Summary
1. How does the author feel about her writing abilities? The author feels so frustrated about her writing abilities. She said, “ To my surprise, I did pass every part- except writing." This is because she carried through a lot due to her repeated failure in the writing part of the proficiency test. She decided to quit trying so hard for the proficiency test. She lost her confidence in how strong she was at reading and writing as an honor roll student in the class.
How does the author feel about standardized tests? The writer shared her perspective on standardized tests, drawing attention to her encounters with them. She noted the potential for discrepancies in evaluating written work and how the grader's skill level may not necessarily align with what constitutes strong writing. Additionally, she voiced her frustration with the lack of feedback provided to students who do not pass the test. Despite these obstacles, she recognizes the published results as the definitive assessment of one's English writing proficiency, an essential factor in determining eligibility for a high school diploma. Despite her challenges, she remained disciplined, capable, and conscientious.
Retell the author's journey as a writer. The author's journey as a writer has been filled with ups and downs. She describes her story of a proficiency writing test in the middle school where she first took it. She was a strong student, always on the honor roll. Despite getting A's in all her English classes, she failed the writing part of the proficiency test twice, which made her doubt her writing abilities, and she decided to quit trying so hard. She now believes that the people who graded her test didn’t have the slightest clue about what constituted good writing. She felt confused and had disappointed her family. It makes her seriously let down, and she can’t figure out what exactly she is doing wrong in the proficiency exam. She started to doubt herself that she no longer loved the reading and writing part in the English class. Now, she is not taking the class seriously because of what she is going through. She fell behind in her senior year grade proficiency test and was placed in development writing in college. Therefore, she realized that if she had written what was expected on the second exam, she could have easily carried on her enthusiasm for writing and continued to do better in the future.
If you were Mrs. Brown, the author's English teacher, what would you do 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 reassure the author that standardized tests do not define her abilities. I would encourage her to continue writing and improving her skills and not be disheartened by the test results, as it's tested by those who are not read with open perspectives.
Has there been a time when you doubted your abilities as a writer or in general? Explain. Yes, there have been times when I doubted my writing abilities. It usually happens when I receive negative feedback or when I compare my work with others. In my high school English class, I always tried to be proficient and competent in my exams or assignments. However, one of my mid-term exams made me so frustrated that I couldn't hold my confidence in my excellent writing skills. I always cried during my long journey as a student. My Teacher, Ms.Lamour, said you can't pass the final exam if you don't improve your writing. So, that time, I dedicated myself as a working student to do my best in class, and finally, I got some great feedback from class Teachers. It encourages me a lot that I try to use these moments as opportunities to learn and improve myself on the path of my journey in education.
How do you feel about your writing abilities?
I believe I’m very creative about my writing abilities. I am confident that writing is a skill that can be improved with practice, practice, and practice and a pure dedication in regular writing.
How does the author feel about her writing abilities? The author feels so frustrated about her writing abilities. She said, “ To my surprise, I did pass every part- except writing.” This is because she carried through a lot due to her repeated failure in the writing part of the proficiency test. She decided to quit trying so hard for the proficiency test. She lost her confidence in how strong she was at reading and writing as an honor roll student in the class.
How does the author feel about standardized tests? The writer shared her perspective on standardized tests, drawing attention to her encounters with them. She noted the potential for discrepancies in evaluating written work and how the grader’s skill level may not necessarily align with what constitutes strong writing. Additionally, she voiced her frustration with the lack of feedback provided to students who do not pass the test. Despite these obstacles, she recognizes the published results as the definitive assessment of one’s English writing proficiency, an essential factor in determining eligibility for a high school diploma. Despite her challenges, she remained disciplined, capable, and conscientious.
Retell the author’s journey as a writer. The author’s journey as a writer has been filled with ups and downs. She describes her story of a proficiency writing test in the middle school where she first took it. She was a strong student, always on the honor roll. Despite getting A’s in all her English classes, she failed the writing part of the proficiency test twice, which made her doubt her writing abilities, and she decided to quit trying so hard. She now believes that the people who graded her test didn’t have the slightest clue about what constituted good writing. She felt confused and had disappointed her family. It makes her seriously let down, and she can’t figure out what exactly she is doing wrong in the proficiency exam. She started to doubt herself that she no longer loved the reading and writing part in the English class. Now, she is not taking the class seriously because of what she is going through. She fell behind in her senior year grade proficiency test and was placed in development writing in college. Therefore, she realized that if she had written what was expected on the second exam, she could have easily carried on her enthusiasm for writing and continued to do better in the future.
If you were Mrs. Brown, the author’s English teacher, what would you do 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 reassure the author that standardized tests do not define her abilities. I would encourage her to continue writing and improving her skills and not be disheartened by the test results, as it’s tested by those who are not read with open perspectives.
Has there been a time when you doubted your abilities as a writer or in general? Explain. Yes, there have been times when I doubted my writing abilities. It usually happens when I receive negative feedback or when I compare my work with others. In my high school English class, I always tried to be proficient and competent in my exams or assignments. However, one of my mid-term exams made me so frustrated that I couldn’t hold my confidence in my excellent writing skills. I always cried during my long journey as a student. My Teacher, Ms.Lamour, said you can’t pass the final exam if you don’t improve your writing. So, that time, I dedicated myself as a working student to do my best in class, and finally, I got some great feedback from class Teachers. It encourages me a lot that I try to use these moments as opportunities to learn and improve myself on the path of my journey in education.
How do you feel about your writing abilities?
I believe I’m very creative about my writing abilities. I am confident that writing is a skill that can be improved with practice, practice, and practice and a pure dedication of regular ideas in well thought to put them in the correct order in an essay.
