Exhibit:  SIP: Reading Level and College Readiness 

Narrative from English 131: A Dusty Place

Benchmark: Academics 

Skills: Top pieces of work: English 

 

    During each year throughout high school you are required to take an English course. During my Junior Year I had English 3 and during my freshman year I simply had freshman English. English 3 was taught by Mr. Bulgrien and for seemingly the first time a lot of my eyes were opened to the proper way to use grammar and also how to write effectively! It all made sense now and I learned a lot about how to make my overall papers better but also how to get down to the details and make sure they were right. One of my examples of my English assignments is from this class and I chose it because it was one of my best efforts on how to prove my point with good details and data to back it up. It was a type of essay that is well known throughout out the school as a SIP. This SIP was chosen because it taught me how to effectively evaluate data and prove my point for a chosen side and also to not slack on the simple things. Granted I did not simply ace this paper but I tried very hard and what I did wrong I learned from it taught me a lot and helped me to grow as a writer. My second piece of work is a paper from my English 131 class that I took at Jackson College. This is a narrative written for the end protfolio that I had for that class. It was supposed to tell a story about a place or a person that meant a lot to you. Then after peer editing in class we would hand in our rough drafts and notes. This is the only paper that my profcssor handed back to me and said was perfect! 

 

    This paper was one that I could truly describe and write as easily as I would write about something that was right in front of me. I practically live at the stable with my horse and I was very happy to get to show how much it means to me. I was easily able to write a descriptive essay that truly made my professor feel like she was walking through the barn herself while also showing her the meaning and importance of the barn. This assignmnet was relatively easy for me to write but it was also something I was able to enjoy while writing and I am grateful that I was able to illustrate and share the personal meaning it holds.    

 

    On my paper I received a B-, 82%, and it was about student’s reading level and if they were ready for college or not.  If you don’t know how a SIP paper works this is basically what it is. First students are given a topic to write about with no data to back it up. We simply use our own knowledge and write about whatever topic or question the teacher has assigned. Then you are given a time frame of thirty minutes to write the essay. Then once those essays are graded they are given back to you and you have to find some piece of information or data to back up your position. In my first essay my main problems were grammatical errors rather than my facts and support for my position. Only in one place did I need to add more information and elaborate. I realized that aside from the overall idea and argument in a paper you must not overlook the small details such as commas, semicolons, or introductory clauses. All of this contributes to a well-rounded paper and I learned that I need to make sure I am good at writing a whole paper; not just the body but down to the simple details of grammar.  

 

    Both of these works will help me in my future career because they showed me my strengths and my weaknesses. They also showed me that my writing thrives when I write about something that I truly care about. This has helped me decide on what I would like to do in the future with my life. I would like to pursue a career in music therapy becfause I would be able to help people through my love of music! I know that I could be successful doing something that I love! Being able to help people would make my job immensly rewarding. Also in my future career as a music therapist I will be always have to be conscious of my strengths and weaknesses because I will have to know whether I think I am qualified enough to take on certain patients. Some patients could be a lot more advanced in their illness than I may be ready for when I first graduate and I have to know what I can handle. Aside from knowing what I can and cannot handle in my career and in my young adult life I should always be conscious of what I am doing I have to make sure I keep life in perspective. I can’t let bad times lead me away from my goals. I have to stay focused on the whole picture just like in my paper I have to focus on all the details not just my main idea of how things are supposed to be. Life isn’t always going to go my way and even through the good and bad times I will have to keep the details of my life in order. Whether these details are bills or simply making sure that I keep in contact with my family I need to keep them in mind. Both of these assignments have taught me valuable things for my future career and young adult life.