“Proficiency”Notes

1. How does the writer feel about her writing?

Shannon Nicholas feels that she is a solid writer and is passionate about it. In paragraph 3, she goes on to talk about how she loves writing and how she uses good grammar and has a strong vocabulary. However, after failing her writing exam she was discouraged and doubted her writing abilities. This one bumpy road had a huge impact on her self-confidence and how she saw writing in general.

2. How does the author feel about standardized tests?

Regarding standardized tests, the author doesn’t believe that the test measured a student’s capabilities in full. She thought due to other’s perspectives when they read her writing, and it would be based on what they felt was proficient due to the graders not giving a reason when failing a student(Paragraph 6) 

5.Has there been a time in your life when you doubted your abilities as a writer or in general? Explain.

Currently, in my life, I doubt everything that I do. I feel as if I’m not good enough, and due to this, I second-guess every word and step I take. To this day I’m trying to get out of the habit of assuming failure in all that I do.

6.How do you feel about your writing abilities?

I feel my writing abilities are semi-strong because when I write, it comes from my experiences and trauma, but sometimes I have to work on my grammar or punctuation because most people require formal writing pieces.