1.How does the author feel about her writing abilities? In the beginning the author seems fairly confident in her writing skills. The author mentions how she was a “strong student” who was always on honor roll and never had a GPA below 3.0. That all changed however at the end of the first paragraph where the author stated, “I was smart, and I knew it. That is, until I got the results of the proficiency test”. Although at the start of the author’s literacy narrative the author seemed confident in her abilities her confidence soon crumbled after the test. 2.How does the author feel about standardized tests? Going into the ninth-grade proficiency test the author felt confident in her abilities as a straight A student. However after taking the test twice and failing both times the author was sent down a spiral where she gave up on everything. The author states, “I decided to quit trying so hard. Apparently-I told myself-the people grading the tests didn’t have the slightest clue about what constituted good writing”. This attitude towards test eventually led to her earning a 2 on the Advanced Placement English Exam and barely passing the twelfth-grade proficiency test. 3.If you were Mrs.Brown, the author’s English teacher, what would you say when the author asked.”How can I get A’s in all my English classes but fault the writing part of the proficiency test twice? If I was the the author’s teacher Mrs.Brown first, I would offer her a shoulder to cry on. Giving the author a chance to voice all her worries out loud to someone she trust and possible look up to can help her release her frustrations. Afterwords, I would acknowledge all her achievements as a student. After talking to the real Mrs.Brown the author wrote,”I felt like a failure. I had disappointed my family and seriously let myself down”. If I was in Mrs.Brown shoes I would remind the author she’s still an amazing student and a test doesn’t define how smart someone is. 4.How do you feel about your writing abilities? Growing up in a low income area I attended a combined elementary and middle school. In both schools the teachers took English class very seriously so we wouldn’t be looked down on. Based on the experience I have with writing I’m fairly confident in my skills as a writer but that doesn’t mean I’m perfect. I do struggle a lot with grammar and spelling and still need practice. Unlike the author who couldn’t find a grow in her writing even stating,”How could I have screwed up writing? I surely spelled every word correctly, used good grammar, and even used big words in the proper context”. I try my best to look deep into my writing to try and find what I can improve.
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