Ali, 1 Anthony Ali 25, November, 2013 English 120A Professor Seehafer Personal Reflection Final

Personal Reflection y name is Anthony Ali, an! " have #ante! to become an e!$cator since " #as in Elementary school% &his semester, for me, #as one of the best semesters " have ha!% "t is the secon! to last semester $ntil " gra!$ate% A very long time ago, a''ro(imately eighteen years ago, " move! to America from Pa)istan% " #as small, 'etite, an! a gregario$s chil! #ho love! the ne# free!om an! bea$ty of the #or!% " a!mire! the *nite! States an! learning ne# things each !ay% +$t that all change! #hen " #ent to school% " #as a ,$ic) learner #hen " entere! school% " love! ath, Science, an! -istory% " love! a lot of things $ntil it came to rea!ing% " !es'ise! rea!ing a lot% " tho$ght of rea!ing as being st$'i! an! !$mb% Rea!ing remin!e! me of a b$nch of letters an! #or!s on a 'age% &hey #ere merely stories #ritten by a$thors #ho #ante! to ma)e money% " #as not intereste! an! !i!n.t #ant to learn beca$se " !i!n.t $n!erstan! the material% " atten!e! Stone /a) Elementary an! #as in rs% 0en)ins thir! gra!e class% " !i!n.t $n!erstan! a lot of the

to'ics beca$se " #as a m$ltiling$al chil! an! rea!ing #as !iffic$lt for me% /ne !ay " #as in rs% 0en)ins class an! #as str$ggling to )ee' $'% &he teacher coinci!e!

my #riting an! rea!ing s)ills to be lo#er than average beca$se " ha! 1$st move! to America% Fort$nately the teacher ha! s'o)en to one of the P&A 'arents an! tol! her ho# some of my frien!s an! myself #ere having !iffic$lty rea!ing an! #riting% /ne !ay, " #as ta)en o$t of class along #ith some of my 'eers for a ne# literat$re 'rogram in #hich st$!ents #o$l! be given

Ali, 2 e(tra time being ta$ght rea!ing an! #riting s)ills% rs% omin too) her time o$t of her !ay to rs% omin #as ama2ing " really

hel' o$r ability to rea! an! #rite get better% &he P&A teacher,

a''reciate! this an! res'ecte! her for ta)ing time o$t of her !ay #itho$t 'ay to teach $s% 3e then starte! meeting every other !ay% She allo#e! $s to rea! o$r o#n boo)s in the beginning so #e co$l! li)e an! $n!erstan! #hat #e rea! so #e can relate to it an! #ant to rea! more% 4hil!ren often lac) certain rea!ing s)ills if they are conf$se!% !i!n.t $n!erstan! #hat they #ere rea!ing% +la$s states, 5&he only te(ts #orth rea!ing are te(ts yo$ !on.t $n!erstan!% +eca$se if yo$ $n!erstan! a te(t as soon as yo$ rea! it, yo$ m$st have $n!erstoo! it before yo$ rea! it, so yo$ !i!n.t have to bother rea!ing it in the first 'lace6% &he conf$sion bro$ght $'on a ne# $n!erstan!ing of learning% 7$e to the conf$sion of the #or!s an! s'elling an! not being able to say it, my rea!ing s)ills s$ffere! an! it became har! for me to o'enly rea!% " #asn.t st$'i! or less intellect$al than the other )i!s, " #as a ne# st$!ent from another co$ntry% Everything #as ne# to me an! so #ere the teaching techni,$es ta$ght by the teachers% rs% omin ta$ght me to rea! by aybe other st$!ents #ere li)e me an!

vocali2ing, re'eating, an! #riting #or!s !o#n that " !i! not )no#% &his metho! on a !aily basis #ith motivation from myself hel'e! me im'rove my rea!ing s)ills slo#ly% " believe the conf$sion " enco$ntere! as a chil! infl$ence! me in becoming a 'rofessor% " #as fort$nate eno$gh to have great teachers #ho im'acte! my 'hiloso'hy of learning an! teaching% 3ith all the )no#le!ge " learne! in my 'ast classes, " #as able to $tili2e the tools " learne! in or!er to !o better in my f$t$re co$rses% After elementary school, " e(celle! an! became a better #riter an! rea!er% 3riting change! my life an! ma!e me #ant to change other st$!ent.s lives as #ell% 3ith everything " learne! in my 'ast co$rses, " #as able to meet the goals for becoming a better #riter in English

Ali, 3 120A% "n English 120A, " str$ggle! at first to $n!erstan! the co$rse !escri'tion an! #hat the 'rofessor #ante! from me% &hro$gho$t the semester " learne! to stay on trac) an! by $sing SA4 4t to my a!vantage% Sac 4t #as a gra!e saver% ost of the #or) #e !i! in the class #as from Sac

ct% " also $se! 8oogle !oc$ments to my a!vantage, beca$se it hel's me store all finishe! files " may have t$rne! into the teacher% "n the 'ortfolio, " incl$!e! te(t one, t#o, an! three% " am also contem'lating #hether or not " sho$l! $se other revie#e! #or) !e'en!ing on the length an! ,$ality of the 'a'er% " #as able to $se so'histicate! lang$age an! insight to sho# my a$!ience that " #as ca'able of #riting at an .A. gra!e level% " #as also able to a!!ress the 'rom'ts assigne! tho$ghtf$lly an! analytically, sho#ing com'rehension of my #riting s)ills% "n this class #as able to better my ability to establish clearly9foc$se! controlling i!eas #hich can relate to my a$!ience% " #as able to 'ractice ho# to cite an! analy2e relevant so$rces by eval$ating their Pathos an! 'hiloso'hy of #riting% ost of this #as !one by a!!ressing the 'rom'ts for te(t 1, 2, an! 3% Also #ith the 'eer

revie#s, " #as able to 'ractice gra!ing or revie#ing others te(t #hich #ill hel' me in my career in the f$t$re% " chose te(t 2 beca$se it hel'e! me gain more e('erience of 'rovi!ing clear generali2ations #ith s'ecific !etail an! s$''ort% " chose te(t 3 beca$se it ha! a lot of grammar mista)es% 3ith the hel' of the 'eer revie#, " #as able to see the mista)es an! $n!erstan! ho# to fi( the mista)es% At the en! of te(t 3, " #as able to !emonstrate the most s$'erior control of grammar #ith sentence variety, an! so'histicate! #or! choice% /ne thing " li)e! abo$t this co$rse is that #e are able to 'eer revie# each others 'a'ers% &his is very hel'f$l beca$se, 'eer revie#ing hel's minimi2e any mista)es " have ma!e% +y the 'a'er being revie# more than once by !ifferent 'eers, the 'a'er ma(imi2es its ,$ality an! also the gra!e% " chose to $se te(t one beca$se it #as one of my favorite te(t #e !i! in class% Since it

Ali, : #as a gro$' 'a'er, there #as more interaction an! )no#le!geable i!eas #e all share!% &his hel'e! me broa!en my hori2on an! o'en my min! to !ifferent vie#s an! as'ects of !ifferent to'ics% &he 'rofessor #as also very hel'f$l in this co$rse% " really li)e! ho# she gave $s 'ersonal time to revie# #hat #e nee!e! to !o in class an! also #hat she nee!e! for $s in o$r te(t 'ro1ects% &his really meant a lot to me, beca$se " really li)e it #hen the teacher gives the st$!ent more 'ersonal time% &his sho#s the teacher really cares for her st$!ents an! #ants to see them s$ccee!% " can tell that the 'rofessor for this co$rse #ants e(actly that% "n the en!, " #o$l! have li)e! to have more 'eer an! teacher revie# of the te(t% " o#e a lot of my insight to my classmates an! my teachers% 3ith the hel' of my st$!ents. 'eer revie#s, " #as able to finish my 'a'ers in a 'rofessional manner% &here are a lot of mista)es one !oes not acco$nt for, or see in his or her te(t% +y letting the st$!ents revie# each others 'a'ers, it is easier to $n!erstan! the assignment in a fig$rative sense% &eachers are the #orl!s f$t$re, #itho$t e!$cators the #orl! #o$l! be voi!% " #as infl$ence! by many great e!$cators in starting from Elementary school $' $ntil college% Ste'hen ;ing states, 53e never )no# #hich lives #e infl$ence, or #hen, or #hy%6 &hat is the reason " #ant to teach% " #ant to ma)e a !ifference in someones life an! hel' them $n!erstan! rea!ing an! #riting so they can en1oy it as m$ch as " !o% " really learne! a lot in this class an! " #o$l! recommen! it to everyone%

References: +la$, Sheri!an 7% <Stories from the 4lassroom= >essons on >earning >iterat$re%< &he >iterat$re 3or)sho'= &eaching &e(ts an! &heir Rea!ers% Portsmo$th, N-= -einemann, 200392021% Print%

Ali, 5 Ste'hen ;ing, 11?22?1@A3% S'eech%