1. In what ways have you grown as a writer? I think I have grown as a writer in introducing my quotes and my analysis. At the beginning of the year I always had quote bombs in my essay, but now I have learned how to introduce them properly instead of just going right into it. I also have improved in my analysis. I have learned how to connect my quote with my topic and explain how it connects better.
2. What ways do you still feel you need work? I think I still need work with my thesis statements, topic sentences and conclusion sentences. Those subject have always been the hardest for me. With the thesis statement and topic sentence, its always been difficult to make them arguable. With conclusion sentences its been hard to try and wrap things up and transition into the next paragraph.
3. What is your plan to improve these areas? My plan is to attend team study more and come up with ways where it will be easier for me to understand these topics. I also need to practice them more so when it does come to the essay I am prepared to write.
Trimester 2
1. List the areas of improvement you've learned about thus far. -topic sentences -transition words -concluding sentences -topic sentences -quote citation + punctuation -transition words -incorporating evidence -Less summary, more analysis -no contractions in formal writing -avoid fragment sentences -no contractions in formal writing -be specific in thesis + topic sentences -analysis vs summary -commas -concluding sentences
2. Where do you see an overlap? I see in overlap in topic sentences, transition words, having more of a summary then an analysis, and having contractions in formal writing. I have always had a hard time with topic sentences. I never make them detailed enough, or arguable. In my IS class we have been working on how to write them and the different types of topic sentences. I now know how to make them detailed and arguable and I have been incorporating that into my writing now and even my speeches that we did. Not having transition words in my essay has been a common theme. In my concluding sentences when going from paragraph to paragraph I always try to introduce the next topic or supporting details but I never use transition words. Sometimes I feel as if I do not need them if I have introduced the next topic or supporting detail in the concluding sentence of the last paragraph. In my concluding sentences I seem to introduce my next topic instead of wrapping up what I was talking about. I don't relate it back to what I was talking about either. I more move on to the next topic. When I am writing an essay about a book, I seem to write it as more of a summary then write an analysis. Instead of relating it back to what the topic of the essay is, I summarize the book. I didn't know that you couldn't use contractions in formal writing. In the first essay I know I used words like "I" and "we" so trying to maneuver around that was difficult. I practiced taking sentences with contractions in them and then putting them into sentences with no contractions,
3. In what ways have you grown as a writer? I have grown as a writer through my topic sentences, thesis statements, and not using contractions. I have been practicing my topic sentences and my thesis statements by making them more arguable and practicing the different types of topic sentences. I also haven't been using contractions in my writing. The only time there are contractions in my writing is if it is incorporated into a quote. I have learned how to change sentences from having contractions to not having contractions in them.
4. What ways do you still feel you need to work on? I think I still need to work on my conclusion sentences. I need to learn how to relate back to the prompt instead of moving on to my next topic. If I related it back I think my paragraphs would sound a lot smoother and would make my essay a lot better.
5. In what other ways have you grown? I think I have grown more with reality in the real world. During the project on slavery, it really opened my eyes up and realized I'm privileged just to have thinks like clean water and to be able to get an education. I know that me and my friends view school as something we have to do but their our people our age who love to be able to go to school. So I think in that aspect of reality and the real world I have grown from this year in English.