Author's Note: This is my final writing piece for eight grade. In it, I explain how I have advanced and improved with my writing and language art skills. I also describe how it will eventually impact my future life with whatever I choose to do. It's not the best writing piece I've ever done, but it's good enough.
Middle school is a juncture where students can prepare themselves for high school, which ultimately prepares us for college and careers ahead of us in the future. On a personal note, I know I have grown a lot in many ways, and not only in school-related ways. Many new things are introduced to students in middle school, and I definitely believe that this school year and last year were very successful years for me.
In this school year and the previous school year, I have learned many new things that I did not entirely expect to learn. Even in Language Arts class alone, I have learned many historical things about literature, poets, and even famous philosophers. I feel that I will go into high school very prepared for all of my classes, and that I will be able to use the information I have learned in middle school for high school and future years with whatever I choose to do with my life. My improvement as a writer will hopefully affect me with whatever career I choose, yet I know it will come in play in college at least.
There is no doubt in my mind that my writing today is much different than when I was in sixth grade. I have learned so much as a writer, and have improved in such a way that I even have clear thesis statements, if I even had one at all in sixth grade. In addition to thesis statements, my voice has tremendously changed. A big factor as to why my voice has changed so much is because I have become much smarter as a writer, which I understand is very generic. To break that statement down, I first of all have a lot larger repertoire with my vocabulary. Along with vocabulary I have been introduced to many semantic and syntactic devices, which I attempt to use in my writing pieces as often as I remember to. Even something as simple as being able to form a support group to advance my writing skills counts as a writing improvement to me. This year especially has let me know my own limits, and has helped me with my time management skills on completing tasks. I could go on and on with the components of writing that I have learned, but it would take a lot more time than I could possibly ever want to take to write in a paper. Going from smarter goals, to mixing text to real life information in essays, to understanding forms and elements of poetry; I have improved my writing skills more than I ever imagined I would.
My skills in writing have improved greatly, yet also the knowledge I have gained while being in Mr. Johnson’s classroom has been amazing to me. In seventh grade, I learned a lot about the Russian Revolution and different paradigms. In eighth grade, I learned about almost thirty different poets, Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, the development of English literature, and many other things taught through the form of a mini-lesson. Being in Mr. Johnson’s class for two years in a row has given me a lot of information that I will remember for several years and that I can use to continue with my education.
Well, first of all let me say that the author's note is a bit misleading. You write about how you are not particularly proud of this piece, and how it may not be your best writing, but that is not what my experience is as a reader. Reading this, I see a self-aware, sophisticated mind at work. You can be, at times, too self-critical, and if you aren't careful, that can become a destructive force. When we are good at something, we can truly begin to see what we could do better, and how we are falling short of what we are able to imagine. Ignorant people are well satisfied with the work. You, as an intelligent, sophisticated young man, are well aware of what you want to improve. Okay, let that guide your efforts, but don't let that voice interfere with your efforts. I am proud to be your teacher, and thank you for everything.
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