 |
| "Self Portrait" (1935) by George Chirico |
a) What are you good at? What are your strengths?
b) What are you bad at? What are your weaknesses?
c) Recount a time that you worked hard at something and did not see much improvement.
d) Recount a time that you worked hard at something and improved a lot.
Share your answers in the comments area below, if you're up for it.
As a student at Clayton School, my high school math teacher taught like he was in a college classroom. He always taught in a way that went over most student's heads. I had always been good at math, so I really began to study it, and I became proficient at teaching the material my class needed to learn. Because of this experience, I became a tutor, and I began to help kids understand their work when the teachers could not.
ReplyDeleteI had always excelled at school. But, somewhere I had never had much success was in the social world. I have friends, and we talk and have a good time. But, beyond that, I was never good at communicating. It has always been easier for me to communicate with adults than people my age.
As I began to get more involved with music, I started branching out to other instruments, namely, the clarinet and the flute. I was dreadful at both. I spent two summers trying to learn the basics of the instruments. I was mildly successful on the clarinet. But, when it comes to the flute, I am lucky to make noise on it.
However, when it came to the saxophone, I knew it was right. I started playing sax in the fifth grade. As I played more and more, I knew this is what I wanted to do. So, I began to play everyday and every night, practicing songs and notes, figuring out little things that set my playing apart. And, I was successful. I am a six year member of the SEOBDA All-District Band and a four time state solo qualifier. I worked hard on my sax playing, and it shows.
-Tyler Macon
I am a kind person who has compassion towards others and is passionate about what I do. I’m good at listening and understanding the viewpoints of others. I tend to be quiet during discussions and only speak out if I believe I understand the entire situation or if I feel strongly about the subject. Yet, underneath all of my strengths I know I have many weaknesses. Sometimes I like to think being too nice is one of them, but that’s just who I am. An example of failing and then working my way out of it was here at ECU. It was was during my U.S. History class my freshman year. I thought this class would be a breeze since I had taken it before in high school, but I was terribly mistaken. I enjoyed the professor, but his tests were very difficult. They consisted of answers such as “A and B,” “none of the above, “and so on. This led me to doubt myself and think it was a trick question! After I received the worst grade of my entire school career on one of the tests, I jumped into a growth mindset. At first, I was shocked and in a temporary fixed mindset stage, but I knew I had to figure out ways to improve. After reevaluating the way I was studying and relying more heavily on the textbook, I did well in the class and ended with an A.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in a small town, I have attained an unbelirvable level of expertise in the art of small talk, but I hate it. I would rather use my strong communication skills to speak or write about something meaningful. I enjoy deep conversations, friendly debates, and acting as an advocate for causes I am passionate about.
ReplyDeleteWhen people talk about hard work paying off, this story comes to mind. My sixth grade math teacher refused to make accommodations for me as a home bound student. The next year, I had to overcome that gap in my education with another teacher who told me that she couldn't teach a blind student math. I received the highest average in that class.
On a not so successful note, I have tried to,e after time to improve my sense of direction to no avail. The thing is, I don't really dislike being a little lost. Some of the greatest discoveries are made on the wildest adventures. It doesn't matter what direction I'm going as long as I'm following my heart.
I guess that my greatest weakness would be my vision impairment, but I hate that term. While it does make me a little different, I don't feel like it is an infirmity.
Oh! Forgot to sign!
DeleteSierra Rankin
If there is one thing I'm good at, it would be having compassion for others. I came from a family where only a couple of people had graduated high school and none had been to college. My parents moved me around so much that I was unable to make friends as a child. I had no role model in my life to guide me. That is until 2012 when I met my mentors, a husband and wife. I lived with them for a couple of years and they showed me what it was like to have things and be a family. They had both graduated college and tutored me for my ACT. After I was accepted to ECU I realized that no matter what you have been through in the past you can always grow and flourish. I try to share my experiences with others because you never know if you could be the one to plant a seed that will grow into something beautiful.
DeleteSomething that I am not good at is making friends and feeling comfortable in social settings. I am working on this and have improved tremendously over the past couple of years.
The one thing that comes to mind when I think about something that I worked hard at but seen no improvement is my math skills. When I was in elementary and middle school I caught on so fast. I could hear how to work a problem once and ace a test. But now I feel like I could hear it over and over and not get it.
My experience with working hard and improving happened this summer. I took an anatomy class and it challenged me. I had never studied so hard for any other class before and doubted my ability to memorize enough material to pass the class. The challenge taught me that nothing is too hard to accomplish if you are willing to put time and effort into it. This college experience is changing my life for the better and hopefully the lives of my children. I want them to see that someone in our family has gone to college and they have that opportunity as well.
Ever since I was a child, I have loved doing art. I have been told for many years that I have artistic talent. That being said, I suppose that I would consider that one of my strengths. It is something that has taken a long time to develop, though.
ReplyDeleteFifth grade was the first opportunity that I had to sign up for an art class, so I did just that. I ended up loving it so much that I continued to sign up for art classes every single year. At the end of my senior year (this year), I had been in art classes for a total of 8 years! I started out with minimal talent, but hard work during the last 8 years has turned me into the artist that I am today.
With art as a strength, it does not help to have perfectionism as a weakness. This is unfortunately a great weakness of mine and is something that I have tried to work on for years but have not seen much change in. Whenever I work on a piece, I want it to turn out exactly perfect and I tend to get angry if it does not. As I said, this is an issue that I am working on but have not shown much improvement in thus far.
-Kaylee George
Coming from a very small town and attending a relatively small school, it was hard for me to find something that I was good at. With football, basketball, and cheerleading being the most "popular" activities, I fell short because I am not athletic at all. When I entered the sixth grade, I was given the opportunity to join band, and I fell in love. I regret to inform you that I was not musically inclined either.
ReplyDeleteI didn't let that stop me though! I tried several low brass instruments before I finally moved onto percussion, but I still wasn't good. I think one of my greatest strengths is that I am a hard worker. I am able to persevere. I practice until I am where I need to be and then some. I was able to come from a huge struggle to becoming section leader/drum captain my senior year. It wasn't easy for me. I couldn't naturally feel the beat like the other kids on the line, but I persevered.
Even with perseverance, I am still very shy, and I think that is my greatest weakness. I am a very quiet person, and I don't build relationships easy. Participating in certain things is absolutely nerve-wracking and I have passed up so many tremendous opportunities because I became so nervous about them. Looking on the brightside, I am working on this, just like I did with my instrument. I pushed myself to give a speech at graduation, and I think that was a big step!
-Lindsey Wallace
I definitely know how it feels to struggle on other instruments before ending up a percussionist! I wanted to play the trumpet so badly but they told me I don't have enough lung capacity for anything that requires air so I ended up a percussionist. While I never excelled above and beyond on the drums, mallet instruments are my thing! Are you going to keep playing drums somehow in your future?
DeleteI didn't join the band at ECU, however, I still practice almost daily working on different solos and warmups just because if I ever wanted to go back and tech at the high schools around, I would still be able to play! I was never good at any mallet instruments, so I applaud you for that! I personally think it takes a crazy amount of talent to play and a lot of dedication!
DeleteI’m pretty good at school and sports, but one of my weaknesses is my social skills. I feel awkward around people I don’t know very well, and am not someone to go up and initiate a conversation. I’ve tried to improve this skill, but for the most part I’m still shy and awkward. On the other hand, I actually find it easier and more enjoyable to improve my strengths. I work hard in my classes and I notice the classes getting easier. I work hard at running and I see myself get faster. People always say to work on your weaknesses, and I do believe it is important, but I also believe that working on your strengths can be just as beneficial. That being said, I’ll still be working on my social skills in order to improve my weaknesses.
ReplyDeleteMuch like Lindsay, I come from a small town where sports like football, basketball, softball, and baseball are a main focus and I was not good at any of those sports. I too joined band, but I accidentally found a passion in color guard along the way. Color guard was my a huge part of my life for four years and I really excelled at it! Many of the band moms would tell me I was a natural, but what they didn't know is how much time and effort I put in to being that good. I made guard captain sophomore year and every year following. Color guard being such a large part of my life led me to audition for the ECU guard, which I made but am scared about since I do not know the skill level at which I will be expected to perform.
ReplyDeleteSomething that I have always had a weakness in is math. My teachers in high school were the kind that were oh-so-slightly condescending if you asked a "dumb" question, which led me to not want to ask questions, even though I didn't understand what was going on. Luckily I had friends that were in the same classes as me that did understand the material and explained in a different way than the teachers so I could grasp the concepts easily. I do keep most of my notes from math classes in order to help me in later years with harder classes.
Don't worry Bailey, you will do great in guard! I was in the band here at ECU and we all had a ton of fun!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHi everyone, my name is Michaela Curl, but I go by Katie. As I have read a lot of students are, I come from a small town. My town is all about football and basketball, and I am not an athletic person. I tried during middle school, but it didn't go over very well. I tried to force myself to keep playing softball, because I loved it when I was little. School ball was so different than competitive though. I wasn't the best on the team anymore and the coaches picked many favorites and I was not one of them. In high school I did not even try to do sports, but I stuck with the clubs and organizations. Freshman year I ended up joining at least five different clubs. My favorite organization was Family and Consumer Sciences, which I ended up being a local, district, and state officer all before my senior year. In FCCLA at the beginning I was super shy and did not want to talk to anyone. I was not a people person, and everyone else at all the conventions were. Through all the training I went through I ended up being pushed out of my shell. I ended up being a state officer and talking on stage in front of more than 7,000 people at the state convention.
ReplyDelete-Michaela (Katie) Curl
After a summer spent seeking changes and new experiences, one constant characteristic I have noticed in myself is kindness. An unconditional sort of friendliness that is not always deserved, but oftentimes a nice attribute to hold. With smiles and forgiveness as my first instinct, I have found my fear of offending anyone to be a two-edged sword. On one end, my conversations are upbeat and pleasant with people generally leaving happy, but the other side leaves me struggling to face confrontation when necessary. As for my first taste of honest failure and success, both experiences happened in my running career respectively. As an extremely naive sophomore fresh out of a cross country season as the only girl runner, I was more than ready to break out of my personal records and try for better times. During off season, I trained as well as I knew how, which was not much. (Again, I was naive) But, I put my all into my ingenious training plan, and was devastated when my goals quickly fell through. Many frustrating feelings ensued until sometime into my senior year. I realized early on into the first semester that my passion is in all-things health, so I began following better habits. I became wiser with my running, researching how to fuel and care for my body. By that point, I felt like a brand new car with a full tank of gas, holding a potential I did not want to give limits. Ending my senior track season, and high school career, I had finally exceeded my goals made as a rookie sophomore. The best feeling was knowing that I had earned it, and that I still have a long *possible* way to go.
ReplyDelete-Katie Cowger
Growing up on a farm where there is little to none activities that held my interest, I grew fond of books. It did not matter to me the subject, intensity, or level of the book that I could get my
ReplyDeletehands on it, it would be absorbed. In fifth grade I was reading at an above high school level. How ever I have never been able to pick up on the simplicity, as many people would describe it, of
math. For all of you above who have also mentioned the same struggle I am glad to know I can bond over this disadvantage with you all. I can remember trying my hardest in algebra one to maintain my 4.0 average. It was a very big
struggle as I never understood why the numbers would add up a certain way. I revived a lot of help from my teacher. When the ACT
rolled around I knew I need to take actions into my own hands to secure my future. I enlisted the help of a teacher and got down a dirty with
math. My math score jumped from a 17 to a 26. It was a lot of hard work but was completely worth it in the end of it all.
-Brooke hill
For as long as I can remember, I have been considered 'shy' or 'inhibited by others. In classes I would hide behind my books and try to remain as unseen as I could manage. What I didn't like to say aloud was broadcasted whenever I wrote. Every opinion, thought, or idea trapped inside my head flowed so smoothly on paper. My teachers, however, hated this about me. I would refuse to speak in class, and if I did, it was a mumble under my breath. Writing is what I excel at, and is also my passion.
ReplyDeleteMy weaknesses, such as my fear of talking to people, and my nervousness, can hold me back from completely from experiencing new things. I am worst at public speaking, as a result of letting fear control me for so many years. I was finally able to overcome my fear of public speaking by giving multiple speeches last year. I am happy to have succeeded at this, after spending so many hours practicing with friends and family.
One thing I have tried and tried again and failed is basketball. I'm tall, and a stocky girl, which should make for a good center in basketball. The main problem, however, is that my coordination is awful. My shots were awkward, and I couldn't run to save my life. I practiced for years trying to fix this, as well as basketball camps here and there. I would like to think that if I hadn't moved my senior year, I would have finally bloomed.
Emily Knight
Ever since I was little I have always been a people person. My parents always had to keep a very close watch on me out in public, because I would go up to any and everyone, or sometimes crawl over into other shopping carts to talk to people. So since I have never been afraid to speak, I have developed amazing social skills, but my weakness is that I am only good at the talking part. I have never been able to understand other points of view, which strains relationships with both my friends and family. When faced with a problem I see one way to handle it and to me that is the only way, but most of the time it is definitely not the correct one. I am a very kind and compassionate person, but I have never been the friend that people go to for advice. I am hard headed and very opinionated, making it difficult for me to give others nonbiased guidance. I am worse when it comes to sensitive situations, because have always been the person that takes the bolder approach and addresses the problem directly instead of beating around the bush.
ReplyDeleteAn example of a time that I approached something with a fixed mindset and failed then came back with a growth mindset and succeeded was when I tried out for Color Guard at my high school. The first time I tried out, going into my freshman year, everyone told me that I was so good that I did not need to practice and I would make it no problem. So I did not practice where people could see me, because I did not want to seem like I was trying too hard. When the Guard list went up that night it quickly became apparent that my natural talent was not enough. Going into my sophomore year though, I practiced every second I had and worked hard to get the routine as close to perfect as I could get and I made it. This experience opened my eyes that if you do not work for your rung on the ladder of life someone will come up behind you and take it.
MiKayla Lott