Khalaylah Joseph
12 Grade Reflective Essay My high school experience has consisted of constant moving and adapting to new schools and environments. The beginning of my high school journey began at a small, all-girls private school, then transitioned to an overpopulated co-ed public school, and is now coming to an end in a very open, unassuming charter school in Alameda,CA. I remember my first visit to ACLC and the feeling I got when I roamed the school. I knew from that day on, ACLC would be the school I would graduate from. My academic skills and knowledge have grown immensely over my two years at ACLC. I have already completed all of my required units to graduate except for Physics, Gov/Econ, English, and Senior Seminar. I believe the small classrooms are one of the most important keys to learning here at ACLC. Most classes have about twenty learners and it is very beneficial because facilitators and learners get to have more one on one time, essentially resulting in more help, less confusion, and better grades.All of my courses and class activities have helped me become a stronger writer and well thought-out thinker. I have learned how to convey my ideas and thoughts both in verbal, written, and visual form. The skills I have acquired have helped me analyze and solve various problems. My mental growth is tremendous and has provided me with social and academic confidence. My creativity and learning skills have also improved a lot during my time here at the ACLC. Alameda Community Learning Center is a safe environment that allows every individual to express themselves as they please. Our facilitators encourage outside-the-box thinking and problem solving. A lot of the projects require learners to take control and use the skills that have been provided by faciliators. Because of this, I have learned how to think and solve problems creatively and with an opened mind. The curriculum at ACLC consists of basic college preparatory courses that are provided at all standard charter schools. However, what separates ACLC from any other college preparatory school are the facilitators. Here at ACLC, facilitators are the people who teach and facilitate classes. The classes I have taken here at ACLC have given me the opportunity to expand my thinking and grow as an individual. Without the blueprint for greater learning, provided by my facilitators, I would not have experienced the same mental growth in which I have acquired. Aside from the academic standpoint, I have also developed a very strong skill set for interacting and working with others cohesively. ACLC gives everyone the chance to interact with learners outside of their graduating class, which leads to a better learning environment. I have participated in various school activities and it allowed me to teach and learn from others. ACLC has helped me learn how to interact with many different kinds of people and personalities. I have developed very strong leadership skills because of my experience here at ACLC and I am very lucky to have been apart this school. |