English 1302-20R Critical Reflection Assignment

This English II class was unexpected in a lot of ways. Before the start of the semester, I

did not have much faith in non-STEM classes. I thought that the class would consist of reading

standard-fare PowerPoints and promptly forgetting the taught material. However, this class

subtly changes the teaching methods commonly used in English classes to deliver a better, more

memorable lecture.

Midterm Exam

The midterm exam surprised me the most this semester. The teacher initially announced

the midterm and its details – the date, time, and format – like any other class, so I did not expect

anything unique. I studied the night before, reviewing concepts. I attended all the classes, so I

knew that I understood the main ideas. However, by this time, I had forgotten the dictionary

definitions of certain concepts. I repeated the definitions in my head, knowing that I would forget

them right after class. I kept repeating them in my head until I arrived in class. However, when

class started, the teacher announced that the midterm exam would be in a different format: a

crime mystery investigation. Instantly, everyone in my class became much more engaged in the

midterm. This unconventional midterm tested the concepts learned in class in real-life scenarios.

Suddenly, different groups became discourse communities that cultivated and traded

information. Most importantly, this midterm taught me the importance of real-life experience. I

learned that knowing the dictionary definitions of words by heart did not guarantee expertise in

real-life.

Readings (Wilson – On the Research Journey)

 The readings were also chosen well, even if some were a bit long and meandering. I

especially like Wilson’s reading called On the Research Journey. In this reading, Wilson, a man

with strong roots to an indigenous culture, recount his travels around the world and how his

experiences informed his development of a research question. Beforehand, I had no idea

academics could be this well-informed and knowledgeable about the world. Many people,

including myself, picture an academic as someone holed up in their room studying abstract ideas

from a textbook. Additionally, as a young student, I have little knowledge about real-world

experience. I entered college right after high school during the pandemic, so my idea of a student

still consists of someone studying in their room alone. Wilson’s passage expanded my horizons

on a what an academic can be. Further, Wilson’s studies as a father also taught me that learning

never really ends. Even if one is past the typical age of a student, an engaged mind can transfer

real-world knowledge into academic resources. Moreover, it gave me another perspective on

research. It taught me that research is often like a winding road, so sometimes changing research

questions makes sense, depending on your research journey. Also, Wilson’s take on traditional

western research methods explains a lot of the misunderstanding about indigenous individuals

and foreign concepts in general. In particular, I related it to the western world’s struggle with

understanding mental illness. Western researchers initially studied mentally ill clients from a

very detached position, without taking the time to know their patients, so many scientists devised

“treatment” methods that only worsened their conditions (such as lobotomies).

Instructor Interaction

Our instructor was engaged with our learning, and it helped our development as writers.

Oftentimes, students feel that they turn in papers that nobody reads. However, Dr. Saenz left

meaningful comments on my paper about developing my idea outside the classroom. I wrote
about engineering ethics, and he was always open to talking about the difficult process of

changing the college curriculum.

Group Work

This class helped me improve the way I work with groups. Initially, I was not excited to

work my classmates. Like in other classes, students would typically zone out and work on other

classes than work as a group. However, the interactive assignments were engaging enough to

keep students’ attention and encourage them to work as a team. Slowly, I began to see the value

of teamwork. For example, I learned that brainstorming is much more efficient in teams.

Different people have unique life experiences, so they come up with more unique ideas than just

one person.

This class comes up with creative ways to teach the course material. It encourages

students to remember the concepts they learned, even after they are done with the class. In the

future, I plan to present the information I gather from research in such an engaging way. I will

have to keep learning how to use different modes of communication to efficiently convey my

thoughts.