Reflection Essay
Francisco D. Bautista
Lynn Kameny
Senior Seminar
9/18/16
Senior Essay 2.0
Introduction
I began attending ACLC in my 6th grade year, during the Fall of 2010. Back then I was, for all intents and purposes, one of the many proverbial fish out of water beginning middle school. The school around me, although known to me beforehand, was still new and alien, just as much as the new schedule and learning material. Yet, just like many of the other new and alien things we encounter in our lives, I grew used to it and eventually came to love it. For seven school years now, ACLC has served as a major factor in both my academic and social development. The school’s environment, foundations, and community have helped to shape me into the person I am today.
Personal Qualities, Work Habits, and Attitudes
First entering ACLC, I wasn’t much to consider: a socially inexperienced boy who didn’t really know how he could interact or what he should say. You know that kid in -Thats where the main subject of this paragraph focuses: social and mental development. The environment that ACLC creates is an ideal place for the development of social skills and abilities, something - At the end of the day, I can confidently say that ACLC has shaped me into a much more attentive and understanding person.
New Basics
Science has always been an interest of mine, going back as far as preschool when I first learned about dinosaurs. Although it’s not my best subject, it’s the one I am most fond of- However, I believe the subject that tests, and satisfies, me the most would have to be English. - Of course this has also lead into another text heavy subject, one I personally enjoy: History. Although I often sat out the more triggering videos and intros, I grew to understand the importance of this subject greatly. The facts of the past and the possibilities of the future based upon those were quite fun to riff through.
Thinking and Reasoning Skills
No learning experience is completely sunshine and rainbows: mistakes are inevitable, and we all have our problems. Mine, as it just so happens, is procrastination, which while a burden, has taught me the invaluable skill of planning mentally. The ability to visualize one’s work and plans is invaluable to any learner, especially with a large pile of (potentially late) homework. - This is especially important when working in a group project, as I
Interpersonal Abilities
I consider myself a team worker, trying to do my part and my role just as other would do theirs. Of course no one is perfect, and occasionally I have to pick up the slack for another group member, just as they would for me. The evolution poster last year was particularly full of this, when I had to complete the Bio-Poster myself when one of our members came up short. Of course there are points where I have to take up a partial or occasionally full leadership role, particularly in group projects. A lot of the time this involves keeping people connected and on track, such as when I was flying to Portland and typed up a massive joint email of instructions for my entire group. While I’m not a perfect leader, I know what to do if one isn’t available, and I like to think that matters a lot.
Technology
Ah technology, both a blessing and a bane in my academic days, serving as both a source of aid and a source of distraction. I, with my ever-so prominent capacity for procrastination, obviously struggle with the latter source. Responsibility is needed here, both on what functions to use and when to use them: I must limit gaming and web surfing to my downtime, no matter how much it tempts me. Aside from these issues, however, the technological area is quite useful, as I’ve often found myself doing much research through online resources. All of my projects have involved online research, whether it be through the use of Jupitergrades or the need to fill a bibliography.