01/31/2024
1.) How does the author feel about her writing abilities?
Well, as you all know Shannon was a committed straight A student, she always made sure she passed with remarkable grades. Shannon always enjoyed herself when it came to doing math problems and writing. She was very confident in her writing abilities thinking she’ll pass. However, all that changed after taking and failing the proficiency test.
2.) How does the author feel about standardized tests?
The narrator who’s also the author expresses her anger and discouragement at failing the writing section in the proficiency test. Shannon never felt the same about writing she lost interest and her passion for it. She was still usure why she failed that test twice.
Quote: “…the people grading the test didn’t have the slightest clue about what constituted good writing. I continued to excel in class and passed the test on the third try. But I never again felt the same love of reading and writing.”
This quote explains how Shannon lost her passion for writing and felt that the people grading her writing didn’t know what they were doing.
4.) 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 fail the writing part of the proficiency test twice?”
If I were Mrs. Brown, I would’ve responded to Shannon by saying something like this… “Don’t feel discouraged, don’t be so hard on yourself. Maybe the reason you failed is probably because you didn’t answer the question like they wanted you too. You have outstanding skills you just need to manage and work on them better.”
6.) How do you feel about your writing abilities?
I don’t think my writing abilities are perfect nor do I think it’s below my grade level. Sometimes it’s difficult to use or find the correct vocabularies to express what I’m trying to say. I don’t think my writing skills are terrible but there’s always room for improvement.
2 thoughts on “Melanie Olivares Santana- Conversation 1.”
Hi Melanie, I love the way you answered question four, it sounds sympathetic and understanding, two things that I know the author was searching for when asking her teacher what she did wrong. For me, it was an easy question because I’m that friend you go to for advice or sympathy or just to rant to you know (not trying to brag or anything, just trying to provide context). Point is, I loved the way you answered number four because I know some people wouldn’t know what to say in that situation.
Thank you, I appreciate it!