Everything Has a Beginning

How was the world created? You can find out in this movie, based on Japanese mythology:

I'm Almost a Seventh Grader!

1. What pieces of work and learning are you most proud? Explain.

There's so much I've accomplished this year, so many assignments and projects. The one I am most proud of is what you're looking at right now: my blog. I think my blog deserves the most pride because I put the most effort into writing what I thought and felt, and a lot of our blogposts were asking for that. I liked writing about myself, and reflecting on work, like I'm doing now. (because everybody enjoys talking about themselves!) The blogposts were one place we could just write and write about how we felt about something, including how we've done this year. This resulted in me working harder and genuinely asking myself, "How do I feel about this?"

2. What were your greatest challenges? Explain.

My greatest challenges were probably finding time to go above and beyond what was assigned, and shoot above the goal. This wasn't so bad for me during the middle of the school year, but near the end (about this time) I started getting seriously lazy and avoided doing homework, and only worked on what was assigned, so I didn't push myself very much. I think what I will work on next year (and now) is finding some way to be enthusiastic about work and my grades, because right now I'm not feeling that I'm working my best.

3. Reflecting on your growth this year, what did you learn about yourself as a learner?

I've learned that I enjoy working on projects, just so I can finish and reflect on them, like I'm doing now, and see what can be improved. The literature circles (lit. circles) were not simple assignments, but I finished them and now I can look back at them and think about how my responses could have more information from the book, or how my connections could have more details. I've also learned that I may need to do something to help me feel more ready to work, because in some assignments I'm not trying my hardest.

4. To evaluate your work habits, choose 1 of the following from each category (and provide explanations):

a) Behavior

-Could be improved

-Satisfactory

-Perfect

I say 'perfect', not because it's absolutely perfect, but because my behavior is slightly closer to perfect than satisfactory. I don't purposely make trouble or try to get others hurt, so I don't think my behavior is any less than it should be. My behavior in class is fine, my behavior in working can have more enthusiasm, and my behavior anywhere else is fine, too, I suppose.

b) Participation

-None

-Satisfactory

-Actively participate in class

I don't raise my hand very often in class, unless I have a question that hasn't been asked by any other students yet, or an answer that hasn't been given by anyone else. This can be changed, if I manage to grow out of the shell that contains me when in front of a classroom of people.

c) Organization

-Needs serious help

-Satisfactory

-I'm super organized

Organization is something that runs in my mom's side of the family, and sometimes I can't stand anything being disorganized or messy, so I give everything an order. This is something you can see in everything I do, even in writing this blogpost, by dividing up the sections with the questions as headings. This may not make it look very natural, or attractive, but it makes it easier to read what needs to be read, and that's what's best for me.

d) Effort

-Needs serious help

-Satisfactory

-I always go above and beyond what is required

Like I had mentioned in a previous paragraph, I went above and beyond earlier in my sixth grade year, but I can't say I've 'always' done it, since I'm getting sloppier with my work as the end of the year comes closer.

5. Based on your reflections, write two personal learning goals for Grade 7 next year.

Goal 1- In Grade 7, I plan to

Work my hardest on projects and assignments, and find a new way of looking at school so I'm motivated to do just that.

Goal 2- In Grade 7, I plan to

Get more sleep, and recreational time so I can feel better about doing work, and actually trying my best.

6. Is there any more information that you'd like the teachers to know?

Something I'd like my future teachers to know is that I am very quiet in class discussions, because I don't feel comfortable about sharing ideas with a crowd of people that I may know well or just slightly. Strangely, I feel better about discussing in large groups if I'm talking with people I don't talk to often, because I am more comfortable about sharing my ideas with people who will only have what I say to judge me, and I don't think my ideas will produce too many negative thoughts about me. If I have to discuss ideas with people I know, let it be a small group, maybe four people, because I feel considerably more comfortable with a small group than a whole classroom.

7. Finally, go back to when to your first few months of sixth grade. What "Words of Wisdom" or "Advice" would you like to pass on to the Class of 2018?

Some advice I'd like to give to future sixth graders are based on things I've experienced this year, most of them regarding homework. One thing I've learned is: DON'T LEAVE YOUR HOMEWORK TO THE LAST MINUTE!! This tip came in handy during the dreaded "Lit. Circle Time", where you have multiple passages, questions, responses and so on to work on over the course of a week, and the worst mistake you can make on lit. circles is to leave it to the night before it's due. This is advice you ('you' being anyone new to sixth grade next year) may very well be given several times, but I can't stress how important it really is. More words of wisdom include working your best on projects; if the requirement is two paragraphs, write three, or more, and add more information than what's assigned. Also, it's not the length of what you write that matters, it's the content. The length can help with adding more so the audience continues to stay interested. Don't use it to mean you write nonsense and make it look like five paragraphs of good work, because it's better to be two of outstanding detail. And the most important of all, that will help you with homework, friends, and just life in general, is to enjoy yourself, and what you're doing. Have fun!

The end is near... of the school year, and of this blogpost.