Level Five Nine years ago, when I was in kindergarten, I always looked up to my sister as a role model. If she liked a certain food, I would like it; if she did something, I would want to do it also. So, it only made sense that when she started to play piano, I would want to play too. For months, I was like a mosquito to my dad, asking him when I could start playing piano. Two years later, my wish came true. When my sister went off to college, my dad asked me, “Do you want to start playing piano?” “Okay,” I said. My dad, being more pushy, asked, “Are you sure? If you start now, you can only stop playing when you reach level ten.” “I’m sure,” I responded. They put me in a private piano class with the same teacher my sister …show more content…
You have to go to group lessons too. Everyone that I teach who will take the test will be there.” For the next three months, I went to the group lessons. In these groups lessons, we practiced our theory. During the two hours of class time, we would take practice test on top of practice test. We would also play the three pieces we were going to play for the test. Throughout the group lessons, I never did a lot. At most, I would complete about two practice tests, compared to others who completed about four or five. This continued until about two weeks before the test. Mrs. Christine told my dad, “He isn’t ready yet. Your son needs to work harder.” “Oh, really?” My dad said. “I’ll make sure that he does that.” My dad said nothing to me when we got to the car, and he started to drive. I could cut the tension with a knife, during the ten minutes of silence . “What’s he going to say? What’s he going to do?” I kept asking myself as we drove home. He finally asked me “So, what’s the plan for the test Andrew?” I just shrugged, too afraid to say …show more content…
“You’re going to pass the test, and if you don’t, no games until you pass the test next year.” My heart immediately dropped like a brick and my mind started to race. Games were my source of entertainment, and being cut off from them was like being exiled from society. The minute we got home, I raced to my room and started to make flashcards to study theory. For days, I studied non-stop, only stopping when necessary. Finally, the last group lesson arrived. Instead of finishing the usual one or two practice tests, I managed to finish five and I aced all of them. “What happened to you?” Mrs. Christine asked surprised, “are you the same Andrew that came here a few weeks ago?” “Yep,” I responded, “I just studied for a little bit longer.” Feeling more confident that I was going to pass the test, my stress levels started to fall. Then the day of the test came. The first test I had to do was piano technique or playing the piano. The test was located at another teacher’s house, which was about half an hour away from my house. During the drive, my heart rate started beating faster and faster, until it felt like my heart was going to burst. My dad, who noticed that I was stressing out said, “Calm down Andrew, there’s nothing to be worried about.”
I could only nod when he said that, since my throat had dried up from stressing about the
“Leopold Mozart, a court musician, began teaching Maria Anna, his first-born child, to play harpsichord when she was 8 years old. She progressed quickly, with 3-year-old Wolfgang often at her side.” Maria Anna was getting very good very quickly, with the help from her brother Wolferl. Both siblings helped eachother out , “Nannerl probably interpreted for Wolfgang and reinforced for Wolfgang what Leopold was trying to teach. She showed him that music is not only fun, but a way to communicate without words.” He learned from his sister the true meaning behind music, which made him grow as a performer. Support from family or friends is what separates a person from achieving their goals, or stumbling under the pressure, but both Maria Anna and Wolferl persevered with the help of each other and there dad and both achieved great
My sixteen week class in English 111. I was really nervous about this class. Because English has never been my strong point. This class has hard, but fun all at the same time. I learn a lot from this class. Meanwhile,the first day of class you handed a paper with a question on it. “The first thing I want to say to you who are students is that you must not think of being here to receive an education; instead, you will do much better to think of being here to claim one.” Even though putting my all in what I have learned, claiming my education with hard work because using the skills of the meal plan, as we write to different audiences and learning to be a Critically thinker as I start becoming a critically-Literate Citizenship.
Today, schools are making it a priority for teachers to follow the strict guidelines of a “one size fits all testing curriculum.” Educators must prepare students for the tests that could make or break their future. This curriculum is focused only on teaching students what they need to know in order to pass the test. “Because the test is based largely on the memorization of facts, teachers will have to teach their students these specific facts instead of teaching for deep comprehension and understanding of material.” (Martin, 309) As a result, students do not learn the true lesson. Although it is highly important that students pass “the test,” this strictly based curriculum is ignoring the important academic skills and fundamentals needed for their future, even beyond the years of high stakes testing; without these needed skills students will be left in the dark once they have graduated from high school. Students often learn on different levels and their educational requirements are not being met with the “one size fits all” approach. Those who create these tests tend not to include those who learn on a different educational level; rather their focus is pointed towards the money rather than on the success of all students. Children need to learn sk...
High-stakes standardized testing greatly impacts the environment in which students learn. When such a huge emphasis is placed on these tests and scoring well on them, it often creates, in excess, unnecessary anxiety and stress. In Florida alone the number of different standardized tests given to students spanned across kindergarten through 12th grade has increased to over sixteen. Often students are faced with the harsh realization that not scoring well can mean the difference from a pass and fail grade. That kind of pressure can lead to a complete shutdown of their learning. Although students are heavily impacted by the pressure and anxiety that accompanies standardized testing, they are not the only ones. Teachers not unli...
Once I got to class on the big day, I picked up the test from my professor's desk, still believing I was going to nail the test as I held it in my hand. However, when I looked at the test, I became astonished when I saw that all the questions were open ended, something I never expected. My hands trembled as my mind was filled with doubt and uncertainty. I thought to myself was having fun really worth me risking my future with school?
This reflective essay will lay emphasis on one of the learning needs I have developed during my two week taster placement in hospital. Reflection helps an individual build upon their skills and makes room for self-criticism as he or she can contemplate upon actions and make relevant changes (Taylor, 2000). I will be applying the “What”, “So what” and “Now what” model of reflection by Driscoll (2000) in this piece of work because it is a more coherent and comprehensible approach to follow when writing a reflective account and is also an easier guide to writing reflections. The learning need I chose to reflect on from my learning plan is having a better understanding of diabetes and the 6 basic medications used in treating the condition since it is a common illness on the ward I am have been allocated on for my first placement. The timescale set for achieving this objective was by the end of my two week placement that is from 27th January to 9th February and I achieved it with the help of a host of factors. In this assignment, all the names of the patients and wards have been omitted and indicated with letters and numbers for confidentiality reasons as stated in the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) code of conduct (2008). The paper will primarily touch on the type 2 diabetes and furthermore on the achievement on my learning need.
I woke up to the sound of my mom calling my name. ‘’Just five more minutes,’’ I said as I pulled the covers over my head. ‘’We’re going to Yosemite.’’ my mom said. My mom finally dragged me out of bed. I trudged into the bathroom and then brushed my teeth and got dressed. ‘’Well look who got up.’’ my grandma yelled. My sister ruffled my hair. ‘’Hey bro.’’ my sister said sitting down for breakfast. I went and joined her. “Do you want cereal or french toast?” asked my grandma. “I’ll have cereal please.” I said. We all ate breakfast and packed some backpacks with waters and got on the road by 8:30. My sister sang a song I didn’t recognize. “What song is that?” I asked. “Heart of gold” she replied. “Never heard of it” I said. We pulled up to the
When the scores for standardized tests came out, I sat in front of the computer with my heart beating quickly. I was overwhelmed with excitement until I saw my sister’s scores. The numbers were a few places higher than mine. The pulsing excitement I had earlier, upon seeing what I’d earned, went as quickly as it came, and soon I felt angry. I directed my anger both towards myself and my twin when it was dinner before my parents tried to calm me down and have a conversation with me.
At the age of ten, my parents decided that I should learn how to play an instrument. In addition, they also chose which instrument I should learn, the guitar. I had no interest in learning the guitar, because all I wanted to spend my leisure time on was improvising my soccer skills. However, my parents believed soccer was a waste of my precious time, time which I should be using to focus on school and expanding my brain by taking on a difficult task, such as learning to play music. This was contrary to what I believed, but I had to do it or else my parents would be displeased. Therefore, the following week, I began taking guitar lessons.
According to Beidel, Turner, Ferreira (1999) test taking strategies can be defined as ways which are applied for the purpose of improving learners’ and test takers’ ability to deal with testing procedures more easily...
As I walked out of the courthouse and down the ramp, I looked at my mom in disappointment and embarrassment. Never wanting to return to that dreadful place, I slowly drug my feet back to the car. I wanted to curl up in a little ball and I didn't want anyone else to know what I had done. Gaining my composure, I finally got into the car. I didn't even want to hear what my mom had to say. My face was beat red and I was trying to hide my face in the palms of my hands because I knew what was about to come; she was going to start asking me questions, all of the questions I had been asking myself. Sure enough, after a short period of being in the car, the questions began.
I began to answer, “Well...you see,” but I couldn’t finish as I had begun to cry again.
School had just started; it was the fall of my sophomore year. I was excited about having new teachers and being able to boss around those little freshmen since I had finally lost that ridiculous title of “freshy.” Although one class did turn all that excitement right into knots in my stomach, it was English 10. Ugh I hated English, partially because I could never remember all those rules of writing, which I had just thought of as “dumb.” I figured, “Why would I ever need to know all them? Computers will be able to fix all my mistakes for me!” As I would soon find out, boy was I ever wrong. Surprisingly, class was going good; our teacher Mr. Mieckowski seemed to be a little weird and quite boring at times but all in all not too bad I mean who isn’t boring occasionally? He had a shiny head with very little hair and never wore long sleeves to class. He was also quite tall and skinny, so everyone had his or her own conclusion about Mr. Mieckowski’s personal life. A lot of the time this ended up being the topic of conversation for his students, along with his hatred towards icicle lights, white reindeer, and especially technology; the thing I loved most.
I felt a shock go through my body as I numbed up. “Wh wha what did she want?” My math teacher Mrs. Armstrong was worried about me and the fact that I do all the work in class and homework and when it comes time to take a test I fail. My teacher was willing to let me retake my test.
This lesson is designed to review and reinforce a few important concepts about plants (e.g. Needs, parts, sequence of planting) and to also guide the students through applying a few scientific inquiry (e.g. Making observations, experimentation, discussion, reflection, reporting results etc.). The students have previously planted corn and bean seeds and today’s lesson has provided the students a chance to see the results of the planted corn and bean seeds. Additionally, seeds have been planted under and growing under the following conditions: without water, and without soil. The students see the results of these seeds planted under these conditions for the past week. Two plants in particular have already been grown their growth has been