Science 9 Personal/Social Core Competency
This year in Science 9, I faced initial struggles in understanding difficult topics across chemistry, biology, and physics. Chemistry equations, biological processes, and the principles of physics seemed scary and tough at first. To overcome these challenges, I made myself study harder because I knew that my work would pay off. Seeking continuous feedback on my lab reports also improved my scientific approaches and growth. These efforts helped me turn my struggles into successes, fueling my passion for science and improving my thinking curricular competency. I refused to admit I was struggling. As the semester went on, I learned to become more personally aware and I reached out for assistance from tutors and peers which was an enormous help. this proved my ability to expand my knowledge and take on responsibilities. This proactive approach has built my confidence in myself, my grades, and my ability to be able to help other people as well. During Science 9, I actively used the “Questioning and Predicting” curricular competency to deepen my understanding of cell reproduction. During our unit on mitosis and meiosis, I constantly asked questions such as, “What happens to the genetic patterns if meiosis goes wrong?” This allowed me to predict potential outcomes and further my understanding of how cells multiply and pass on genetic information, like shown below.
English 9 Communication Core Competency
Throughout the school year, I experienced visible growth in my communication skills, particularly in my English class. Initially, I was hesitant to participate in class discussions and group activities, due to it being my first ever time in such a big school and such a big change of environment. However, as the semester progressed, I actively pushed myself out of my comfort zone, gradually becoming more confident in expressing my thoughts and opinions which proved I can understand and share information about topics that were discussed. I made an effort to engage with my peers during group projects, actively listening to their perspectives and contributing my own ideas. Overall, my increased social engagement and collaboration in English class has not only increased my learning experience but also made me more confident when talking in a group.
the link above is a story me and my partner wrote for an English assignment. This project showed my ability to compromise and split up the work evenly, to communicate through texts to figure out how we were going to write/plan out the story, and to collaborate since we both had somewhat different ideas. This story proved my ability to create and communicate thoroughly.
Math 9 Thinking Core Competency
In the beginning, I struggled to understand some more complex algebraic concepts. I met with my tutor once per week but even through my constant effort, I felt as though I was behind and struggling to pick up the lessons. I began to study for at least an hour every day whenever I could fit it in, and I watched videos explaining the concepts until I finally understood. Through these things I’ve learned to call routine, I felt more confident and my understanding deepened. Additionally, I applied the thinking core competency by actively reflecting on my problem-solving methods and analyzing the areas where I was struggling. This self-assessment helped me to identify specific gaps in my understanding and adjust my learning strategies according to that. In my Math 9 class, I improved my skills in “Understanding and Solving” by tackling a variety of linear equation problems, ensuring I grasped the steps involved in solving each one. For the “Reasoning and Analyzing” competency, I compared different methods like graphing versus substitution, analyzing which approach was most effective based on the equation’s complexity. This practice not only helped me solve equations more efficiently but also deepened my understanding of when and why to use each method.
(the photo above showcases a “Mathscot” we were instructed to make. As shown, I made a dragon who goes by the name “Perry the Polynomial Dragon” and he helps you combine and solve difficult polynomials.)