REFLECTIVE ESSAY

Introduction:

Before ACLC, I went to Alameda HIgh for my freshman and sophomore years. It is a big school and a lot of the students are left to do everything on their own, without much personal help. Coming to ACLC has really benefited my learning because I was  able to have more one on one time with facilitators and building relationships with them that I didn't have at Alameda High. ACLC really feels like a community and all of the facilitators have helped me grow in more ways than just academics. Being close with the facilitators and having them care about your education, and you as a person has helped me grow overall as a whole, and is something that I won't forget about ACLC.

Personal Qualities:

Self esteem and self worth is something that I learned in my two years at ACLC. The facilitators here are very good at making sure not to put you down and stay positive and to believe in yourself. They always give me the most confidence when I have an assignment that might be challenging, and it has helped me achieve more than I thought I could. After achieving goals with the help of the facilitators, it has helped me realize my self worth and that I am capable of achieving more than I thought I could. I have always been a social person, so at ACLC, opportunities like CCC have given me a chance to express myself and have fun with everyone in the community.

New basics:

At ACLC I have been able to learn some new basics. Listening and speaking are two things that I have improved on coming to ACLC. We give a lot of presentations and do a lot of projects. These things make for many speaking and listening opportunities, from talking or presenting to the class and listening to your group members while working on a project. Like junior year in jake's class, my group had to make a poster, so I listened to the information the group gave me and wrote it on the poster.

Thinking and reasoning skills:

Problem solving and reasoning are two things that you must have when working in teams or in groups. At ACLC I have done this many times and I have had to develop these skills so I can function and get work done with my team or group members. Learning these have made me more productive while working in groups and how to be a good team member. Like for example math when we had to make shapes out of string, we had to figure out how to move the string to make a specific shape.

Interpersonal abilities:

At ACLC, negotiating and working with diversity are two things that I have been through. Being group and community oriented, I can not always have whatever I want. Negotiating with making or changing rules is something that can come up, and it is just a good skill to have. For example, when you want to get a rule changed, but they can't make it exactly what you want, you have to negotiate to find a compromise that benefits everyone.

Technology:

Showing awareness of technology is something that I use frequently at ACLC. From checking Jupiter grades on my phone tousing google docs and slides in all my classes, I utilize these things to help me get work done. I use google docs almost every day whether it is to write a paper, or take notes. Most projects can be done on a nice neat powerpoint or slide presentation. Knowing these skills and how to use these programs effectivly  can help you with neatness and organization.