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Addy Malone

Ms. Michko

AP lang - B Block

June 7, 2024

Course Reflection

I was hesitant to take AP Lang, and when my sophomore literature teacher suggested I

take it, I was flattered but did not think I was capable. I ended up in the class because I did not

appeal her recommendation in time, thank God I didn’t. At the beginning of this year, I described

writing a paper longer than a page similar to pulling teeth. It felt impossible to effectively

communicate anything through writing. I feel one of my greatest strengths is verbally

communicating, when it comes to analyzing a book, advocating for myself in class, or explaining

where I went wrong in an assignment, I often do well. That is why it was so discouraging to feel

like a weak writer, I knew what I wanted to write, but didn’t know how. After taking this class

the phrase practice makes perfect has resonated with me more than ever. Even this week while

completing my LAMP I have been able to write multiple essays with ease, all because of timed

writes in this class. Being given a prompt and a forty-minute timer I learned to quickly and

effectively organize my thoughts, and develop a clear essay. My teachers no longer leave

comments on my work that say “ I get what you're trying to say here, but rework for clarity.”

Now they just write “Addy please proofread your paper. Why did you have a typo in the first

sentence?” I can confidently say grammar is something I am still working on. Writing has

become something I really enjoy and want to get better at. I realized I am capable of improving

my writing and this class has even inspired me to pursue a media and communications program

in college.
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Specifically, I feel my commentary improved the most because of this class. I came in not

knowing what the difference between evidence and commentary even was. Although I had a hard

time watching the AP classroom videos that described the difference and structure of both, I

really benefited from them and the in-class practice we did. This newfound skill was most

evident in my HARE project this year. I chose to study the Harlem Renaissance and found

myself drawing in information. Yet once I chose the most effective evidence I was able to

connect each point with valuable commentary that strengthened my line of reasoning. I received

a 92% on the paper and my teacher told me it was one of the most insightful papers she had read

this year, and the only reason I did not score higher was because of my grammar. This grade and

comment serve as a direct example of how much I have improved just this year.

Like I stated earlier, before taking this class I had a hard time believing my writing would

ever be half decent. Especially after taking the “Creative Writing at Night” course last year,

where my brilliant peers would critique my writing each week. So upon entering this class, I set

the goal that I would be a better writer, I didn't have to be amazing but I just wanted to write to

effectively communicate my message. After a year of hard work, I believe I have reached that

goal. There is so much more to learn and that is something I love about writing. That the skill is

like a muscle that needs to keep training, and there is no end goal, even the most renowned

authors still receive criticism.

This course hasn't just strengthened my writing skills but my critical thinking and

analysis skills as well. Rhetorical analysis was a completely new topic for me. I am not a big

reader and that is a habit I am trying to create, but it never struck me how each word an author

writes serves a purpose. Though I don’t read that often I do love movies, and the analytical skills

I learned from rhetorical analysis have helped me better understand film and the executive
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decisions a director makes. I run a Film Club at the high school and was able to use my skills for

the better of the club, teaching other students to look at the intention, message, and tone of

different films. The other unit I found myself thinking about outside of class was the “What is

the internet doing to us” unit. My mother even groaned at one point “Is this the phone thing

again?” Indeed, it was. I found myself constantly talking to my peers about the topic and even

changing my behavior because of what I had learned about social media and excessive phone

use. Not only did this unit introduce me to new information, it taught me the value of knowing

how to read. Not just knowing words on a page, but how reading and synthesizing information

from multiple new sources can drastically alter my way of thinking.

One of my friends recently said to me “Maybe you should take the summer to relax from

the AP lang stuff” because I was overanalyzing the way I spoke and if my word choice was

going to hurt my friends. Although in that moment I might have been too self-critical, AP lang

has seeped into my everyday life and gifted me with skills that will help me become a lifelong

learner. I am so grateful to have access to this kind of education, and that I forgot to appeal the

recommendation.