Freshman Year
For the first year of high school, I did not attend Great Oak, therefore I didn't have a portfolio. However, reflecting upon my essays from this year, it is apparent that I struggled with organization. I did finish both semester with A's in English, however I was not taught how to create an elaborate structure for an essay. This was the first year I was introduced to the concept of a thesis which would act as a roadmap to the rest of the piece. In most of my essays, however, I failed to tie body paragraphs back to the thesis and provide an in-depth analysis.
Sophomore Year
In AP Language and Composition I avidly tried to change the manner in which I wrote after being educated on how to write essays stylistically. At the beginning of the year I received 3's and 4's on my essays which was an indication that I was missing an important asset in my writing structure. After each essay was handed back, I examined my mistakes and made sure to avoid them. I also took an active role in memorizing "Terrible Terms" to incorporate in my essays. My portfolio was always organized and had almost all of my grade entries filled out. This was my first year participating in Socratic Seminars so I was still intimidated in voicing my opinion. I didn't have the confidence to express my literary knowledge so for the most part, I stated the bare minimum. I received A's for both semesters.
Junior Year
My Junior year I began my first year of HL English with Mrs. Balka. The IB curriculum allowed me to look at broad themes such as masculinity vs. femininity, perception vs. reality, and deception with in the given literary works. I received scores of 8-10 in my essay categories. This was also the first year I was introduced to hot seats, which forced students to come to class after thoroughly reading the novels. Presentations such as the IOP gave me a chance to analyze a specific topic. For example I compared female oppression in The Awakening and Hamlet which improved my understanding of both novels. This presentation also had a small audience interaction portion as well, which was an opportunity for other students to learn new elements of the book. I received A's for both semesters. My portfolio was not organized well which caused confusion in reviewing my scores.
Senior Year
My most successful year of English was my final year of high school. I believe that this was the year I was able to fully understand the different components of an essay and present a coherent argument. In previous years I had problems with my thesis, quote integration, depth of analysis, and transitions. Through Mrs. Casady's breakdown of evidence and analysis through the "what, why and how" I have a simple guideline to create a complex essay. This year, Socratic Seminars were no longer intimidating, but rather helpful because they gave me a chance to voice my take on a piece of writing and clarify sections I have trouble with. The student-run presentations for each novel, also prepared me for the IB test because they forced me and my peers to fully understand the given theme to formulate a thesis with literary features. The IOC prep at the beginning at the year, significantly increased my ability to analyze poems and identify literary features. Towards the end of the year I have been receiving 6's and 7's and I'm proud of the proud of the progress I have made throughout high school.