Reflective Essay

I walked into ACLC as a small seventh grader who knew that the ways of a normal middle school weren’t for me. I walked in for a tour on a school day and all I saw was chaos. It was Lego League time, so there was a whole bunch more hustle and bustle compared to normal, they told me. I applied, got in, and started my first day of school and soon found out that what I had seen on my tour is what school was like every day. However, I enjoyed the commotion and decided to stay.

I don’t think I ever could have survived at a normal school. When I entered ACLC, I was already a hard worker, but I never seemed to know how long it would take me to finish an assignment. This is just one of the many things that this school has taught me, time management. Time management is a skill that everybody needs to learn at some point, and now that I have learned it, I can take it throughout my life. Also, ACLC has helped me change the way I attack an assignment. Through practice on assignments, it is easier to juggle school work and life outside of school. I don’t seem to stress over assignments as much as I did when I came to the school. This makes a more relaxing environment that I can work in and create a better assignment in the end.

ACLC has also helped me in my use of technology. When first coming to ACLC, I knew how to use the computer, but the thing that I didn’t do was use it for school work. I began using the computer for schoolwork and became accustomed to using it on a daily basis. In the same few months, I found that working in a group can be a much easier way to get a project done or it can make life a living hell. Before I had come to ACLC, I had never worked in a group project. Regular schools never assigned them due to the fact that they don’t have time in school to finish them. Therefore, I had to learn how to interact in a group, create interpersonal relationships that would last, and work with technology on a daily basis. I’ve now mastered these three skills. As an example, as a senior, we can work with others to raise funds for our senior trip. I chose to work with another senior where we worked through all the details and logistics of how to collaborate and make our finished product.

Thinking and reasoning skills have, for me, been the hardest concepts to master. And, I admit, this skill is not quite where I would like it to be. English, where these two skills are tested the most, is my weakest subject by far, and I know it. When I was in elementary school I struggled at English and my parents were worried that I had a learning disability because I wasn’t improving at all when it came to English class. I went to a place where they tested me on my memory for hours and my language skills for even longer. The results for these tests came out that I just struggled at all things English related, but didn’t have a learning disability. They recommended that I consider smaller schools, in order to have more focused time with teachers. I find now that my family and I followed this recommendation subconsciously in going to ACLC.

The lady at the testing center was right; I flourished at a smaller school in more ways than one. My English and writing skills (part of the New Basics outcomes) have improved considerably within the past five years. I find myself more comfortable with technology and working in groups. I couldn’t have done this without help from ACLC.