Self Reflection: Reconstruction

How did I feel during planning this presentation? Why did I feel this way?

 A. I felt stressed, but also excited because in the Lincoln-Douglas debate, my group did not do very well.

How did I feel prior to presenting? Why did I feel this way?

                     A.I felt stressed and nervous because I wasn’t sure if my group was going to win, and in the Lincoln Douglas debate, my group did not do very well and I thought this would be my chance to come back.

How did I feel while I was presenting? Why did I feel this way?

                    A. I felt nervous but also confident. I knew what I was going to say, so I was confident. I felt nervous because I wasn’t sure about what the 8^th graders would think of me.

What did I personally do well?

                A. I think that I talked a lot slower this time in front of a live audience. I used to talk a lot faster when I was presenting to a live audience.

What did not go as desired in this presentation?

               A. We had some technical difficulties, but I think that we handled them very well.

On a scale from 1-10, how well do I think I understood the content? Explain.

A. I think that I understood the content at a 7.5 because I learned a lot about the Wade-Davis Bill and Lincoln’s Proclamation of Amnesty from PVOnline, and I understood most of it. There were a few pats of information I was missing, but watching the first debate, I got clarified what I wanted to know.

How do I think my group members perceived me? Why do I think this?

                  A.  I think that my group members perceived me as more of a leader than in the beginning of the year. I am now a lot more open with the other students in DLC, so I think that also contributed. I definitely wasn’t the true leader, but I think that my group members perceived me as a hard worker, but that I still needed to practice the content. I gave comments, but I wasn’t sure if I was being too easy. I didn’t want to be mean, but I think I gave some very good feedback. I think this because I seemed to be sort of in charge, but also not the full leader.

How do I think the 8^th graders perceived me? Why do I think this?

A. I think that the 8^th grades perceived me as nice, but also a hard worker. I think that they perceived me this way because I knew the content, but I wasn’t fully open with them.

Knowing that I can only control how I act and react, if I could do this presentation again, what would I change about my actions to make it a more ideal experience?

A. I would definitely try to speak slower, but also talk louder. I would also try to be more open with DLC8.

What are my strengths in groups?

A. I am a leader when necessary, but I can also definitely be a great group member. I also get my work done on time, and cover what I need to. Having quality work is also one of my strengths, but I know I need to figure out what I am going to say.

What areas do I need improvement?

A. I know that I need to speak louder and talk slower. I also need to improve my gesturing.

What is the most important thing I learned about myself? Why is this so important?

A. The most important thing that I learned about myself is that I can be a leader. I always thought of myself as just a group member/in the middle, but I think that now I can be more confident about my work or when I need to give constructive criticism. I do not want to be mean to anybody, but I know that if I give him or her what they need to hear, it can make the group a lot stronger. This is important because when I need to be a leader, I can, and that could make the rest of the group feel supported and put more effort into the project.

Are there any other things that I need to express?

A. I just want to say that everybody in DLC7J did a wonderful job presenting.