CAS Journal Entry 15/23

This week, I have been working with the La Paz ninth graders to help them write their position papers for Model United Nations. Diego and I have been going into the ninth grade classrooms to be supportive leaders and teachers for them as they attempt to write their first ever position papers. By teaching the ninth graders how to write a position paper and being there for their questions, I have been undertaking new challenges of stepping into a leadership role, and attempting to inspire and engage younger students. This process has definitely helped me enhance my communication and reflection skills because I do not only need to figure out how to helpfully articulate and communicate my lesson plans, but I also need to reflect within myself to see if what I am doing is the most helpful for the ninth graders, or if there is something more I need to do.

I have also needed to practice my skill of being caring while working collaboratively with the ninth graders and Diego, and persevering and committing to this project even when I might face challenges. Although this project has brought me a lot of joy and excitement to see our school get engaged and interested in this topic, it has also made me realize my need to be resilient and strong through challenges. I am not the most confident speaker in front of large groups, and MUN has made me realize this area for growth, but I still love and accept myself even when I get nervous talking in front of a large group. Having said this, practicing talking in front of large groups has definitely made me feel more confident in myself and my ability to be a strong and inspiring leader which has only enhanced my personal life by making me feel like I can take on any challenge. As well, seeing the ninth graders learn how to write a position paper has made me reflect on how far I have come in my academic journey, and has filled me with a lot of pride of all the work I have put into to be where I am today. 

Even though MUN has been challenging to fit within my IB schedule and all the homework I am receiving, it has brought me so much closer to my La Paz community. When I came to this school in August totally new, I felt pretty separated from the community. However, through MUN and being able to work with every single grade and talking to most of the students at the school about it, I have felt extremely more integrated in to La Paz. I am so glad I chose to take on this project because I do not really feel like a new kid anymore, rather a really important part of this community. This CAS project was never just a project for school, but it has been an experience that is altering my whole life. 

Currently, I am on the soccer team at La Paz that practices with all girls from 5th grade up. This is not only extremely fun for me, but a release during all the stress and work surrounding IB. It has been such a fun way to stay active while laughing with new friends that I have made. Playing on the soccer team has also been an important opportunity for me to step into another leadership role and try to be a good and inspiring role model for the younger kids on my team. It has been really important to me that I show the younger students how to really be yourself and always be caring to others, because I truly believe we need more kind and unique people in this world. Overall, both my experience with MUN and the soccer team has made me realize what skills I value within myself, and also what ways I can support or make an impact on this community and the world. 

Evidence:

Google classroom assignment for Position Papers: https://classroom.google.com/u/0/c/NTQyNzQ3OTgyMjA2/a/NTQzMDQxNTM0MjQ2/submissions/by-status/and-sort-name/all 

Announcement we had to make in GC to show a mistake we made, but also how we are going to fix it.