Reflection Of High School Education

In 8th grade, instead of baking cookies or cake in cooking class or drawing pictures in art, I took German 1 to put myself in the position to be placed in AP German my senior year. My freshman and sophomore years of high school I took Photography to work towards taking AP 2D Studio Art along with other AP/accelerated sciences, maths, and english classes. Certainly, there are other students that took just as difficult of courses that I did, but I pushed myself to excel in other courses that others may not have taken.

“You only get one chance, and then you’re adults study while you’re young it’ll bring endless results.” South Park Mexican’s song “Addicted To Storms” has been my motivation since freshman year; however, I chose this quote from that song because high school is hard and comes with a lot of responsibilities, but it will all pay off later. This quote describes my overall high school experience because I do all I can while I’m in high school to be able to get into a good university and pursue my dreams.

The educators in the documentary, “Rethinking High School: Best Practice in Action,” claimed that authenticity, collaboration, and challenge are the three core principles that are needed in our school system to achieve better teaching and learning. I agree with the statement, especially when we are talking about urban schools.

I have always excelled at math and science. Sophomore year, I had to decide whether I would take regents or honors physics in my junior year. I was already going to take AP biology, and I had planned on signing up for regents physics so that I wouldn't get too overwhelmed by science courses. Everyone warned me that honors physics was a tough class. However, I ended up taking the honors because my friend didn't want to be alone in that course. This is one of the best choices I've made in my life. I loved my honors physics class. Physics allows me to apply my math knowledge into real world situations that I can visualize and even test experimentally. Additionally, it requires me to problem solve and think problems through meticulously, which I love.

I took Chemistry for the first time as an Honors Chemistry course in junior year and loved it. My teacher did not explain so well, so I had to teach myself the material. Previously I had considered this situations a burden because I had to spend so much time reading the book and looking for information online, but with Chemistry it was different. I enjoyed reading about the different subjects and understanding their applications to our daily lives. This passion I feel for Chemistry only got stronger and stronger, which is why I’m taking AP Chemistry as a senior, even though it meant not being able to take AP French, which I enjoyed a lot.

My junior year was the first time I had enrolled in an Advanced Placement (AP) English course. Going into this course, I was expecting to read a lot of books and write a multitude of papers (which we did). What I was not expecting, although, was to learn how to read faster, write effectively, defend

Taking English II as a freshman was a drastic shift from what I had previously done in middle school.

English was always my best High School subject; Math and Science were always my worst I took three years of Special ED Math and Science.The High School I attended didn't offer multiple Special Ed math classes options. My schedule never featured a Lab Science or an Algbra class. I completed the minimum three year Math and Science requirement on time. It was a tedious task. I was excited to pursue a writing degree. This decision was based on my early childhood writing dream. I knew that I wanted to become a writer when I was 4 or 5.

My high school experiences have become imprinted into my memory and parts of me. I changed entirely from the first day I walked in as a freshmen to the last day I walked across the stage with my diploma. Not only do I look different but I act, think, and understand differently. I realize now that an individual’s character is largely constructed by other people’s opinions, unwritten rules, and a subliminal hierarchy. The reality of high school makes it difficult to escape the ideal image of a perfect student, friend, respectful significant other, and model child. With all these different forces pulling students back and forth, the primary goal is to be accepted; despite how much change one must undergo. From my high school experiences I know how to deal with labelling, peer pressure, alienation, and cliques. Thus my former high school social lessons and knowledge allow me to reshape my perception, values, and self-image to this day.

Stereotypes, unfair justifications, what is college really about? Colleges now, base their students’ approval through a sheet of paper with grades! If you were to ask any college or any student, they would tell you that students are admitted into certain colleges based on their high school transcript. A transcript reflects a student’s grades, but it does not reflect his thoughts, ideas, or how intelligent he really is.

    I am very proud of the grades I have received throughout my years in highschool. When I am given a task I like to complete it to the best of my ability. Getting good grades has always come naturally to me. I have spent several hours completing my homework and projects, which have been very beneficial for my grades. I have taken several classes that have been very useful to my education. From math and english to spanish and the nursing assistant class, I have obtained many important skills that will help me throughout college.

My high school experiences have become imprinted into my memory and parts of me. I changed entirely from the first day I walked in as a freshmen to the last day I walked across the stage with my diploma. Not only do I look different, but I act, think, and understand differently. Our identities are a process of social encounters with different groups of people, contrasting systems, and self-defining moments that we face in high school. I realize now that an individual’s character is largely constructed by other people’s opinions, unwritten rules, and a subliminal hierarchy. The reality of high school makes it difficult to escape the ideal image of a perfect student, friend, respectful significant other, and model child. With all these different forces pulling students back and forth, the primary goal is to be accepted, despite how much change one must undergo. From my high school experiences I know how to deal with peer pressure, alienation, and cliques. Thus, my former high school social lessons and knowledge allow me to reshape my perception, values, and self-image to this day.

As an international students, I had a difficult time adjusting to my first English course in the United States. Therefore, I dropped the class. When I took the same class next semester, I was aware of the level of proficiency I needed to show and worked hard to received the perfect grade.

In, high school my teachers assign me with different kinds of reading and writing. The types reading that i remember is the Killing Mocking Bird and The Adventure of Odysseus in freshman year of highschool. I didn't like the two book that much. Next the types of writing i recall writing is an observation poem in my english writing class i had to observe an thing and write at least five line poems using the four key items(see, hear, feel, and think). I had to write a lot summaries on articles and writing prompts in four years in secondary school. Also, i did a reflection essay where i had created an claim, counterclaim, evidence, rebuttal, TAG (title, Author, and Genre) of information and quote of one of the scenes in the story of Shakespeare Hamlet before i start my reflection writing.

High School is one of the most prominent time in one’s life. During this time, one is taught to be financially literate, how to use grammar and punctuations wisely, be mathematically inclined and aware of different sciences. Notice how I excluded history, but there is a reason for this. History is often manipulated and told by those who are comfortable telling fabricated stories made up by the white man. This causes for students, especially African Americans have a false interpretation of their history and come to college relatively unprepared. ADW and its concepts go into the root of history without giving out false conceptions, however, it is very unfortunate that it is not taught until one’s young adult years because that is when distorted information is already drilled into their brain. ADW concepts being taught in high school such as issues of identity; the intersection of race, gender, and social class; displacement, and conditions of servitude could only lead to the enrichment of the inquiring minds of this generation, allow them to see relatable circumstances, and help diminish their ignorance of African history.