Reflective Essay
Throughout the 5 years I have been at ACLC I’ve been counting down the days until I became a senior. I watched my brothers go through their senior year and was really excited for what was to come. And now that the time has finally come, it is somewhat surreal to be happening. It feels great and scary at the same time to be the “big kid” on campus. There were many great experiences and new things that I have learned over the years, and many lessons I will remember for the rest of my life.
Personal Qualities, Work Habits and Attitudes
At ACLC they teach you to persevere, to work towards being the best you can possibly be, and to be responsible for your own learning. When I first came to ACLC in 8th grade my self management skills weren't the best, such as not writing down homework assignments in my planner, or when I did write them down, I wouldn't check my planner when I got home. It took me until 10th grade to really get a hold of how to self manage my time. But once I did I was coming home with completed homework because I finished all my homework during my work periods. I think that if I didn't attend ACLC that I would not have learned the time management skills which are essential for college. Once I got into the groove of the school and what it is about, I was able to bring lots of enthusiasm to my classes and educational leadership days. Additionally, the strong community and close relationships that I have been able to develop with the facilitators allowed me to feel comfortable and supported.
New Basics
Over the five years my public speaking skills and writing skills flourished. I am now able to write in MLA and APA formats and complete five page essays as my standard practice. From Lynn and Molly I learned a lot about improving writing skills and the structure of an essay. Lynn and Molly are the English facilitators that I have had over my years here. In Lynn’s class we had a day dedicated to doing peer edits on each others essays and in Molly's class we focused on setting up evidence structure of my paragraphs. I was always super shy and hated public speaking. However, I was comfortable in Lynn’s class where I felt at ease and at home and so I was able to be excited about presentations. My communications skills have gotten better since we do almost all our projects in groups. I have learned how to use Google docs and to communicate with group members to finish projects.
Thinking and Reasoning Skills
ACLC is a very interesting school and helps students to think in different ways and use reasoning skills. In Randy’s class, my physics facilitator, I learned how to creatively think for many of the required projects like the cardboard boat, Mars probe, and roller coaster project. I was able to work on visualizing on how to build a project with the classmates in my group. Within the Judicial Committee (JC) system of hours I was able to use my reading to help decide how to give consequences to students who were written up for breaking community rules. You are probably wondering what the JC system is. The JC system is our way of delivering consequences to students who get in trouble. It is built up of a jury of students and each student is required to serve for 3 hours each year.
Interpersonal Abilities
Over the years through many projects, I have worked with a diverse group of people and have been able to use my leadership and cooperation skills. One example is when I worked with a student named George Hofstetter on a Ted Talk project for Lynn's English class back in 10th grade. The project was to describe on how tech companies help and shape our youth. I knew nothing on this topic, but since George is in the tech world I was able to use communication and negotiation skills to decide what to put in each slide. In the physics roller coaster project I took on the leadership role to organize supplies, set up the meeting schedule at my house, and facilitate the steps needed to build the roller coaster.
Technology
At ACLC I learned to use Google docs, create spreadsheets and create PowerPoint presentations. I didn't know that Google docs existed before I went into freshman year. Lynn required us to use Google docs so we were able to share our essays with our peers. In Digital Music and Digital Video Studio classes we used the programs Reason and Final Cut Pro to edit videos and songs we created. The use of technology has made me a more effective student.
Conclusion
These past 5 years at ACLC have really helped me to become a more confident and well rounded human being. I feel prepared for college in that I can manage my time and be as successful as I can possible be. More high schools should have schedules set up this way because really does help you to develop time management skills and study habits that will benefit you. All of these skills, particularly learning how to present a project to a group of people will help me to be successful in any of my future endeavors.
Personal Qualities, Work Habits and Attitudes
At ACLC they teach you to persevere, to work towards being the best you can possibly be, and to be responsible for your own learning. When I first came to ACLC in 8th grade my self management skills weren't the best, such as not writing down homework assignments in my planner, or when I did write them down, I wouldn't check my planner when I got home. It took me until 10th grade to really get a hold of how to self manage my time. But once I did I was coming home with completed homework because I finished all my homework during my work periods. I think that if I didn't attend ACLC that I would not have learned the time management skills which are essential for college. Once I got into the groove of the school and what it is about, I was able to bring lots of enthusiasm to my classes and educational leadership days. Additionally, the strong community and close relationships that I have been able to develop with the facilitators allowed me to feel comfortable and supported.
New Basics
Over the five years my public speaking skills and writing skills flourished. I am now able to write in MLA and APA formats and complete five page essays as my standard practice. From Lynn and Molly I learned a lot about improving writing skills and the structure of an essay. Lynn and Molly are the English facilitators that I have had over my years here. In Lynn’s class we had a day dedicated to doing peer edits on each others essays and in Molly's class we focused on setting up evidence structure of my paragraphs. I was always super shy and hated public speaking. However, I was comfortable in Lynn’s class where I felt at ease and at home and so I was able to be excited about presentations. My communications skills have gotten better since we do almost all our projects in groups. I have learned how to use Google docs and to communicate with group members to finish projects.
Thinking and Reasoning Skills
ACLC is a very interesting school and helps students to think in different ways and use reasoning skills. In Randy’s class, my physics facilitator, I learned how to creatively think for many of the required projects like the cardboard boat, Mars probe, and roller coaster project. I was able to work on visualizing on how to build a project with the classmates in my group. Within the Judicial Committee (JC) system of hours I was able to use my reading to help decide how to give consequences to students who were written up for breaking community rules. You are probably wondering what the JC system is. The JC system is our way of delivering consequences to students who get in trouble. It is built up of a jury of students and each student is required to serve for 3 hours each year.
Interpersonal Abilities
Over the years through many projects, I have worked with a diverse group of people and have been able to use my leadership and cooperation skills. One example is when I worked with a student named George Hofstetter on a Ted Talk project for Lynn's English class back in 10th grade. The project was to describe on how tech companies help and shape our youth. I knew nothing on this topic, but since George is in the tech world I was able to use communication and negotiation skills to decide what to put in each slide. In the physics roller coaster project I took on the leadership role to organize supplies, set up the meeting schedule at my house, and facilitate the steps needed to build the roller coaster.
Technology
At ACLC I learned to use Google docs, create spreadsheets and create PowerPoint presentations. I didn't know that Google docs existed before I went into freshman year. Lynn required us to use Google docs so we were able to share our essays with our peers. In Digital Music and Digital Video Studio classes we used the programs Reason and Final Cut Pro to edit videos and songs we created. The use of technology has made me a more effective student.
Conclusion
These past 5 years at ACLC have really helped me to become a more confident and well rounded human being. I feel prepared for college in that I can manage my time and be as successful as I can possible be. More high schools should have schedules set up this way because really does help you to develop time management skills and study habits that will benefit you. All of these skills, particularly learning how to present a project to a group of people will help me to be successful in any of my future endeavors.