9th Grade TPOL Questions
Personal Connections and Adult World Connections:
1. Which project did you have the most personal connection with this year? Why? I think that the project that I had the most connection with was probably the mask project because you were able to choose a subject that applied to you as a person and I picked a topic that I felt a strong connection with.
2. What have you learned (skill, lesson, or knowledge) this year that will be most helpful for you in the future? The thing that I have learned this year that will be the most helpful for me in the future would have to be the ability to work well in groups on projects. This skill is very important because it will help me no matter what job I choose and it applies to almost everything in life.
3. What project or projects have you done this year that have inspired you to want to learn more? Explain how you were inspired. The project that inspired me to learn more this year was the death penalty project. This project inspired me to learn more because it informed us of different facts involved with the death penalty that not many people are aware of which was very interesting.
4. How has your attitude toward learning changed this year? In the beginning I was less focused to work and I had almost no work ethic, but as the year went on, I realized it was very important to put a lot of effort into high school and I tried a lot harder on projects and other group things.
5. What connections have you made this year between what you have learned in your classes and your own personal experiences outside of school? I feel like I have made connections through a lot of the projects we have done in Earth Science and I now can recognize certain rock formations as I see them and can estimate what time period they are from.
6. How have your learning and experiences at AHS this year changed the way you see the world? The learning and experiences I have had at AHS have changed the way I think about certain experiences in life and has let me see the world in a much more open way and really understand what I am seeing.
7. What work from this year would you like to look back on and remember when you are a graduating senior? I would like to look back onto my Desmos drawing project because I feel as though it turned out very well and I really put in a lot of effort to get the results that I wanted.
You as a Student and a Learner (Your Work and Your Work Habits):
1. What is the most important change that you have made as a learner this year? The most important change I have made this year as a learner was realizing that now since this is highschool I have to put a lot more effort into my schoolwork to make sure I can go to the college I want to go to after high school.
2. How have you taken an active role in your education this year? I have taken a very active role in my education by asking my teachers for help whenever I have a problem to make sure I can resolve my issues quickly.
3. What piece of work that you’ve done this year are you proudest of? Why? I am probably the proudest of my socialization essay because I thought that it turned out very well and I think that my points were very strong and interesting.
4. If you could go back and refine one piece of work this year, what piece of work would you refine and how would you refine it? If there was one project that I could refine, it would be the geologic timeline because I feel that I could have made it much more interesting and I also feel that we did not have enough time to do it.
5. If you were the teacher, what comments would your teacher make about your work habits?
I think that the teacher would say that when I am focused I work really well, but it is extremely rare for me to be completely focused.
6. What might you want next year’s teacher to know about your work habits? I would want them to know that it is very important for me to be focused to work productively, and even though I don't want to, I probably need to sit away from my friends.
7. What is the most difficult thing you have done this year? Why was it difficult, and how did you deal with that difficulty? Probably the most difficult thing for me this year was the Shakespeare play because even though I did not have a very big part in the play, we kept having problems in the sound booth which made it frustrating.
8. How has group collaboration helped you as a student? It has helped me by teaching me the very important skill of working well with others which applies to almost every part of life.
Reflecting on Yourself and Our Model of Education
(Project Based Learning and our Student Culture)
1. What would you say to an incoming 9th grader about how to succeed in project based learning? I would tell them to set up a schedule and be able to work well with others, and also to be a good presenter. With these skills you should be able to succeed at Animas.
2. How have any of the habits of heart and mind helped you be successful as a student or person? The habits of heart and mind have helped me maintain a culture of excellence by helping me understand the code of conduct at Animas.
3. How has a relationship with a faculty member helped you be more successful in school this year? One example is how my advisor, Hannah, helped me get my grades in order which led to me being a successful student at Animas this year.
4. How has the work in Advisory helped you grow or change as a student, as a friend, and as a citizen? It has helped me by letting me take a break from school while still being in a school setting, which helped me become a better friend and citizen.
5. Project based learning is a different model than traditional models of education. Explain how Project based learning has influenced your learning and your production of work. Project based learning has helped me learn and create better work by giving me an environment where I can work closely with my peers on real projects to better prepare me for the real-world unlike other schools with a more standard system.
1. Which project did you have the most personal connection with this year? Why? I think that the project that I had the most connection with was probably the mask project because you were able to choose a subject that applied to you as a person and I picked a topic that I felt a strong connection with.
2. What have you learned (skill, lesson, or knowledge) this year that will be most helpful for you in the future? The thing that I have learned this year that will be the most helpful for me in the future would have to be the ability to work well in groups on projects. This skill is very important because it will help me no matter what job I choose and it applies to almost everything in life.
3. What project or projects have you done this year that have inspired you to want to learn more? Explain how you were inspired. The project that inspired me to learn more this year was the death penalty project. This project inspired me to learn more because it informed us of different facts involved with the death penalty that not many people are aware of which was very interesting.
4. How has your attitude toward learning changed this year? In the beginning I was less focused to work and I had almost no work ethic, but as the year went on, I realized it was very important to put a lot of effort into high school and I tried a lot harder on projects and other group things.
5. What connections have you made this year between what you have learned in your classes and your own personal experiences outside of school? I feel like I have made connections through a lot of the projects we have done in Earth Science and I now can recognize certain rock formations as I see them and can estimate what time period they are from.
6. How have your learning and experiences at AHS this year changed the way you see the world? The learning and experiences I have had at AHS have changed the way I think about certain experiences in life and has let me see the world in a much more open way and really understand what I am seeing.
7. What work from this year would you like to look back on and remember when you are a graduating senior? I would like to look back onto my Desmos drawing project because I feel as though it turned out very well and I really put in a lot of effort to get the results that I wanted.
You as a Student and a Learner (Your Work and Your Work Habits):
1. What is the most important change that you have made as a learner this year? The most important change I have made this year as a learner was realizing that now since this is highschool I have to put a lot more effort into my schoolwork to make sure I can go to the college I want to go to after high school.
2. How have you taken an active role in your education this year? I have taken a very active role in my education by asking my teachers for help whenever I have a problem to make sure I can resolve my issues quickly.
3. What piece of work that you’ve done this year are you proudest of? Why? I am probably the proudest of my socialization essay because I thought that it turned out very well and I think that my points were very strong and interesting.
4. If you could go back and refine one piece of work this year, what piece of work would you refine and how would you refine it? If there was one project that I could refine, it would be the geologic timeline because I feel that I could have made it much more interesting and I also feel that we did not have enough time to do it.
5. If you were the teacher, what comments would your teacher make about your work habits?
I think that the teacher would say that when I am focused I work really well, but it is extremely rare for me to be completely focused.
6. What might you want next year’s teacher to know about your work habits? I would want them to know that it is very important for me to be focused to work productively, and even though I don't want to, I probably need to sit away from my friends.
7. What is the most difficult thing you have done this year? Why was it difficult, and how did you deal with that difficulty? Probably the most difficult thing for me this year was the Shakespeare play because even though I did not have a very big part in the play, we kept having problems in the sound booth which made it frustrating.
8. How has group collaboration helped you as a student? It has helped me by teaching me the very important skill of working well with others which applies to almost every part of life.
Reflecting on Yourself and Our Model of Education
(Project Based Learning and our Student Culture)
1. What would you say to an incoming 9th grader about how to succeed in project based learning? I would tell them to set up a schedule and be able to work well with others, and also to be a good presenter. With these skills you should be able to succeed at Animas.
2. How have any of the habits of heart and mind helped you be successful as a student or person? The habits of heart and mind have helped me maintain a culture of excellence by helping me understand the code of conduct at Animas.
3. How has a relationship with a faculty member helped you be more successful in school this year? One example is how my advisor, Hannah, helped me get my grades in order which led to me being a successful student at Animas this year.
4. How has the work in Advisory helped you grow or change as a student, as a friend, and as a citizen? It has helped me by letting me take a break from school while still being in a school setting, which helped me become a better friend and citizen.
5. Project based learning is a different model than traditional models of education. Explain how Project based learning has influenced your learning and your production of work. Project based learning has helped me learn and create better work by giving me an environment where I can work closely with my peers on real projects to better prepare me for the real-world unlike other schools with a more standard system.