Model Mythology 2023: Carolee Chen, Period 7, 2/3

 Atomic Habits & Growth

Since last semester, I have developed tremendously as a student of this class and a learner of this school. Not only have I learned significantly about mythology, but also what I can do better to get the most out of this class. Reflecting on the fall semester, I have made several new criterias for myself in order to learn more intensely. For instance, I push myself to think more critically and to hone away from my initial reactions during class/group discussions. Crafting this standard is essential as I would only hit surface-level ideas during conversations in the last semester. To achieve this, I test myself to make connections when discussing answers with my group. For example, to figure out the symbolism of Red Horse, a character from Grendel, we connected him to the political ideologies related to the Red Scare in the early 1900s. We also connected the Dragon from Grendel to the serpent from the biblical story, Adam and Eve, when discussing its relationship with Grendel and how it contributes to the plot. By making more relations during class, I noticed that I have discovered themes of texts at a newly profound level and been able to uncover the author’s purpose and bias behind each character, action, and syntax, enabling a more in-depth understanding of the text. Another personal goal I created is to ask more questions with my group. In doing so, I often challenge my own thoughts after asking my teammates about their viewpoints, debate about our conflicting ideas, and make new associations I had not thought of before. With these advantages in mind, I always like to ask my teammates to further elaborate on their opinions, answer their questions about mine, and ask questions beyond what is on the board. As a result, I’ve noticed that exposure to new stances has made me a more developed learner, as I think more abstractly than I used to in this class and in my other classes as well. Lastly, another  goal I created is to stay on task and work more efficiently with my teammates. I crafted this because in my previous team, I tend to not participate or we would sometimes get distracted during group discussions. Thus, I am now always attentively listening to my teammates when they speak, asking about each other’s ideas and guiding questions, and stimulating conversation when we get stuck during conversations. Furthermore, I get to create new bonds with each team member of my group, especially with the ones I never used to talk to before this class, as I learn more about each other through efficient discussions. Overall, I can proudly say that I have grown from last semester and will continue to grow and create new standards for myself as the year progresses.