An Evaluation

I have done so much in these past two years.  I delved into new interests and revived old forgotten activities.  These are the accomplishments I have reached in each section in the duration of IB.

Creativity:

• Improving guitar skills
• Singing with guitar accompaniment
• Writing my first full length songs
• Recording music
• Learning how to work with iMovie and making music videos
• Exploring deeper into photography
• Writing my first heartfelt poem
• Art (Drawing, coloring, mixed media)

Action

• Learning to ski
• Learning how to play water volleyball
• Learning how to go snorkeling
• Running/Jogging
• Working out using equipment at home
• Swimming laps
• Training with a soccer team
• Learning to snowboard
• Learning to play innebandy

Service

• Ambassador for the IB program
• Volunteering at an animal shelter
• Volunteering as part of the schools choir for the Lucia show
• Tutoring for IB exams
• Teaching guitar

I think that CAS is actually a great part of the IB (this isn't a suck up statement, I promise!) because we spend so much time focusing on school and because of the requirements by the programme, are sort of forced out of our small bubble.  We all have hobbies, but I think because of CAS I started new things that I probably not have done otherwise.  I have gone from thinking "Can I get CAS hours for that?" to "Oh, that would be fun!" for different activities.  For example, I learned how to snowboard last year initially because I knew I would get CAS hours for it.  After a couple of months of thinking like that, it began to slip and my thoughts began to be more about how much fun it would be to try something, and the CAS hours were just a bonus.

Likewise with the Service and Creativity.  Playing guitar used to be a hobby of mine.  Now I'm so much further into it than I was before.  I have actually recorded music, something that I have always wanted to do, but never actually went through with.  I have never written my own music (I have written a few lines, but could never get past that).  I discovered my passion for making music videos and small fun films because of Creativity.  My passion for art that had been buried deep for the past 5 years re-emerged and was brought back into the light.

I also began to break out of my shell by being an ambassador.  I am usually fairly shy and uncomfortable with strangers, but now I feel that I can be in charge of a situation and not feel compelled to be shy or withdrawn.  Tutoring has also shown me that helping others does not have to be donating a mass of money to charities but can be as simple as helping anyone with anything.  True, there are people that need help and they shouldn't be ignored or dismissed, but everything has a time and place, and since I cannot go out and save the world right now, I can start with my community.  It has led me to research into volunteer organizations in Dallas for when I return next year.  I am really interested in helping people the best that I can no matter where I am.

Running Totals

Service: 50 hours 00 minutes (Completed)
Action: 50 hours 30 minutes (Completed)
Creativity: 50 hours 50 minutes (Completed)

//Always being edited//

Guitar Lessons

Jennie is showing great improvements since yesterday :)  We played for an hour yesterday.  Time goes so quick!  I thought it would be difficult to teach for an entire hour, but she seems to be having fun so it makes it much easier.  Plus she's getting much better!  She can now play Em, E, Am, A, G, and C by memory, but D is still causing problems.  She complains about her fingers hurting, but that should go away after a couple of days of continuing to practice :)

She is here now again today and we are getting ready for another hour.  We are both busy tonight so we figured now would be the best time to do it.  We can have another lesson tomorrow maybe?  All I know is that she WILL play that song :)

Service - 2 hours

I Could Be A Teacher

It has now been an hour since Jennie arrived and I began to teach her how to play the guitar.  She has told me that she has always wanted to play an instrument but never had the time or the opportunity so I took it upon myself to be the one to break that "habit."  I didn't really draw up a lesson plan or anything, but when she got here, I realized I probably should have.  Fortunately, I remember my music theory very well and gave her a crash course.  She has now built up her vocabulary with certain music terms (i.e. Octave, fret, major/minor, etc.) and can play several chords (with guidance so far).

I enjoy sharing my knowledge with others, and especially when I can save people so much trouble that I have gone through myself, it feels wrong not to do all that I can.  In this case, tutoring and teaching has served me very well, as I can do my part and help people and they can benefit as well.  I know I am not exactly saving the world or feeding the hungry, but music is a huge part of my life and I cannot imagine anyone not knowing the power behind musical expression.  It sounds cheesy, I know, but it is completely true.  I think it should be required for every child to learn a musical instrument.  Even scientific studies show that those students who play instruments during their school years usually do better in academic standards.  It increases intelligence, creativity, and provides an outlet for emotions.  I do not see any downside to that.

Unfortunately, not everyone gets to take part in this, so I'm all for volunteering my time and energy (and equipment) to share my passion for music.

With three hours of service left, I will complete those hours this week.  However, we have set a goal for her to be able to play one full-length song and will not stop until we get there, no matter how many hours it takes :)  We do have a four-day weekend ahead of us :D


Service - 1 hour

Working Out

Andrea has some gym equipment at home and so I've been doing a bit of training over the weekend.  Just an hour all together, nothing big.  But it's nice feeling that strain when you work really hard.  Later this week I plan on going on a good run, but I'm not at home right now and I don't have the right shoes to do any running where I am.  But I think I'll run on Thursday, probably in the morning.  It'll help me start my day.  (I have now fulfilled my Action hours, but I plan on doing it anyways...)

Yesterday (Monday) I also went out on a weird adventure with Hanna L.  It was interesting.  We took it upon ourselves to play in the snow, as I come from Texas.  We don't get snow there.  Or, if we do, it melts by the next morning.  So as part of my "cultural eduction," Hanna and I went to a park and just played for 3 hours.  Literally.  3 hours.  We were exhausted but also even more energetic than before when we were done.  I was freezing but I went down so many hills and climbed mountains of snow.  I'm a bit sore today in my arms and legs, but it was completely worth it!


Total: 4 hours action



I also tutored Hanna L the weekend before mocks.  It was a long time ago, but I haven't been back to this blog in a while, so now everything is coming out.  We reviewed mostly Business but also a bit of Environmental Sciences for about 2 hours.  It was kind of fun.  She made a list of things she didn't understand and I would read about it beforehand and then teach it to her.  I hope I helped her.  She understood at the time, but I know the feeling of understanding something and then forgetting it on the test.  It's an awful feeling.  But I plan on continuing to tutor her if she needs me all the way to finals.  I want everyone to get a really good grade on every subject and when I tutor others, I actually learn a lot myself.  So it kind of helps everyone.  A Win-Win situation :)

2 hours Service




Note:
I have gone through my past posts and recounted, and apparently I had miscounted some hours and I had much less than I thought.  There were instances where I did not finish adding hours so that has been edited.  The Running Totals are now entirely correct.