to endure.
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice that I resonate with the most was Christella's because staying engaged everyday in class helped me to stay focus and deeply understand the content. On days that I felt tired and wasn't mentally present made it difficult for me to comprehend what was being taught and made the class feel longer. When you are engaged, the class goes by quickly all the time. I would like to add how working on lit trackers as a group helps, as it allows more interpretations to be included so when the HL essay comes, it's easier to know what to do.
ReplyDeleteThe advice that stands out most to me is the advice about familiarizing yourself with the tests for IB. Mrs. Caraway is preparing us to do the best we can and she gives us all the practice and resources we need to succeed. However, I love all the seniors advice to care about school but not make it stressful, high school is an important time right before adults so we might as well enjoy it! :)
ReplyDeleteThe advice that stands out to me the most was Christella's because you have to be engaged in class and make the most out of it. If you come in tired or not prepared then it makes class boring and you will not understand what is being taught in the class. If you come prepared and ready to learn it makes class more fun and more interesting. Also, working with groups for your lit trackers helps a lot I would strongly recommend working in groups.
ReplyDeleteThe advice that really resonates with me is the advice about procrastination and time management. This is key as there are many readings to do, as well as keeping up with the lit trackers. It's really important to fill in the lit tracker as you are reading the content as it helps later when writing essays. Something I would like to add is to make the most of your experience in this class. I really enjoyed this first year as I feel like I not only grew as a writer/reader, but as a person as well. Engage and participate, you will have an amazing time.
ReplyDeleteThe advice that I feel resonates with me best is being open minded. Being open minded is very important because there are a variety of topics brought up in class that you may not agree with, but listening to others perspectives can be so insightful. Sometimes people say things that you don't even think of, which is why it is also okay to ask for other peoples opinions or help. I've found that this also helps when writing the HL essay, or any assignment, because you can take in other outlooks and ideas and bring them into your writing. It's always better to get multiple people to look at your work or help you with your ideas before you turn it in. Mrs. Caraway is also always open to giving feedback as well which is helpful and always helps create my ideas. The only thing I have to add to this is just to put emphasis on the fact that you should be proud and passionate about your writing. It makes it so much harder to want to write, or write as good as you would like if you don't feel some sense of passion toward your essays or work.
ReplyDeleteI think the key piece of advice to note from these seniors is the importance of time management. Whether it is completing Lit trackers, an HL essay, or reading a chapter of a book, knowing how to manage your time will help immensely. It is so easy to fall behind in this class if you are not keeping up with your work. I would also like to add that it is super beneficial to use your peers and Mrs. Caraway before turning in an assignment. I have noticed that oftentimes they provide helpful insight and they catch many grammatical errors.
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice that really resonates with me is probably to stay away from procrastination and get to know your classmates. As a transfer student, I felt that group work and discussions helped me branch out and meet new people. Honestly, I was terrified to come into a DP with new people, not knowing if I would be as smart as them or fit it, but group discussions helped me realize that I could relate to my new classmates. I also agree to pair up for the lit trackers. Pairing up makes the lit tracker easier and less stressful. Another piece of advice I can agree with is trying to find a prompt in your essay that you feel comfortable writing about. The prompt is very important because your writing will flow so much better than once you feel no connection with. Overall, being open and finding structure within your class will assist you in DP Language. Don't be afraid to share your ideas with your groups and ask someone to work with you.
ReplyDeleteThe most important advice for me was to enjoy the books and do lit trackers on time. It can still be hard not to procrastinate it, but it is very helpful at the end of each book for the essays. I think that it is important to be open to the different books and things we do so that you can have fun. The class is made much easier when you get into it and enjoy it a little.
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice that truly resonates with me is definitely to be passionate about your writing. In order to be successful in such, you must create connection and be ardent with the topic and be familiar with the sources you're utilizing. With this, you'll be able to make the subject matter of which you're writing more emotional and ultimately allows growth in your skills. Another piece of advice that resonates with me is to enjoy the class, don't procrastinate and overwhelm yourself with work. When you actually try to enjoy what you're being taught, it won't feel like a task but more like an opportunity.
ReplyDeleteThe main advice in this that resonates with me is the advice to make sure you keep track of the lit tracker. I've never been one to take notes when reading, typically I write them in the book and somehow mark the page, but the lit tracker has been very helpful as a way to get an overview of ideas for character-focused essays.
ReplyDeleteAs for advice I would give, don't be afraid to engage in the class discussions! They can be really engaging if you try, and can lead to new understanding you may not have had beforehand. A large amount of the discussions we have in class end up being good inspiration for future essays, and they in general help the class to be way more fun than it could be otherwise. (This is all assuming you read the book of course, if you didn't read it the prior night prepare for awkward silence and rapidly flipping through the book trying to find what is being spoken about [If you can't tell, I'm trying to advise you to read the books.])
This is from Jared Mamaradlo:
ReplyDeleteA piece of advice that really helped the most was to just work hard on everything whether it's reading or writing. Does not have to be just that but learning also. It's very important to want to learn more new things and have the passion of learning especially when you take Mrs. Caraways IB DP Language & Literature class. This advice is useful for times when we don't try our best or have a lack of motivation when knowing our future ahead of us is so important.
The main piece of advice I resonate with is not procrastinating on your essays. Its really easy to procrastinate until the last minute and give yourself a bunch of stress and worry rather than maybe working in large chunks over a period of time. One piece of advice I would give is to read other peoples essays and practice timed essays its upper beneficial. Especially if you do procrastinate and need to know how to structure, word, and over all, write a solid essay.
ReplyDeleteThe advice that really resonated with me was Ashley’s, with advice about authenticity, learning from mistakes, and to avoid procrastination. This is especially true for this class, as well as all others, DP or not. Putting your best foot forward while making these last years memorable and enjoyable is pretty important. I would also recommend always checking emails, Managebac, and the website. Mrs. Caraway always puts resources and details for assignments and classwork, so don’t ignore them even if it seems like there’s a lot of notifications from her.
ReplyDeleteJeremy Mequi
ReplyDeleteThe advice that resonates with me the most is "do your homework" it may sound simple, but it can get harder than it sounds. My advice is to do your homework ASAP, especially the blog posts. Even if it seems like there is a lot of time to do them, do it as soon as possible before you either forget or get caught up in other work.
Also, spark-notes may seem like your friend, but always do the readings. It pays off to actually read the book, and if it feels difficult to read/follow, look up an audiobook, it's very helpful
The piece of advice that resonates with me the most is to use the lit trackers as you’re reading, and not wait till the last minute or the night before. After completing three lit trackers throughout my Year 1 of IB Language and Literature, I had realized how time consuming they can be. However, when working in groups and not waiting until the last minute, I found it easier to complete the essays and have information to reference in class discussions.
ReplyDeleteA piece of advice I would like to share to incoming students of this class is to engage yourself in the class conversations. It may seem intimidating or overwhelming to speak, at first, however the curriculum and class will be easier to understand if you engage yourself and ask questions when confused. I recently involved myself often in the class, and it has become more enjoyable than ever for me!
The piece of advice that resonates the most with me is to learn the structures and expectations for the different assessments. I find this to be helpful because I am partially worried about testing next year (especially for the IO), so preparing myself by becoming familiar with the assessments is something that I plan on doing over the summer. Some advice that I would give to next year’s Year 1 students is, as stated multiple times by the seniors, to do the Lit Trackers as you go along throughout the text. This can be especially important because then you won’t be stressed out and rushing to create and turn in your Lit Tracker on time at the end of the unit. I like to take notes on our class discussions of the texts at the bottom and then rearrange some of the information into the appropriate sections later. I have found this to be particularly helpful because then I can have other people’s perspectives on the book in addition to my own, ultimately deepening my understanding.
ReplyDeleteOne piece of advice that resonated with me the most after going through my first year of the course, and the DP program in general, is to learn what you can and can not procrastinate on if you’re going to procrastinate. After going through the year and struggling to find balance between assignments and classes, I can confidently advise that it is important to prioritize your work, especially if you’re like me and you can’t fall out of your procrastination habits, so that you don’t get too overwhelmed or stressed. In combination with this, I highly advise that if you’re struggling in any of your classes, be honest with your teachers and the deadlines if you don’t think or know you won’t make it on time. Just make sure you aren’t abusing the kindness of your teachers. Mrs.Caraway is very kind and understanding when you’re honest with her, so don’t abuse your power and you’ll have a wonderful experience.
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice from above that I found the most helpful was Joe Barcala's advice. He stated that if you are going to procrastinate you must learn when it is okay to do so. This resonates with me because I have a tremendous problem with procrastination and I'm trying to work on when and where I can procrastinate while still maintaining success. The fear that I may not figure this ideology out in time is my greatest source of anxiety. I am here to become the best reader and writer I can be and I hope to accomplish this in the upcoming year. I also hope to gain better analyzing and collaborating skills that will better me for the rest of my life.
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice that resonated with me most was Ashlyn Barney's to work hard on very assignment and it will eventually become a habit. This is because I can get very tired sometimes and put little effort in my work, but most of them time I work hard. If I always put in my best effort then I will success and it will come easier. My greatest source of anxiety is that I will get overwhelmed and too stressed. I do not want that to reflect in my work. This year my goal is to do the best I can and work on my self confidence to be proud of my work.
ReplyDeleteI see most advice saying to do the Lit Trackers, so I think that would be the most useful. My greatest source of anxiety is not making the best of the chance to be in the class, but my biggest excitement is getting a challenge in reading. I'm here to try to get even better at what I'm best at doing. I'm hoping to be able to achieve all that I want to achieve in this class.
ReplyDeleteThe words of advice I found the most helpful was to actively participate in class. I can see the benefits of class discussions and how I can utilize them to better my current understanding. My greatest source of excitement would be developing my writing skills and my perspective, by listening to my classmates' ideas. My main goal for this year is to progress my annotation skills and to take pride in my work.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting that people trust Grammarly here. My Grammarly stinks and I trust it as far as I can throw it, which is not at all because it could damage my computer and Grammarly isn't a physical object. I have the most anxiety about the "lit trackers" because I have no idea hat those are but they're apparently super-duber grade-threatening-ly important. I'm mostly here because I want to challenge myself with a college-level class because on a good day I have no idea what I'm doing but hopefully I can prepare for the pace of college.
ReplyDeleteThe most repeated piece of advice presented is to stay on top of work and try to take interest in the class. These points stand out to me as the class of 2022 really emphasizes these points. The staying on top of work aspect is most likely one of the best piece of advice that we could receive, in today's society, everyone understands how easy it is to get busy and how fast things can pile up. The advice will serve as a good warning to all of us as what is to come. My greatest source of anxiety is the work load, however, I know effective time management will allow me to remain balanced this year. This year my goal is to improve my writing skills and improve my confidence in my work.
ReplyDeleteI find the advice on staying on top of the school work to be the most helpful for me. I can sometimes get lazy and fall into a cycle of saying ‘I’ll do that later’ This ends up with work piled up on top of me and often leads to me stressing over simple tasks. My greatest source of anxiety is actually that too; I'm scared that I might fall into that cycle at some point and will have trouble getting out. Since this year's work will be a bit more complex I also fear it won't be as easy to just cram when I do find myself in this situation. Though, that's why I'm here; I hope that I will be able to better myself and prepare myself for college and my future by getting rid of bad habits and putting better ones in place.
ReplyDeleteRebekah Bosc noted that everything that you assign us will be purposeful and that you do not believe in busy work. I appreciate this information because I can go forward knowing that if I actively participate in class, I will be getting something out of it. Another piece of advice that resonated with me was from Halle White. She said that there should be a good balance between how hard you work and how much time you take for yourself. My greatest source of anxiety is overworking myself, especially towards the end of the year. I know that I'm capable of getting the work done, but I also would like for my mental health to be a priority. I'm excited to learn more about the history of English and how it has changed throughout time and continues to change. I am here to challenge myself and to open a door for myself if I do choose to go into college. I don't yet have a solid plan for my plans outside of highschool, but I figured that it would be good to take this class anyways to set me up for college if I do end up going.
ReplyDeleteWhen Ethan Lower said you must be passionate about your writing really resonated with me. I also think it is very important to have emotion tied to what you are writing about. From personal experience, when I was passionate about the subject I was writing about, my essays were so much deeper and meaningful. I have anxiety about time management sometimes because I can procrastinate but, my goal this year is to turn every assignment on time and work passionately. I want my writing to have purpose.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa Fine's advice to always contribute to discussions and submit your best work resonated with me the most. I have a bad tendency to not say anything even if I have a disagreement or something to add to a class discussion, and I need to get in the habit of putting myself out there. She also stressed the importance of only submitting your best work, which I do not always do. Often, I just submit it because it's good enough and the due date snuck up on me. Something I am nervous about after reading these blogs are lit trackers, since so many people had advice regarding how to complete them.
ReplyDeleteThe advice that I connected to most was when Riley Thompson added that having an essay structure and sticking to it. This was helpful because I always struggle when starting an essay and finding out how to structure it. It's difficult for me to figure out how to do my intro and conclusion due to it either being short or having no structure. Knowing I can now just simply use that same structure and edited to fit it will make writing so much easier and be much less of a worry.
ReplyDeleteDoing the lit trackers is extremely important, and useful, care about what you are doing. Several people mentioned the lit trackers and their use, and Ethan Lauer and Christella Santiago mentioned caring about your work and being passionate about it was essential. Those pieces of advice resonated with me on some level. I have heard about the lit trackers from former students of DP English, and how essential they are. Being passionate about what you're doing seems to be a no-brainer but considering how more than one person mentioned it, I ought to pay attention to that.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot for this course to offer other than the Diploma. Its an incredible feat to graduate through the DP but these courses have life skills and lessons to teach you regardless. It builds conversation skills, analyzing abilities, and essay structuring which are necessary for real life situations. It also seems a lot less stressful as long as we have common sense, work together, use the lit trackers, and check the website.
ReplyDeleteThe most common advice that I found throughout the blog was to collaborate and trust in your peers. Everyone said that it is easier and more enjoyable the more you connect and get to know your classmates. Everyone is in it together and it is good to help each other out. (Without plagiarizing of course). I am most anxious about growing up, watching all the seniors leave last year gave me a sense of perspective and reality hit me hard. I need to make the best out of my two years left so that I don’t have any regrets when I leave.
ReplyDeleteI believe the most helpful advice is to enjoy the last two years of high school. It was a point made repeatedly, and while it did not diminish the value of good grades, the advice stresses not missing out on the friendships and opportunities this time in our lives provides. I am anxious about the essays and papers for IB. However, this is also what I am most excited about. I wanted to do IB Language and Literature because I love reading and writing and want to get better at it. The essays and papers will make it clear what things I need to improve on and what I’m already good at.
ReplyDeleteThe words of advice that most resonated with me were that of Tristan Schmidt to enjoy the books that we are reading in class and to at least try to discuss every day. I can see how discussing with others, however small, can profoundly change your perspective of the book and also can help you grow in your enjoyment of it. I find it exciting to be reading three novels this year as last year we read one and a half and the year before only one. I am nervous about these “lit trackers”, as they sound like quite the hassle although worth it for the big essay assignments. Over the next two years, I hope to grow in my reading and writing skills and deepen my understanding of the English language, while also enjoying the novels we are reading and conversing with others to share sometimes opposing viewpoints, leading us to appreciate the world we live in.
ReplyDeleteThe word which resonates with me the most is Ethan Lauer’s. This is because I have at times written essay’s when I was not passionate about what I was writing which forced me into a writer's block. My greatest source of excitement for English this year is being able to read new novels and dive into their meanings. My reason for being in this class is to improve my writing abilities and properly enjoy the different pieces of literature which are being read. I’m hoping to improve my literary devices skills and be able to discover them in a text more efficiently.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the most helpful advice from the previous senior would be Halle White’s. I enjoyed how she said to essentially live in the moment and enjoy your time while you’re here, in order to have fun memories to look back on. This was impactful because I think I (like most of us) can get caught up with our schoolwork and stop just enjoying where we are, so I like how she recommended to still have fun rather than hate our experience later on. I am most excited to learn how to implement the reading and writing skills that we’ve learned in the past, and use them in not only Language and Literature, but all of my other DP classes as well. I am in this class because I have a genuine interest in literature and I am hoping to further my skills and knowledge in this class.
ReplyDeleteAlmost everyone gave the advice of keeping up with your Lit Trackers and completing them collaboratively. I tend to want to complete my work individually so this is good to keep in mind going forward. My biggest source of anxiety is wondering if I’ll be good enough to meet the class standards. I absolutely love English, it’s my favorite subject but this is an upper level class and I get imposter syndrome a bit. I’m very passionate about literature, it’s always just been an enjoyable subject for me and I’m hoping to just continue to learn and expand my skills.
ReplyDeleteI find the words about enjoying your time at school to be most helpful. I tend to overthink things and worry about things I don’t need to. If I keep this up, I will not enjoy my high school experience. I often procrastinate on assignments because I am afraid of starting at the wrong time and messing things up. I am stressed about the workload and falling behind in terms of my GPA. However, I am excited about these last two years of high school. I like my teachers and my classes, and I feel like I have a good group of friends to experience it with. I think that if I give myself the chance to enjoy myself, I will make a lot of great memories in high school. I am taking full DP because I want to challenge myself and prepare myself for the future. This year, my goal is to learn, grow, and explore new opportunities as they present themselves.
ReplyDeleteI find that almost everybody was talking about not procrastinating and turning work in when they're supposed to. A lot of them said that when they didn't turn assignments in, it would snowball and it would start to stress them out. So, if we just get our work done when it needs to be done, we won't have any issues and we'll get through school easily.
ReplyDeleteI find the advice of staying on top of work, not procrastinating, and staying open-minded when reading to fully understand the emotions within the text are the most helpful as I tend to struggle with this and it could further develop my writing skills. My greatest source of anxiety for this year is the complexity of the type of text we are reading. I am here this year because I want to grow both academically and mentally. I feel like it is very important to be open-minded when reading texts so that you can fully understand the source and its contents. This is something that I have previously struggled with because I either cannot focus or tend to use my previous experiences to relate to what is said in the text. Through this class, I hope to expand my knowledge of how to analyze literature and grow an open mind.
ReplyDeleteWhat stuck with me was that I should be passionate about my work and do my best to have fun with it. This kind of motivation can and will allow me to produce better work while also enjoying it enough to want to continue further. I definitely believe that this is important information and I should take this to heart because I often find myself procrastinating. If I try to enjoy what I do I may find more productivity in my schoolwork. I also believe that on top of finding passion and fun in my work, I should also plan or make natural habits of work so that I can be more consistent and efficient in my everyday life.
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advice that I feel is the most helpful is to always be invested in the works you're doing because as stated it will make your writing more personal and be invested into finishing the assignment. This will in turn also help with procrastination because you will want to do your work that you've put so much time and effort into the final product. I am most excited and anxious for the work that is yet to come because it will be exciting to see what this work will in tale and the challenge it will bring. I'm mainly hoping to grow as a reader and writer and truly learn what a good reader and writer looks like.
ReplyDeleteHere is Lauren Strick's post:
ReplyDeleteI found Ethan Lauer’s words of advice the most helpful because he inspired me to consider the reasons why it is so important for individuals to learn how to analyze literature in a school setting as well as apply those skills to our everyday lives. Scholars may use language in their everyday lives for communication by talking or texting, but not enough of them take the time to analyze a piece of literature or even read for fun. In the past, I have been so focused on looking for quotes and getting through the book that I never truly had the time to read without dissecting everything in the book. When reading Brave New World, I finally had the chance to read without small deadlines and the reading was on my own time. To my surprise, I took even more notes because I was relaxed and pondered the small details in the story. Ethan Lauer’s words have reminded me of the ways in which literature is an incredible source for looking back on history or imagining different worlds.
A few things really resonated with me when reading over these quotes and comments. I really found that two things stuck out to me the most. Firstly, I noticed that several of the past seniors mentioned that finding anything in the class to make it enjoyable was the key to success. Like Ethan Lauer mentioned, you have to be passionate about what your writing for it to really count. I also connected with the students that mentioned comparison being the opposition of success. I am very critical of my work sometimes and I think I need to remember these things to keep from being my own worst enemy. I am not very nervous for what is to come, I just think that I need to keep in mind that passion and individuality are very important when it comes to DP Language and Literature. I joined this class to develop and refine my skills in English to hopefully make me a better communicator for the future. I can also say the thought of possible college credit did help my decision as well. But for the most part, I joined this class for the skills I will develop because of it.
ReplyDeleteReading all of the advice posted showed me that collaboration is valuable and essential for success. Everyone comes from different cultures and experiences and with a class filled with diverse perspectives, there’s something to learn from everyone. Just like Ella Pederson said, even if we think we’re familiar with our classmates, there’s always more to know about them. After reading some more advice, I now know to be aware of the importance of having multiple critical friends and working in groups for lit trackers. The general subject of English excites me because I enjoy reading and writing on my own time. I’m looking forward to class discussions and taking apart pieces of literature together. I chose to be in this class to learn how to improve my writing, both analytically and creatively, and to better understand how to analyze and understand literature.
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ReplyDeleteI found Ashley Hoffman and Alyssa Fine’s words to be the most thought-provoking as they both talked about the attitude we should bring into this class. Ashley wrote about embracing who you are and where you are in your literary journey (especially all the mistakes you make along the way), and Alyssa expanded on this by encouraging us to always share our genuine thoughts in class conversations and be proud of the work we turn in. I often struggle to be confident in my work as it’s difficult for me to recognize my personal growth and appreciate where I’m at, but I have been working on bettering my mindset for a long time and strive to be proud of the work I turn in. My biggest anxiety is to fall back into these bad patterns and become stressed over assignments, but my biggest goal is to develop a more accepting mindset and become a more informed communicator. I want to become better at understanding the words and thoughts of others by breaking them down to a deeper level, and also hope to become more confident and skilled in how I communicate my own thoughts and ideas. With that, I also hope to make some really fun memories with the amazing people in this class and experience the freedom and joy that comes with literature.
It was interesting how almost every post talked about group work and collaboration being important. I am excited to collaborate together as a class. I am excited to have a fun year and get a different perspective on English. I hope I can learn to analyze a text better.
ReplyDeleteToy Landers:
ReplyDeleteI loved that Ethan Lauer suggested being passionate about writing. It stood out to me that he valued putting emotion into our writing. I am mostly excited about learning more about myself, my writing style, and my preferred style of literature. This year I am hoping to not only become a better reader and writer, but to become a better person through my language and expression.
When reading through the advice, I noticed some common themes and a few specific pieces that stuck out to me. A lot of the seniors gave advice about staying on top of the Lit trackers while reading novels and managing your time in order to keep up with the workload. As someone who can sometimes struggle with time management, I found the advice to be very significant to me personally. Managing time needs to be a habit. One piece of advice in particular that stood out to me was that of Ethan Lauer when he explains that it is important to be passionate about the work you do. There are times when I see an assignment as school work and not really anything more. But I’ve found that when I can find something I am passionate about in my writing, the piece has more of an emotional connection for the reader and is a more engaging work overall. Halle White’s advice about having fun in the class also stuck out to me. I think sometimes students, including myself, forget that many times there is something enjoyable in the work we do and once we are able to have fun and enjoy the class, the work we do in it becomes more authentic and meaningful.
ReplyDeleteThe piece of advise that is given the most frequently is to remain on top of your work and make an effort to express interest in the course. These ideas jump out to me because the class of 2022 places a lot of emphasis on them. Everyone in today's world is aware of how simple it is to get occupied and how quickly things can mount up, so the advice to keep on top of our job is perhaps one of the greatest we could obtain. The advice will be a good premonition of what is to come for all of us. My greatest source of anxiety would be ensuring I have the time to not only do my assignments but to also do well on my assignments. Although I am most excited about learning to break down parts of reading to understand the authors choices. I am here in the hopes to accomplish a better writing style for myself as well as find the confidence in reading to better comprehend it.
ReplyDeleteOut of all the advice listed, I find them all very helpful, however Ella Pedersen’s 3rd piece of advice, using a planner, is what I find most helpful. With all the assignments I have already received this year, it is important to keep track of any assignments that are “kicked under the rug” and forgotten about until 1 hour before the deadline or event the day after! Therefore, I have already and will continue to keep track of important deadlines on both my planner and Google calendar. When it comes to my greatest source of anxiety this year, I think of self-doubt and worrying that some of my assignments may not be up to par with other students in my classes. However, I believe I was here because I can work to the same level as them as long as I work my hardest and ask for help whenever I need it. This year I hope to further my understanding of different pieces of literature, advancing my skills in literary tools, and more descriptive writing styles.
ReplyDeleteI find the advice from Ethan Lauer that you should be passionate about writing interesting. I definitely think it helps if you have at least some type of emotion about the story, as that will fuel your writing. Of course in doing this, it is important to make sure that we don't disrespect each other's opinion and that we keep an open mind for others people thoughts, ideas, and opinion on the literature we read. I am most nervous for if we have handwritten or timed tests, just because I don't do well with time limits. However, I am excited for the course (specifically our class discussions) because I know that through discussing with my classmates I will get a chance to
ReplyDeleteexpand my thinking, helping to prepare me for the handwritten/timed tests. I am here because I hope to gain a deeper understanding of literary devices, text structure, etc. I also hope to be prepared enough to test at the end of the year, so that I will have a chance to see how taking a college exam feels.
Ethan Lauer’s words of advice were the most interesting to me when he talked about how we need to be passionate about our writing. I’ve found that when I’ve written essays about books that we’ve read in the past and didn’t really pay close attention to the book or thought about the characters’ actions, it was hard to write the essay. However, when I’ve written an essay about a book when I thought about the characters’ actions or why something happened and wrote about something that I enjoyed about the book, the essay became easy and I would just keep on writing and writing. My greatest source of anxiety for this year is the amount of work that I’m going to get and if I’m going to be able to finish it all or become stressed. I’m in this class to challenge myself in my writing and develop new skills that I will use in the future. This year, I am not going to get stressed over my work or procrastinate my assignments, instead, I am going to use my self-management skills and get everything done when I'm given the chance to. Also, I will develop new writing skills and be more passionate about what I am writing about.
ReplyDeleteNathanael Rivera:
ReplyDeleteThe words of advice I find the most interesting is the amount of encouragement the Year 2 scholars gave us for this class. It was very clear that this class may be challenging but it also shows the amount of dedication we need to have to succeed both in this class and in the future along with having fun. I am excited for this year because I am hoping I become better at not procrastinating and managing my time better so that I'm not constantly stressed. I hope to not fail this class and improve my skills in both analyzing texts along with improving as a reader in general.
Noelani Pacheco:
ReplyDeleteThroughout reading the numerous pieces of advice the common theme that appears is giving advice on managing your time well. This piece of advice stood out to me because I struggle with time management. To manage my time well I must develop a habit of designating enough time to finish school work and focusing on finishing assignments in an effective time and not spending too much or too little time to complete an assignment. Another piece of advice that stood out to me was Charleigh Wilson’s advice when he states how beneficial it is to collaborate with your peers when writing a paper or talking about a novel you read. He states that using others to evaluate your work and develop new ideas is beneficial because it introduces new perspectives on various topics and develops new ideas and introduces new thoughts and information. This stood out to me because it allowed me to understand the importance of collaborating with others. Overall I struggle with my communication skills and have a hard time talking with others that I do not know. I can improve on this by talking to people more and working on contributing to each group discussion. Developing a habit of talking to my peers will allow me to gain a deeper understanding of the topics we are going over in class.
The advice I find most helpful is always be passionate about your writing. I agree wholeheartedly with this statement, and I often find that if I don't feel passionate about the writing prompt, the quality of my essay goes down exponentially. My greatest source of anxiety this year stems from my inability to write quickly. I’m worried that I won’t be able to submit longer essays in time because of how slowly I write. The reason why I’m here is to improve my writing and textual analysis skills. This year I hope to become a better, faster, and more fluent writer.
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ReplyDeleteEthan Lauer's words had the most impact on me. This is due to the fact that I regularly don't know what to say simply because I'm not interested in the piece we're working on or what I am writing. I am most excited about this year is to improve as a writer and enhance my literary knowledge. In this class, I hope to find more interest in what I am reading and what I am writing as well.
ReplyDeleteOne piece of advice I found most helpful was Darbys quote on trying new things. It's crucial to always go past your comfort zone, especially in high school, and see what you are capable of. I am excited to read and learn more about Shakespeare this year and literature in general. I took this class to prepare myself for college-level work and improve on specific skills throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteSerena Cardenas:
ReplyDeleteTwo pieces of advice stuck out to me the most when reading the blog. The first piece of advice was to be smart about when you complete and work on your assignments. I found it interesting how the student phrased this advice by saying to know "what you can and can't procrastinate on." I find myself procrastinating a lot so using this advice so I'm not overwhelmed with big assignments will help me in the future! The second piece of advice was to also take care of your mental health as well as your school work. I like how the student said, "Grades matter, but so do you!" Sometimes I find myself struggling to figure out whether I should get a good night's rest or turn in an assignment on time. I have learned to acknowledge that my assignments will still be there tomorrow, and I won't be able to come to school ready to learn if I'm focusing on keeping my eyes open. I know that I can manage my time better if I feel good physically. While I work on breaking my habit of procrastination I can also make sure that I can make it through each day to the fullest! This advice reminded me of that. My greatest source of anxiety is being able to adjust to this new school and new DP workload that I haven't really experienced before. I know it will be challenging but it is also exciting to look around and see a classroom full of people who actually care. I have never experienced an environment like this and it is refreshing! I am looking forward to growing this year alongside my new peers. I am in this class to grow my knowledge of language and literature and to push myself to get familiar with being uncomfortable. When I get too comfortable my growth becomes stagnant. I hope to learn to be a better me within this new environment!
A piece of advice that I found interesting and directly related to me was Josef Barcala’s advice. I am a horrible procrastinator and am trying to break myself of that but I know that it is unlikely that I do so, so learning what I can or cannot procrastinate on is unfortunately my best course of action. Something that I’m quite excited and anxious about is the writing itself, sometimes I enjoy writing, but then sometimes I don’t, so I’m just hopeful that with our choice of writing prompts ill be able to fully enjoy writing on every assignment. I’m hoping that I can find a book that I enjoy reading in this class because as of late I have not really enjoyed reading any book.
ReplyDeleteThe words of advice I find most interesting are making sure to work your hardest on every assignment and to never have the mindset that it is just good enough. Taking pride in our work will help us to become better writers and help us complete our best work. My greatest source of anxiety is falling behind on work, creating a cycle of late work and struggling to where I eventually fall into bad grades. I am here in hopes of growing as a writer and being a better analyzer of books and novels.
ReplyDeleteI found that Darby’s advice about setting and breaking personal limitations really resonated with me. Throughout my life I have come to understand my personal boundaries, how much I can take, how far to take it, and how to keep going. Over the summer, I spent a great deal of time reflecting on how my education has changed forever - starting junior year, the school will never be the same again. I have more responsibilities, more work, harder work, and less time for it all. I came to the conclusion that to be the person I want to be, I must push those boundaries. I must venture outside my comfort zone and try new things. I fear that self-doubt and the toxicity of comfort will suffocate my ambitions, and though I know I will always be “good,” I want to be extraordinary. My biggest anxiety is that I fall into the habit of listening and reciting rather than conceptualizing and applying to build new ideas and onto old ideas. Above all else, I hope that this year is the start of my true academic journey and that from here on out, I will learn as an intellectual rather than a student.
ReplyDeleteAll of these comments of advice are useful and can help me throughout the year. I found Joe Bareala's advice relatable and helpful. He said "If you are going to procrastinate, learn what you can procrastinate on and what you can't procrastinate on". I struggle with procrastinating and I assume he did to. However, instead of completely fixing his issue, he found a solution to it. So I will use this advice and do my best not to procrastinate.
ReplyDeleteThe words of advice I found the most helpful was to be prepared for class, especially when it comes to the lit trackers. Many of the previous students were saying that they could get repetitive or that I may not even enjoy doing them, but it is extremely important to do them because, one, you are prepared for class and ready for discussion, which will eventually help you build your knowledge of the book, character, chapter, whatever it may be, and two, if you fall behind on them, then you won't know what is going on in the story or even the class. My greatest source of anxiety is falling behind, which is why I always tend to do work early when I can or ask questions when I need help so I don't later become more confused than I was. The reason I am here in this class is that it is helping me get ready for college. When I described this class to my mom and my older family members who do happen to be in college, they told me that this class is exactly the way that their classes run. This is very helpful because when I do get to college, I will already know what it takes to get through a class such as this one. I will also know what the teachers will be expecting. What I am hoping to accomplish this year is to improve my writing skills as well as my reading analysis. I learned that this is very important not only for my L&L class but also for my other classes. Practicing my writing as well as finding things that will help me improve my writing will eventually help me become a better learner and expand my knowledge.
ReplyDeleteThe advice that is the most helpful to me is to get all of our assignments in on time and to say engaged in class. It is easy to fall behind in a class when you are not engaged and do not understand what is going on. Also if you procrastinate then the whole class moves on without out so it makes it much harder. Making sure you get everything done on time will make it much easier for yourself and everyone else. I think my greatest excitement is becoming a better writer and being proud of the things I write. I hope to be able to look back on my previous work and see how much I improve over the year.
ReplyDeleteAdriana Barber:
ReplyDeleteI found Aurora Earls's message the most helpful because I tend to form opinions about things before I even do them or experience them, so for me trying to keep an open mind is very important. This has happened to me multiple times in my life where my own perceptions have cheated me out of something I really like now. Like the book Six of Crows, it was really difficult for me to get into, so I out it down and decided that I didn't like it. Months later I decided to give it another go and I absolutely love it now. So for me keeping an open mind about everything is very important.