Reflective Essay
On first arrival to ACLC I knew I was in for a journey. I walked into
class, a shy and reserved girl, not knowing anyone except some kids I may’ve
seen around town. However, over time I developed a very strong bond with two
peers, and even more throughout the years. I have attended ACLC for five years,
and I am proud to say that. As a child I would go from school to school and it
became almost a routine to change schools every two years; however that all
changed after my mom and I enjoyed the ACLC experience.
Attending this school has contributed to my character and my work ability in a
dramatic way. Over time I have definitely became more of an outgoing person
and a better leader. I have stepped up and gotten more involved in my
community by joining leadership and leading yearbook committee; which are
things I definitely wouldn’t be doing at a normal public school. My work ability
has changed over the years, as I have adjusted to the school more. At prior schools,
I rarely had an opportunity to just relax while at home because of homework,
but at ACLC you have the opportunity of finishing your homework before you
even make it home. I have taken complete advantage of my project time at
school to finish homework so that I have a chance to do other things during
the day.
The things that I found that are most tested at ACLC are your thinking
and reasoning skills. You are offered plenty of free periods at the school, in
which you may take the time out to talk and mingle amongst your peers and
facilitators, and this is when the in-depth conversations occur. However,
my thinking and reasoning increased dramatically on the arrival of a new English
teacher. During my tenth through twelfth grade years we began to do Socratic
Seminars, which are group discussions about a text, we were told to dig deep
nto the text and ask clarifying questions until we felt that we grasp an
understanding of the text. With the help of Socratic Seminars I have learned to
write three page essays, of me basically analyzing a text.
Prior to attending ACLC I was always that kid that did group projects on
my own, not because my group didn’t want to help, but because I didn’t want
their help. Even today I prefer to work alone; however I do know how to work in
a group. While working in a group I’m usually a strong leader, depending on the
project’s subject, however I am very good at compromising and taking into
consideration the thoughts and ideas of everyone in the group. My group work
usually consists of the aesthetics and theme of the project, and these are
things that I usually do best while working in a group. Because ACLC is a
project-based school and community plays a big role in it, I have definitely had
my share of group projects, and this is why I am the good collaborator I am
today.
Technology has had a great impact on me. I barely hand write any assignment
given to me and this is because it is more formal, and ACLC is filled with computers.
Attending a regular public high school and trying to write an essay may be extremely
hard on the kids who don’t own computers at home, and have no free periods. It may
mean that they may have to stay after school or dedicate their lunch to go to the
school’s computer lab, or the public library, whereas a kid at ACLC is offered free
periods and unlimited access to computers in the Center. When I first arrived to ACLC
I barely knew how to type and would take nearly a thirty minutes to type a paragraph;
however now I consider myself computer savvy.