On our 5 Steps to a 5 practice test, I did quite poorly.
Based on these results, I understand I have several areas I need to improve this
trimester. However, I also did quite well in some areas. My strengths lie
in close reading, referring back to passages. I fully understand the
differences and definitions of similes, metaphors, paradoxes, irony and how to apply
them in literature.
As for weaknesses: I would like to
widen my vocabulary. On many tests there are questions concerning a piece’s tone
or mood and they’re often described with unfamiliar vocab—how am I supposed to
know if a poem is discretionary, or circumspect, or disconsolate if I don’t
understand the meaning of those words? I’m also no good at distinguishing literature
types, such as poems, sonnets, essays, etc. I’m sure every other high school student
has probably said this, but I have a lot of trouble finding author’s purpose or
the meaning behind their words.
My plan to improve these faults
and strengths is to practice more analytical reading and quiz myself more between
intervals. Along with that, I plan to look up all words that I’m even remotely
unfamiliar with so when I see them on a quiz I fully understand their meanings.
Three realistic and measurable
goals to help my improvement are 1) acing the next test, 2) acing the next
paper, and 3) acing the class. By scoring well on the next test I can see immediate
improvement and areas I still lack. By scoring well on the next paper, I can
see that I understand these literary ideas and can freely apply them. By
scoring well in the entire class at the end of the first trimester, I can fully
strengthen my literary and analytical skills and turn my weaknesses into strengths.
I realize that we have very similar weaknesses, especially when it comes to the limitations on our vocabulary. I, like you, cannot even begin to identify the different forms of literature due to my limited vocabulary. I think that your goal of looking up an unfamiliar terms is most likely the best way to approach the situation. Your goals of acing the class are vague though: I think that acing the class is more a sign that you are fulfilling your goals. Perhaps you should think of more methods of how you’re going to accomplish this, since merely looking up terms most likely isn’t going to help you learn them. After you have mastered the different forms of poetry, any misunderstandings based on vocabulary limitations should clear up along with a bonus of obtaining tools that will hint at methods of analyzing the text. This brings me to your other stated weakness, another which I share with you. You stated that you had trouble finding the hidden meanings behind the text, and also noted that you planned on practicing reading passages and quizzing yourself on them to help. I agree with this method because this is likely to be a situation where practice can only benefit. I see that you have high expectations for yourself, now the only obstacle is fulfilling them by following what you have planned out now as well as other possible goals.
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