Friday, November 11, 2011

Cathedrals or Bricks?

Read the story below and answer the questions at the bottom of the post:

"Once there were 3 bricklayers. Each one of them was asked what they were doing.The first man answered gruffly, 'I'm laying bricks.'The second man replied, 'I'm putting up a wall.'But the third man said enthusiastically and with pride, 'I'm building a cathedral.'" --Author Unknown

To summarize, when you face challenges, when you feel discouraged, when you feel like you will never reach success, remember the story of The Three Bricklayers and look at your attitude and visualize the "Big Picture!"

Attitude: "...mastering change rather than allowing it to master you." It's all in your attitude!

See the "Big Picture:" "Give yourself an even greater challenge than the one you are trying to master and you will develop the powers necessary to overcome the original difficulty." William Bennett

1. Briefly describe your first semester story. Have you just laid bricks or have you attempted to build a cathedral? Share your 1st semester story with the rest of the class.

2. What are your GOALS for the rest of this semester as well as next semester? How can you move closer to the completion of that cathedral? What can you do differently? How can you challenge yourself? Inspire your classmates and yourself!

107 comments:

Anonymous said...

For first semester, I think I've had the "building a wall" attitude when it comes to my schoolwork. I haven't been lazy, or just "laying the bricks" I don't think,but I have lacked motivation at certain points, and haven't worked to my full potential. I wish I could be the one to say that without a doubt, I've tried my hardest at everything. (building the cathedral.) but looking back, I know I could've worked harder.

A few of my goals for the rest of this semester are to get my grades up as high as I can, and to motivate myself and go the extra mile in everything I do.
My goals fir next semester will be to work my hardest from the beginning to the end. I want to achieve straight A's and have no missing assignments all semester. To do this, I will have to focus more on my academics rather than the soil aspects of high school. I definitely need to study more for tests and quizzes, and make my homework my first priority. Like Mr. Craig said at the beginning of this year, "We are in charge of our own learning."

Anonymous said...

I believe that I am also around the "building a wall" point. I have tried to get my work done and made a effort to do well in class, but I haven't put my full power into this semester. I definitely could have put in more effort and paid more attention in class.
For the rest of the semester I'd like to bring up my grade to a solid A. I'd also like to never forget to get my work done. I'm going to put forth a lot more effort and work as hard as I do in some of my other classes. I am going to try different study techniques to do better on tests and spend more time really absorbing my homework than trying to get it done as fast as I can. I'm going to challenge myself by giving it my all and working towards building my "cathedral".

Anonymous said...

I would say that I have have been at the "building a wall" stage for this first semester. I try to get my homework done and pay attention in class but I don't think I have put in as much effort as I should. I know I could have worked harder to make sure I was getting the most out of the learning by coming in for extra help and really participating and asking questions.
For the rest of the sememster and next semester I want to put a lot of focus on asking for help if I need it. I really want to get grades on tests and such that I am proud of. I want to go further than just studying for half an hour the night before a test because if i don't understand what is going to be on the test, I am setting myself up for failure. I hope to motivate myself in every class to build that cathedral.

Ava Kalhoefer said...

The entire first semester definately felt like I was trying to build my goal brick by brick. To receive good grades was becoming more of a struggle to build than exciting to reach, even more of a struggle to keep them at a good level. Unlike the thrid bricklayer, it didn't feel like a project I enjoyed building, and my grades didn't seem to be a beautiful cathedral worth building sometimes. It overall became something I enjoyed to build up to when I realized that good grades are something that I should be proud of, and it become less of a chore when I used the help provided to me. I am more enthusiastic about building that cathedral now.
My goals for this semester and next semester are still the same: get the grades I want without inhealthy stress, by studying more and still asking my teachers for help. If grades come more easily for me, I would probably even extend my activities at school by participating in more clubs and sports. I just know that school doesn't have to be a chore that seems to cave in on you any time you seem at least close to your goal.

Anonymous said...

The first semester I have been "building a wall." Defiantly not seeing the big picture of the science we are learning and how it pertains to my own life. I have merely been doing the work to get by, not to necessarily learn about cells and such. My interest in the subjects have fluctuated therefore changing my view on the big picture and changing my enthusiasm about learning.

My goal for next semester is to "build the cathedral". See the big picture, and apply it to life. Instead of doing the work quickly to just get it done, I will try and be eager to actually learn the material. To achieve this I will do a more thorough job on my homework and not rush through it just to do it. I will challenge myself by digging deeper. I will achieve this big asking questions, but not just surface level questions, deeper questions that will help my learning and enthusiasm about the learning.

Bloggerthehut said...
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Anonymous said...

I think this year I have had the "laying the wall attitude" I work hard enough to get good grade, but I don't push myself hard enough to get the great grades or to "build a cathedral" I don' think I've tried hard enough or had that great of an attitude.

My goals for the rest of this semester would be to have a "building a cathedral" attitude and to start working harder and pushing myself to the best of my abilities!

Anonymous said...

1. In the beginning of the semester I was excited for school and ready to build my "cathedral". But after the first 5 weeks went by, I started to feel more lazy when doing my work and felt like I have just been laying bricks. My first rude awakening occured recently in my test grade in science. Now that the end of the semester is approaching, I feel that my catherdral is partly built and therefore I have been working extra hard to maintain the grades I have and to raise some of them.

2. My goals are definetly to maintain a good GPA and not to just get good grades, but to actually undersatnd the material rather then just pretend that I do. Sometimes, I dont feel like I understand the material enough but think to myself "Its ok, you will just study really hard for the upcoming test." I dont want to have this attitude anymore and therefore will try my best in everything I do. By challenging myself to finish homework on Friday night, rather then wait for Sunday to come around, it will help me gain the will power I will need to succeed in everyday life.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

1.) For the previous semester I feel as if I've been "building a cathedral" but in the past few weeks I have been slacking a little, or "building a wall". I've been failing to pay attention in class and haven't been doing as great on tests and things.

2.) Next semester I challenge myself to pay better attention in class. To not let doodling, talking, or the excitement of my weekends distract me. I also challenge myself to push strong through the semester and not allow myself to fall into what I have now in the last few weeks.

Anonymous said...

I believe that over the first semester, I too have been "building the wall". There are many aspects of science where I am very interested, and want to learn more, which falls under the category of "building a cathedral". However, there are other aspects where I just want to learn what I need to to get a good grade. That is why I'd say I compromise at a "building the wall" stage. Science is such a large subject that goes back so far and is every growing, it's hard to look at the big picture, simply because it is so immense, but I agree that seeing simply "bricks" is too discouraging.

For the rest of them semester, I want to continue to see my school work as more than "bricks". I don't want to become discouraged or lacking motivation as we continue the school year and get closer to winter break and after that, summer vacation. As I learn more in the subject of biology, I want to be able to connect certain concepts with others. This is the process of "building the cathedral", however I personally don't think the "science cathedral" will every be fully finished. I want to try harder in searching deeper into the information (in all subjects). I can challenge myself by thinking of everything as more than "bricks", going above and beyond, and continuing to see the big picture.

Anonymous said...

During first semester I have had more of a "building a wall" attitude. Yes, I have put effort in to my school work, but I do feel I haven't been motivated enough or haven't worked my hardest. I feel I have tried "building a cathedral" but see my self not being able to in the end and just giving up.

2nd semester I am going to finish building that cathedral. I am going to work my hardest and let nothing stop me form reaching that goal. I will do everything I can to keep my grades high (hopefully straight A's) and have homework and studying for tests/quizzes my first priority. I will keep my head held high in school and wont slack on homework or schoolwork.

Anonymous said...

1. This semester I have had the attitude of "building a wall" because I have tried my hardest to get the best possible grades that I can achieve, but things have not worked out that way that I had planned. I have become too much of a procrastinator than I have ever wanted. I have tried to study as much as I can, but it rarely seems to be enough.

2. For the rest of this semester and next semester, I plan to work harder and always get a head start to my homework so I won't be doing it all last minute and not putting in the quality work that it needs. I will also not be too shy to go talk to my teachers if my grade needs help. I will "build a cathedral"!

Anonymous said...

1. This semester I have attempted not to just go through the motion and actually learn and understand the material. I've tried not to just look for the end of the semester but to do good for my transcipts.
2. For the rest of this semester I hope to continue my good grades. I also hope to understand all topics.

Anonymous said...

When school first started I felt enthusiastic and really ready to make this a good school year and build “my cathedral.” Since we were just starting the only thing I could look at was the big picture, but now as the year is progressing on, I am in the “I’m putting up a wall” stage and taking things in smaller steps. I realize that I shouldn’t have looked at getting a good grade this semester, but I should think about what I am doing currently and getting a good grade in that unit so I understand it for the big picture.

For next semester, I want to try to study more ahead of time and continue getting a good grade in class. For studying, I plan to use Moodle more as a resource so I can understand and look at what I need to work on. My goal is just success. I want to succeed next semester and think about what all the things I am learning about in current time will build up for me in my future.

Anonymous said...

At the beginning of the school year I was pretty motivated and sure I would work hard. but as the year went on it got harder with more and more work so that attitude kinda died down but I am still trying my best and i am looking forward into finals and try to prepare for that right now so i think ide be building the wall.
For next semester i will have a better veiw on things because i already had a semster of bio and know how it works so i think i will be more prepared and hopefully i can accomplish more next semester not just in bio but in all my classes.

Anonymous said...

Personally I think that during 1st semester I am “building the wall.” I have tried my best to build that cathedral but at time have gotten behind and not be able to stay up with it. My procrastination and focusing during the day as good as I wish I was. When doing school I have tried to go through everyday letting each brick just be laid down but instead try to show that I have made progress through the day.
Next semester I wish challenge myself to make the wall grow in height and in width. I want to try to get more in depth in my learning. When taking on this goal I think that it will help me to not procrastinate or not focus. If I make my wall thicker then hopefully my cathedral will become a very strong one that nobody can take down. This cathedral will be hard to make but if we as classes come together and help each I know we can build a large, thick cathedral.

Anonymous said...

I personally tried to build a cathedral. It's always important to do your best in everything you do. I try at everything so I can succeed in anything. My goals for this semester are finish strong and continue to do well. My goals for next semester are just to do as well as I have, or even better. I can always try harder, as everyone really can. I want to challenge myself to just keep pressing on, because I want to go to the college of my choice, so I will do the best I can do.

CharleK said...

At the beginning of the semester, I had a hark working mentality and understood the mistakes that I had made last year, and how to fix them. However, as the semester progressed I began to slow down and become less motivated. In turn, my interest in my classes decreased and I spent many nights staying up late trying to complete assignments. Overall, I would say I have been "putting up a wall."

In terms of next semester, I hope to stay motivated. I now am beginning to understand that my performance now affects my options as I prepare to apply for colleges, and later, a career. In moving closer, I can go the extra mile to ask a teacher for help on an off hour, or go to the library more often. The challenge will be to keep the initial motivation, and continue to stay engaged and interested in my classes.

Anonymous said...

1. The first part of the semester I was building a cathedral. I was trying my hardest for good grades and spent a good time on homework with no distractions. The middle of the semester I slacked a little bit and was more of laying the bricks, payed more attention to activities rather than school. I did homework with distractions such as youtube, facebook, and tv. Now I have changed a little and gone into building the cathedral again.

2. My goals are to raise my GPA. I feel i have kind of slacked in the aspect of keeping my grades up. I can move closer to this by studying harder and staying away from distractions while doing homework. Instead of doing homework in my room, i can move to the living room with lesser distractions. I can challenge myself by working harder and spending more time doing my schoolwork.

Anonymous said...

My first semester of my sophomore year can be described as “building a wall” with a few attempts of “building a cathedral”. I have maintained good grades and have tried to accelerate in the classes that I have previously struggled in. History is a very good example of this, freshman year US History was a big challenge for me. First semester I got a B and second my grade ended with a C. In the middle of second semester my history grade had slipped to an F due to not turning in homework or trying hard. During summer I decided that I will change my ways and never let that happen again and this semester I have turned in every homework assignment and my grade is an A.
My goal for the rest of this semester is to do well on all my finals and end with mostly A’s and a few B’s. Next semester I would love to continue my good grades and try to do better than I have this semester. As junior and senior year go on I would love to continue to do the same and then by the end I would hope that my cathedral will be well on its way to being close to done. In order to do this I must never lose faith in myself and push myself to be the better person, and never give up.

HanselP said...

So far, I've tried to "build a cathedral", but some of the times my vision of the big picture blurred out. When that happens I just slack off and don't care about my school work. I've always wanted to try my best but a bunch of things are able to distract me.
Next semester, I'll do my best for every class that I'm going to have. I don't want to have any regrets in any of my classes so I am going to give my everything.

Anonymous said...

During the first semester I think that I have just tried to build a wall. Still looking at it as a big picture but still focusing in. I was very focused on just small things to just get a good grade. During the second semester i look forward to focusing on the main goal and the big picture aspect of our biology class and my whole high school education as a whole.

JoshL2014 said...

1) During my 1st semester (although its not over yet), i have been so to say, "building a brick wall". In the beggining i was tring really hard and had A's for about 1-2months but then started slacking and forgetting about grades. It just slapped me in the face however, that my grades are plummetting but i can still save them. The wrest of the semester will be a struyggle now and that stinks!

2) This next semester im going to try as hard as possible to not "let my first few weeks/ big strong brick wall" go to waste. I'm going to keep building it the entire semester and ill end up with alot better grades. I'm thinking if i keep reminding myself of this post i'm currently typing, it might actually help. That is my plan for next semester and for the wrest of the schooling at arapahoe if not even more in collage.

Anonymous said...

1) This semester I think I started out "building a cathedral" and i was working really hard to get A's and stay positive about homework but the further and further we got into the semester my attitude got worse and now i would say I'm working on the "brick wall"... I lost enthusiasm for school and forget about my goals. I still have some time to get my act together but it'll be harder than if I had just stayed on track the whole time.

2) My goals for next semester is to keep all my goals in mind throughout the entire semester and not fall behind in anything. Also to keep thinking positive and think about how all this hard work will help me in the long run. i don't want to have any regrets in the future about wishing i would have put more effort into it, so I'm going to try my best through next semester.

Anonymous said...

1. during my first semester i definantly had the building bricks situation because i just hated all of my classes and didnt enjoy being there and i had almost zero motivation to do anything.

2. for the end of the semester i would like to raise all of my grades by one letter grade. and i can do this if i just crack down and focus

Anonymous said...

1. During my first semester I attempted building a cathedral but then homework, tests, and quizzes started getting harder and harder and the building blocks I was using were getting fewer and fewer.
2. By the end of the semester I want to get my grades to all B+ if they are higher then I want them to increase more. I can study harder for my tests/quizzes and focus more in class. I can challenge myself by being more on task then I am ususally.

Anonymous said...

1. this semster i have attepted to build a cathedral. although it has been a challege i want to learn the subjects that are tought. for me math is one of those struggles but i will continue to try my bestat the subject at hand.
2. Next semster i will start new and belive me i will try my best to get the best grades posible.i will definityly build a cathedral.

Anonymous said...

This semester I have "Built the wall". I have put in enough effort to turn in my assignments and get a grade, but I have also missed some assignments and I have just turned in assignments to get a completion grade.

My goal for the rest of the semester is to take the "Building the Cathedral attitude". I want to finish this semester with an A, and the only way I will get that done is if I take my work seriously. For next semester, I want to have the "building a cathedral" approach the entire semester so that I learn the material the best I can and I wont have to dig myself out of a hole. I will work hard on my assignments and study more for my tests. I will continually remind myself to work hard and build my cathedral.

Anonymous said...

1. This semester I feel that I have been both building a wall and a cathedral. There are some topics in class that I am interested in, and therefore motivated to learn about them; but there are other topics that I am not as excited by, and so I just go through the motions to get a good grade.

2. My goals are to maintain an A in the class and stay inspired to learn about biology. I hope that with the new areas that we are approaching, I can dive deeper and learn more to help build my cathedral!

Anonymous said...

I feel as though I have built a cathedral. I have worked really hard this semester, and I hope to keep it up. For the rest of the semester, I hope to work very hard to get good grades, and keep high scores on tests and everything else. To move closer to building my cathedral, I will study more than just the night before the test, and keep up good grades.

Anonymous said...

When school started I was excited and looking forward to making it a better year than last year. I also wanted to improve my grades and work as hard as I could. It has gone better than last year and I have learned some things about myself. First, if I do not like the teacher or the subject, I am not going to work to my full potential. Second, I get distracted very easily. At the beginning of the year I was working towards one goal, and that was to get all A’s. I would say that just working towards that one goal would put me at the “building the wall” stage. Lately I have been thinking a lot about college and my future. I am starting to really look at school as “building my cathedral”, because I really need good grades and participate in extra activities so I can get into the colleges I want, and set myself up for the best future I can create. I am really starting to look at the big picture, and I think that will help me to reach the goal of getting all A’s, and eventually to get into the colleges I want to go to.
My goals for second semester are again to get all A’s but also to do some volunteer work or other extra activities. I also want to do better on tests and quizzes. Sometimes I struggle to study for them because I get so easily distracted, but I want and need to do better. I want to push myself and see a good result. As I said above, if I don’t like the teacher or class, my grade will reflect that. I really need to work on pushing through, by going to get help and really paying attention in class. Another goal I have is to not look at everything day by day, but think about how it will help or affect my future.

Anonymous said...

The first semester was a lot of work compared to middle school. Now our grades count for college, that's a huge deal. This makes me feel like I'm creating a cathedral. At the start of school very thing was new and exciting. I wanted to get strait A's again so it gave me a goal. It created my mind to think that high school was like a cathedral. I have worked at all of my classes, to make sure I do well and not slump down to where I feel I'm laying bricks.
My goal for the rest of this semester and second semester is to use what I have learned and put it to good use. Now I know how to study and prioritize better. After school I don’t feel so swamped with homework anymore. There are a few nights I feel like I have more than I can take but, when I look back I can handle it. I feel like I can deal off with off campus and variable scheduling now. Now I want to take my learning to the next level, go deeper into school. Also, I want to come in and ask teachers more for help. Sometimes I almost feel like because I have an A or B in the class I can't or don't need to go in for help. It sounds kind of stupid to write that but sometimes I feel that way. I feel high school is a good challenge that is hard and just what we need.

Anonymous said...

This first semester I have a "I am putting up a wall" attitude I haven't been completely lazy but have lost some motivation as the semester has progressed. I started off very strong and kept strong until the 1st weekend of October it was a hard week in all the classes and I was tired and because of that i checked out for that week and my grades certainly show it! I have paid for it majorly. I am working very hard now again to try to get them all back up but there are still nights where I just done feel like doing anything so I don't, I know this is not the right attitude though.My goal for the rest of the semester is to really stay zoned in and not let the excitement of Christmas break take me away from what needs to be done. To gain the Cathedral out look I need to give my self weekly goals to achieve so I can begin to feel better about what I am doing instead of constantly over whelmed. I am challenging my self to improve my grades from last year and have one less B then I did at the end of the semester last year which means I need to get to classes up, it will be challenging but I am excited to see if I can really push my self and hang in there!

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

First semester I was just "laying bricks" I didn't care about my grades. I didn't study for tests and I did the bare minimum. I lacked motivation and that strive for success most students have. I think I need to work on my attitude and motivation towards school and I will see a huge change in my school work. My goal for the rest of the semester is to keep my head up and go out with a bang! To do good on my finals, and get my grades where they need to be. To look at the bigger picture and to know that every brick that I lay is only getting me that much closer to the Cathedral. My goals for next semester is to come back from Winter Break well rested and ready to go. To keep my head on my shoulders and to stay motivated. To not just do my work but understand it. I will be able to achive this, If I study hard, listen to advice from those around me, and take care of myself. Get the proper sleep and nutrition that I need to focus. Only I can make a change in my life. It's time to start building that Cathedral!

Anonymous said...

1) For my first semester story I believe that I have built a cathedral. I have overcome challenges that were unexpected, but helped me realize that alough some things may be challenging, you have to trust yourself and have confidence in what you are doing. To be honest, this year I had a C+ in a math class for a long time. I've never gotten a C in my life. But it taught me that sometimes it isn't always about getting an A, but learning to take responsibility for your own learning. I still face academic challenges in math but the semester is not over and I am willing to completely engage myself in learning until I reach my goal.

2) My goals for the rest of the semester and next semester is to stay determined and competitive for what I want. I've realized that it is not the speed at which you build the cathedral that matters but the effort you put into the cathedral. Often, I stay up late to finish my homework. I don't have to, but it's about my self pride. If I want to reach my goals I have to really work hard for them.

Anonymous said...

My first semester I was laying bricks. I have had a hard time balancing out my grades. My homework was never completed in time. I struggled turning in the labs at the correct time.

For the rest of the semester I'm hitting the books. I'm going to study for every test, have homework done, and get my grades up.

Anonymous said...

I think that for this semester I have been building a wall. I haven't been slacking off, I've been doing all my work, but I'm not really invested in what I am learning or the school work I am doing. I'm not building a cathedral, I'm just doing what I have to do.
My goals for next semester are pretty simple. I'm probably going to try to keep up my habits from this semester. I have good grades, always do my work, and I pay attention. Next semester I plan on still getting good grades, paying attention, and always doing my work.

Anonymous said...

I think that the first semester, I was laying bricks. There was a lot of new information given to me especially in Biology, that I haven't really stepped back to look at the big picture. I have been looking at everything one step at a time. It is really hard stepping back, when it is hard to get by as it is. So far, I have been able to keep up my grade in Biology, but just barely.

As far as the rest of the semester goes, my goal is basically to finish off strong and really do well on the final. If I do poorly on the final, then my grade would drop a ton. I don't need that right now. When talking about next semester, my goal is pretty much the same. I want to stay on top of things and review over my notes to make sure that I completely understand what we are learning. I would like to do a little better on tests next semester. This first semester, I haven't done terrible on tests. but cumulatively, I wish that my average grade on tests was higher. If I study hard, pay attention in class, and ask questions when needed, I can get closer to "building the cathedral". I think that I can challenge myself by trying to go above and beyond what we are learning and digging a little deeper in subjects that I am not quite sure about.

Anonymous said...

When first semester first began, I started at, surprisingly, the building a cathedral attitude, only because I wanted to strive and get the best grades I could. I was ready for new information, and ready to work my hardest. But, as a couple weeks passed, I went down to the layering bricks attitude. Things for me got extremely difficult, and biology became my hardest subject. Now I think I'm working my way back to the cathedral, because I've learned this semester that it's not just about getting the grades I want, but learning and growing from what I've been taught.

For the rest of the semester, I want to strive in learning all I can before the semester ends. Go in for help when I need it, really pay attention in class, etc. I need to use the information I've been given all throughout this semester. I know this is HARD, I mean I know I get tired and there's nothing I want to do more than take a break, and forget about everything. Thanksgiving break I will relax a little bit, and as soon as I'm back I'm going to challenge myself in the last few weeks to do the best I can, and to not forget about everything. But it's important to not stress and get overwhelmed, because when that happens everything goes downhill for me. But everything will be worth it if I do my best and pay attention.

Anonymous said...

1) During first semester I had more of a "building a wall" attitude. I tired hard in school, but I felt I could of worked harder and improved more. I feel I've tried "building a cathedral" but I've always let myself down by not completing it.

2) My goals for the rest of this semester and 2nd semester is to finish the cathedral. I am going to push myself to everything I can do and get my grades higher. Also, I'm going to study longer for test/quizzes and go in for things that I don't understand. I will push myself harder through out school and do better on homework and test/quizzes.

Anonymous said...

When I first started this semester I was nervous because this was my first year of high school not to mention I had transfered in durning the middle of the the semester.For a while i looked at moving schools in a negative way but as the semester progress I'd changed my point of veiw. My goals for this semester and next semester are to try my best in my courses and to push myself.

Anonymous said...

During first semester I feel i have been building a wall at times. But on others i have been "building a catherdral." I don't take some assignments to seriously because i have been either way too busy or I'm just tired to try. On the other hand i have been buliding a catherdal because I've wanted good grades and i want to do well on tests.

As the rest of the semester goes on my goal is to keep a high A and to finish strong. I want to end the first semester of my freshmen year in a good note, so i can start 2nd semester on a good note too. Next semester I just want to keep maintaining my high grades on tests, and keep my grade up. I want to make sure that i am building a catherdral and strive for the best that i can do. Understand everything too.

Anonymous said...

For the first semester I just laid the bricks and I had the goal of getting all A's in my classes by the end of 1st semester. But as the semester continued it got harder and harder to keep that goal in sight. Now in november I have fallen behind in my goal and have gotten relaxed in my school work and I think that I have thought that my goal is now impossible but I wasn't looking at the cathedral just laying the bricks.

My goals for the rest of the semester is not to drop below an 85 in all my classes and the same for next semester. I can move forward with getting above an 85 by just getting through the class and to do my best and not to look at my grade and if I do my best I know I will reach my goal. I do though have to work a lot harder to succeed so I can get past 85 and just maybe go beyond and get a 90. I can challenge myself by not procrastinating on my projects and at least starting on them when I get it so I don't feel rushed and do a bad job. But I will first score for the cathedral but at least get the bricks laid because if you don't get the foundation of your plan your cathedral will crumble at its base.

Anonymous said...

The first semester of this school year I have worked hard to keep the "building a cathedral" attitude. A partial amount of the time I was able to keep that attitude but more often then not I found myself "putting up a wall." I don't take tests well (of any kind, Moodle included), so that had an affect on my grades as well as my attitude.

I wish there was more time in this semester so that I could pull up two of my grades but since there is not I will strive to do better next semester. Doing better entails studying more and perhaps seeing my teachers about test taking techniques.

Anonymous said...

1. i honestly think I tried hard at the beginning but then I kept missing some moodles which brought my grade down a lot. I kept saying I had plenty of time to make up for it but then the weeks flew by and my grade is still very low. I have made the choice to work extra hard to get it up.

2. my goal for next semester will focus more on school work and my grades rather than cheer. not saying cheer was the main issue, it depended on me but not having it everyday will maybe keep me motivated to do my homework every night.

Anonymous said...

1.This 1st semester i have only been laying bricks. whenever I get a homework assignment I think about my grade now and if I don't do it how much it will hurt it, but really it's the final grade at the end that matters and thats what I should be looking at everytime.

2.The rest of the semester I want to finish any late assignments i may have and try to bring my grade back up for finals. I want to get an A next semester in Bio by doing every little assignment thinking of my grade in the end. I'm gonna pay attention and ask or help more in class because I do need it a lot of the time. I'm gonna become a better Student!

Anonymous said...

First Semester for me was "building the wall." I was trying to succeed but not using my full potential. Now that the semester is coming to a close I am starting to pick up my game. I will ask for help and strive to be a better student.

Anonymous said...

First semester for me was like "building" a wall because i thought i would build up to my goal and everytime i thought i did it just didnt go right and i didnt push myself to succeed a little bit better. My goal for the rest of the semester is to push myself a little more harder and not stop and give up.

Anonymous said...

My 1st semester was like putting a wall up because I know that I did not study as much as I should have to make sure that my grades stayed up luckily they are above the D+ or lower area. They still needed to be a little higher like a C or C+ not a C-. I did a lot of not doing my HW when I had nothing to do one night that was not a busy night like work ahead, sometimes I did. I also didn’t study for a whole lot of my test and I should have one way or another so that my test grades aren’t to low.

My goals for the rest of this semester and next semester is to keep my grade as high as they possibly can be and not get to low, especially with test grades. My test grades need to be higher than what they were 1st semester. I also need to study more for all my tests.
I also need to get my HW done when I have the time so that I get more time for other HW and also get more time with my family when I am not to busy. I will also try to not get distracted as much as I did this semester. If I do all of that then I should be closer to building my Cathedral instead of just a wall. If I do al that then I should have a great 2nd semester of the school year.

Anonymous said...

My first semester in Biology so far was me building the wall. The ideas and concept I have heard are not new to me, and in that sense I have not learned them for the first time (laying bricks). But I have yet to fully understand the concepts completely, so I am not building a cathedral.

Anonymous said...

I think that you could describe my work ethic as building a wall. I definitely tried hard and wanted to do well in everything but my goal was more to get through the unit with a good grade and then move on and forget, which Mr. Craig has said that is the worst thing to do so many times. I’ve never been lazy in class however, I tried to stay engaged for the whole lecture and as well as the activities. I think that I can improve on understanding the material fully once it is taught; I tend to cram a lot the night before a test and stress myself out. I end up learning the material but only for the test and not for long term. In order to “build a cathedral” this is an important thing for me to change.
For the rest of this semester I plan to give it my all in every area. I want to give 100 percent effort in every class, not just some. I want to continue to get straight A’s and get an A on every test. More importantly, I want to truly understand the units, not just know how to answer the question correctly on a test. I have a lot going on and I need to learn how to use my time wisely and prioritize so that I don’t end up staying up late to finish something the night before or getting so stressed I give up. I want to keep up my work ethic but push it even a little farther. I intend to finish the semester strong!

Davidc said...

I think that i have started to build my cathedral. i got off to a bit of a late start coming out of summer but i have started to pick up the pace.
My goals for the rest of the school year are fairly simple. Work hard and efficiently, and finish with a gpa higher than 3.I think i could spend more time studying and learning the material more in depth than what i have been doing.

AnyaC said...

At the beginning of this semester, I attempted to build a cathedral, however, I didn't have the bricks to lay down or the wall to build. Honestly, if there's such a thing as trying too hard, then that's what I've been doing, because I flip out over certain assignments in every class, but not others. I tend to focus on the bigger stuff that isn't due, yet I seem to forget about the smaller things which actually make a bigger impact on your grade when they add up.

I plan on relaxing a bit, and focusing more on the the brick work before I make the cathedral. That means making sure I do better on smaller assignments. After all, you can't actually make a cathedral without the brick work, like you have to learn to crawl before you can walk. I think it's a better idea for me to invest more of my time working on the major projects on the weekends, and review and make sure my work is perfect during the week. Challenging myself requires more studying, that way I actually will do better on the bigger assigments and tests.

Anonymous said...

I believe that I am also around the “building a wall” point. I have turned in all of my work on time throughout the semester, and if I was absent I made it up in a timely manner. I think I could have put more effort into this semester by studying harder for test and having the will power to sit down and really focus on homework without the disruption of Facebook and my phone going of every second and just getting distracted from what I was trying to get done. I think if I would have asked more questions or came in on one of my off hours to get help would have been really helpfully, because I didn’t really do that this semester a whole lot.
For the rest of this semester and next semester I really want to ask more questions and if I need to come in to get this cleared up about things I’m confused on. Also, I want to study harder for test and quizzes so my grades look good and I’m not trying to raise them the last few weeks and then becomeSUPER stressed out and worried, when I could have put the work in early. I hope that I can motivate myself and look back on the school year and be able to say I really did build a cathedral in all my classes. It’s going to take a lot of work but in the end it will be worth it.

Anonymous said...

At the beginning of the semester, I for sure was just laying down bricks. I wasn't motivated to do all my work and reach the full potential I had. However, as time progressed on, I realized that it wasn't more fun to slack off. As every six week marker passed on, I starting building a cathedral which made me far more proud rather than taking the easy way out.

Next semester, I know I'll start off fresh with a new perspective rather than the perspective I had at the beginning of the year. I also realized that yes, grades are important, but what I need to do is realize that actually learning the material (what a concept..) is far more important. That's allowed me to have a new outlook, and next summer i'm going to "build my cathedral" off of that.

MRenda said...

First semester for me was kind of laying the bricks. Freshman year I just kinda sat back and enjoyed high school for the first couple of months and when it got down to finals i realized that I should of cared maybe a little more. This year was a little different, I went in working hard then I missed a lot of school so it was a set back for my grades. I know I need to work harder and I know I could do a lot better than I'm doing now.

For the rest of the semester and next semester I'm going to give it my all. I know it's only sophomore year but colleges look at those grades too. I really want to get into a good college and with my grades now I couldn't. I need to push myself more because I know i can do better.

Anonymous said...

I think this semester I have been that man "putting up a wall." In biology I haven't just been trying to get through it, but i haven't been learning biology with the integrity that i should have. Each day I come to class and I learn. I really listen and take good notes but I haven't had that extra drive to actually study a lot out of class and to get extra help when I need it. I usually only talk to the teachers for help when I am forced to like with interventions.
Next semester I hope to change my bad habits. I want to be able to get a high A in biology and really focus outside of class, especially on my off hours. I will challenge my self to finish my homework the night I get it and not wait till the day before I have class. I want to do better and I know if i try that I will.

Anonymous said...

I feel that I looked at the first semester of school in the "building a Cathedral" mindset. I have look towards the future and try to be successful in what I do. Though I entered the semester with a positive mindset I faltered within and it became more of a " I'm laying bricks" attitude. We all have things happen and unfortunately it can derail us, for the second semester I hope, really hope that if my health doesn't improve that I can at least manage and make sure that my grades don't take a downward spiral.

Anonymous said...

I feel that in the first semester I was laying the bricks that are needed to build the wall. Finally towards the end of the semester my wall was almost complete. By the end of second semester I will have built my Cathedral. Every homework assignment, quiz, and test that I completed would be another brick I got to lay down in the process of building my wall. My goal for the rest of the semester as well as next as next semester is to try and study harder, so that by the end of the year I will have accomplished my Cathedral. To study harder I will utilize all my resources and study as much information as possible.

Anonymous said...

Well when almost everyone starts school that have goals set and for the first couple of weeks or months they put in their best effort to make a good impression, but then slowly their amount of effort diminishes. I've had this attitude a little bit because when the school year progresses there is more work and more activities, but overall I think I have the mindset of "building a Cathedral." I know that I want to go to college and I have a pretty good idea of what for, so I know I have to stay on track with my school work and that it is all a part of a bigger picture that just getting the work done to do it.

For the rest of the semester and next semester I hope to not loose sight of that goal and keep up my attitude even when things get tough.

Anonymous said...

During my first semester I started off good and kept my consistence with everything in school that was me laying the bricks down. I continued to keep "building the wall". I have had this attitude because when the school year is progressing there is more work and more activities that i have to get through and doing that i think i have "built a Cathedral".

For the rest of the semester and everything that is going on and for next semester i hope to keep this progress and my goals to do great in school and to keep my attitude even when things get tough.

Anonymous said...

During the first semester I believa i could have done better. I feel like I have just been biulding a wall and not a cathedral. I need to try harder so I can get the grades I want by the end of this semester. At the beggining of the school year I was excited for school and I set goals to get high grades throughout the school year but as school progressed on I did not try my hardest but then Inoticed that my grades were dropping so then I started to try hard again.

My goals for the rest of the semester is to try as hard as I can and end with good grades at the end of the semester. I am going to study harder for all of my tests and complete all of my homework asignments. I also feel the same for next semester so Ican end this school year with a bang.

Anonymous said...

For me, I did not look at the big picture. I looked day to day, what do I have to do today? I would think. I think that this approach is most effective for me. If I looked at the big picture I would feel overwhelmed. Yes, of course I try to get the best grades possible, if you think that would be looking at the big picture but, doing the work I had to do that day is the best for me personally. Regarding the goals for the future, my overall main goal would be to not necessarily just get good grades but to improve my life overall. I only have one high school career and I plan to make the best out of it.

Anonymous said...

1) This semester I feel like I started laying brick. I was only focused on one or two classes at a time and was just focused on making the grade in each class. But now I feel like i'm building a cathedral. I'm connecting everything together and I feel like that helps me. I feel confident and like I found my stride and I will try to continue this.
2)My goal for the rest of the year to continue on my stride and keep just having fun in all of my classes. It's also to make good grades and start off my high school career with a healthy GPA.

Tali McCall said...

1.I think I have just laid bricks because I know I have always been an average student when it comes to science. This semester, my main goal is to just understand what I am learning; I don't think I'm ready to challenge myself yet.
2.My goals for the rest of the semester as well as next semester are to continue to learn and understand what is being taught and to go in for help when I truely need it, and to try a little harder to challenge myself in science. I feel I can move closer to "building the cathedral" by just focusing more into what I don't understand so I can understand more than just the things that are easier to me. I think I can ask more questions to understand better and I can focus more into the overall subject. I can challenge myself by working even harder than I do now, I can put more effort into my work and studies and possibly make a goal of getting a higher grade point average for tests and quizzes.

Anonymous said...

1. For this semester I feel like I have be " building a wall" I have tried really hard to keep my grade up by going to all of the interventions that I had to complete and I have also gone in a lot to go get more help, but I haven’t taken advantage of all the pod-cast like I should have.

2. My goal for the rest of this semester is to end strong and not slack off after getting back from thanksgiving break. For next semester my goal is to go in a lot more to get help over what I do not understand and to take advantage of all the rescores that are given to me. I also want to make sure that I understand what we are learning. I also want to get a high grade both this and next semester.

Anonymous said...

This semester I think I was “building the wall” because I wasn’t going above and beyond but I also wasn’t slacking off and not doing work. I know that I could have done better and gotten better grades and I wish I would have focused more on that and studying in order to do better. Next semester I am going to try and focus more on grades and try not to have missing work. I also want to focus on tests by making sure to study more, watch pod casts and anything else that will help me get a better grade on tests. I also want to make sure that I’m going in for help when I need to and focus more on “building a cathedra” and going above and beyond to get the grades that I want.

Anonymous said...

1. I think I was the middle man this semester. I thought of the wall, not so much the cathedral but also more than just the bricks. I had many challenges to face, and I still am facing many, but at times when it got very hard I just remembered that Cathedral I was building. I have been trying my best and with the circumstances I think I have done pretty well, but I still need to focus more on the big picture. I need to focus on the outcome and the important things, not so much the current situation and how much it may stink or how hard it may be. For example I may be stressed out about school and all the things I have to do, and I may not want to do it, but I have to think about my future and what I want out of my life.
2. My goals are to stay more positive and to work harder. I can’t give up, no matter how challenging things may get. I came really close to just giving up on school this semester because I just didn’t care anymore. I am one of those people that for some reason freaks out and gets worried if they don’t have an A, but all I cared about this semester was passing. But I can do so much better than just slide by, and I know it. I can do so much better than I have been doing and I need to work harder and focus more on the big picture. My future depends on it.

Anonymous said...

I feel that I have been putting up a wall this last semester. I don't think that I have seen the big picture but I also don't feel like I have been just laying bricks. I have not been extremely challenged so far and I don't think I will be too challenged in the near future.

Next semester I will be more vigilant with the knowledge checks. Also I will study more for tests so I don't have to go to intervention. I really want an A as my final grade this semester and year. I will take more notes and study them before every test and quiz. I will challenge myself by learning more than is necessary and study harder. I hope you are all inspired.

Anonymous said...

For the first semester, I feel like i have been building a wall. I have not put in my full effort into all of my work. I was more focused on the now instead of how it would help in my future. One of the reason I feel that I didnt do as well as I could of is because of some problems outside of school that I encountered. This put my main objective on settling things outside of school. I would like to turn my main objective back on school for the rest of the year. the rest of the semester I want to focus on my school work first and put all my attention and effort into it. I need to not think of it as a task, but as something that can help me grow. I also would like to communicate better and put more input into class discussions. for the rest of the year, I would like to carry out this view and think about how much it will help me in the future instead of thinking about what I would like to be doing now. I also want to have a positive outlook about it and feel enthusiastic about my work.

Anonymous said...

So far throughout the year, I would describe myself as "I'm putting up a wall" with the bricks, because I haven't ever quit on my school work, but I haven't always been happy to do it. I'm not negative about the daily routine of waking up, coming to school, going home and doing homework. But I haven't been 100% positive. I know I could do better, who can't? But how much effort do you put into something? How much is enough, before you have to look at the whole picture instead of just the center? I put the most effort in that I think is necessary and that makes me happy and that has always been enough. It's not the least amount, or the most, it's the best amount.

For the remainder of the semester and carrying on into next semester, I know I can try harder on my school work and study more. That is my goal. I would like to have no C's, in my classes; that is my main goal. I hope to achieve this by studying more for tests, that is all I need to do for this goal, because I do the homework and the classwork. Tests are my biggest fall, and I need to work on them to achieve my goal.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

During the first semester I was very motivated. However as the work got harder, my motivation died. I think that my attitude for first semester was a building wall attitude. I don't think I've seen the entire picture, but I also am not just laying bricks down.

For next semester, I am going to challenge myself to have a more positive outlook on school. I want to be more motivated and I would also like to work harder. I am going to try very hard so that I am actually learning, not just memorizing what the teachers are telling me

Anonymous said...

1. At the begining of the first semester, I was very motivated to reach my full potential. However, as work started to build up and become more difficult, I just wanted to get my work done. For more challenging classes I was focused on the big picture but in other subjects I was simply building a wall.
2. My goal for the rest of this semester is to focus and work as hard as I can. Finals are coming up soon and I want to push through these last few weeks, doing everything I can. For second semester, I want to be able to orginize my time better and to stay focused on what I'm actually learning. I can challenge myself by putting more effort into each subject and to reach for higher goals.

Anonymous said...

My first semester was a little ruff. But not just in this class i was just not in the mood you could say to work hard or go the extra mile to get an A. I think in my first semester i was just laying bricks. I think i was just doing the minimum to get work done and not seeing the bug picture.

In my second semester I am going to do my best and go that extra mile. I am going to start to look at the big picture and start building my cathedral. I will be doing this by hard work and really get out what i need to of my classes.

Anonymous said...

1.) I started off first semester trying to build a cathedral but as time went on I was just laying bricks. That's where I am at right now. I find less motivation to do homework and studying. I feel like homework is somewhat of a hassle.

2.) As for the rest of the semester, I would like to go back to building a cathedral. I feel like this break will give me time to just collect my thoughts and organize my priorities. I will try and figure out ways to make myself more motivated to do my homework and to study. I will challenge myself to do better than I am doing right now. I feel like if I do all of this, I will be much closer finishing my cathedral.

Anonymous said...

1) This first semester i have laid the foundation of my cathedral. i have dramatically improved all my grades and feel that i am on top of my grades this year and i have not fallen behind on my grades. my goals for the rest of this semester i am going to try to have my grades only go up not down.
2) My goal for second semester is going to be all c's and up. When given multiple days to do an assignment i will get it done the first day not the day before it is due.

Anonymous said...

This semester I feel like I have been trying to build a wall. I have had a lot of set backs the first month of school I was really sick. I feel like I have tired to over that and push hard to the end. This have been a hard semester for me much harder than last year. I feel like I could have done a lot more to improve my grades and work harder.

Next semester I am going to push my self harder. I feel like I will be able to most if not all my homework at school and go ask for help if I need it. I also feel like I will be more focused in my classes as well as free time. I think that I can change a lot next not just in my school but outside of school.

Anonymous said...

1. This semester I started out with the cathedral in mind and strived to always look for it but, in my day to day actives surrounding biology, I have just been laying bricks. I wanted it but, I always didn't work for it. I have been able to keep my grade up but, the individual assignments have not always been the best.

2. My goal for next semester is to improve off of this current semester. I will work harder to improve my individual assignments to bring my grade to a higher overall level. This will include me taking better notes and working harder and going slower on my assignments.

Anonymous said...

At the beginning of the semester, I was really motivated to do well and attempted to “build a cathedral” but after I made a few forgetful mistakes, my cathedral tumbled to the ground. I was still motivated to do well I just had not gotten the hang of “building a cathedral” yet. So I became less motivated, but more relaxed, just trying to get by with “building a wall.” As I kept building that wall I started to apply more things to it. Now we are almost at the end of the semester and I feel like I am motivated to “build a cathedral.” I like what we are learning and I want to take it further than what I did all semester.

My goal for the rest of the semester is to step it up a bit more and try to complete what I was trying to build at the beginning of the semester. I want to feel successful at the end of this semester. As for next semester, I want to work hard all the way through till the end of the year and hopefully be able to build my cathedral. I want to try and achieve a higher GPA than what I probably will get this semester. I will study more for tests and quizzes take homework more seriously and not just do homework to do homework. I want to take the homework and apply it to my knowledge. That goes along with my school work too. I feel like if I take more time on all my work I will improve in a lot of aspects of my learning. A way I can push myself to do better is to set a goal at getting a certain grade and measure my self throughout the semester to that goal.

Anonymous said...

1.) First semester I have pushed myself further than I thought I would be able to. I have worked very hard however, I feel like I could work harder. There have been moments that I have merely “laid bricks.” I have a tendency to get lazy when I get frustrated. When I really put my mind to it, I can begin to “build a wall.” I don’t think I have focused on “building a cathedral” quite yet.
2.) I want to finish this semester strong. I can’t change what I did or didn’t do this semester, but I can push through and finish strong. Next semester I want to start strong and stay motivated. I don’t want to get lazy. As long as I can continue to motivate myself and stay on top of the work, I think I can build a cathedral.

Anonymous said...

I've been trying to build a cathedral but seem to be just laying bricks. This semester I made many friends and found a way to easily move through the school year; but haven't been working to my full potential.
Next semester I hope to raise my grades and stay friends with everyone I know and see how long our friendships cvan last

Anonymous said...

I've been trying to build a cathedral but seem to be just laying bricks. This semester I made many friends and found a way to easily move through the school year; but haven't been working to my full potential.
Next semester I hope to raise my grades and stay friends with everyone I know and see how long our friendships can last

Anonymous said...

This semester I began with a laying down bricks attitude because I was lazy and still wished it was summer. I realized that i could not continue my laziness a little of the ways into it and moved onto to the building a wall thought. I tried a little harder and put in more effort.
However next semester, I will atempt to build myself a cathedral. I put in whatever amount of effort is needed and really try my best at everything I do, hoping things will improve.

Anonymous said...

In the beginning of the semester I was just trying to build a cathedral, but as the semester went on, I realized that I was just trying to get a base/wall completed. I kept struggling, trying to lay each brick in place, trying to complete the wall before my 18 week period was up. The main problem I had with building the "wall" was that I kept putting the work off til the very end when it was too late.
My main goals for the rest of the semester and the next, is as simple as doing the work and turning it in. A goal to finishing a GRAND cathedral, is mainly just keeping on task and never giving up. If the work becomes overwhelming, go in and ask for help. Simple as that. I am challenging my self and everyone else in any science class in AHS, is just to do what is needed, go above if possible, and when in need of help, go in and ask for help.

Anonymous said...

During the first semester, I have been building a wall. I didn’t really think about the big picture much, and was just trying to get through each assignment one at a time. I never thought about how they all connected, I just focused on them all individually. I am focused on the work to earn a good grade, instead of the actual learning part. My grades have been good, but probably would have been better if I had the “building a cathedral” mentality.

Next semester I will challenge myself to think about the big picture of things, and how it all ties together. I will try to pay attention to learn, not just in order to receive good grades. I will “build a cathedral” next semester. I will keep focused throughout the semester and try to remain motivated until the end of the year.

Anonymous said...

This semester I think I have really just been building the wall, going through the motions, but not really holding on to anything. I wasn’t as motivated to work up to my potential and so I never really gave anything all of my effort. I had been doing my best to just get by. For next semester I hope to be able to get myself motivated and focused on the big picture so that I can be successful. I will try to keep a positive attitude even when faced with difficult challenges. If I can do this I know I can build myself a cathedral.

Anonymous said...

At the begging of the year i had a "Building a cathedral" attitude. Then it slowly became a "Putting up a wall" and quickly led to "laying bricks" effort. I got very sloppy with turning in all my work, and studying for test. So now my grades are showing "laying bricks" work, and since its towards the end of the semester, i realized that i need to have a "Building a cathedral" work ethnic, all year.
My goal is to keep the "cathedral" attitude all year long, study for all test, go in for interventions. And to also go in when i get to overwhelmed, and need help.

Anonymous said...

This semester, i've definately gone in a rollercoaster effect. I started from building the cathedral, to just building a wall, to building a Cathedral and so on. Some weeks im doing good then i start stuggling. Only for it to pick back up again.

Next year i plan on just maintaining a certain grade. Just gotta stay motivated.

Anonymous said...

I feel that I have been trying to "build a cathedral" this semester, as I have been working very hard and have really taken initiative, as I have talked to teachers if I haven't understood something or needed help, which was not an easy thing for me to do, as I am usually pretty shy. I have done my homework every day, and I have really tried so far to do my best and give 100% every day. I have made a goal to try and get a 4.0 GPA, which I knew would be a tough goal, but so far I am doing well, and have stayed motivated to reach my goal, no matter what. I have always tried to have a positive attitude this semester, and stick with things even when they are difficult so that I can reach my goal. My goal for this semester is to get a 4.0 GPA as I already stated, and my goal is the same for the next semester. I know Arapahoe is a tough school, and I am in tough classes, but I really want to accomplish my goal, and I really believe that if I keep trying, I will. Sometimes, at the end of the day, when I am home, I really don't want to do my homework when I have just been in school for hours. But I tell myself that I am working for a higher cause than just completing my homework - I'm working for a good report card that will lead me to a stronger future. So far, I've had some hard and difficult times this semester, and I know I will have some next semester, too. But I keep laying the bricks for my cathedral, and never give up. If you want to be successful, you have to keep trying every day, no matter what, no matter how difficult. School is difficult, but I'm driven to do well and reach my goal. I'll keep trying until the end of this semester, and into the next semester, until the very end of the year. I will continue to "lay the bricks to a cathedral" to not only help me reach my goal, but to show myself that if I am driven, focused, and determinded to reach my goals, that I really can, truly accomplish them and do great things.

Anonymous said...

I honestly believe that over the first semester you could say that I "was putting up a wall." I wasn't building a cathedral nor was I simply just laying bricks. Over the first semester I worked above average but didn't give it my all. Next semester I want to finish with a high A. I will be more inspired and give it my all!

Anonymous said...

During this semester I am most like the "second man" I think I am connecting all the little facts together, but I haven't put very much thought into how everything connects to each other. I have learned and done well on the tests, but I'm not connecting all the information. For the rest of the semester and next semester, my goal is to be more like the "third man" and try to connect all of the little facts into one big picture.

Anonymous said...

1. First semester I came with the attitude, "build a cathedral" because it is my first semester at high school. This semester has goon by so fast and that leaves less time for me to keep my grades up. With finals coming up I need to keep that mentality of building a cathedral.
2. My goal for next semester is to start out really strong and so I wont have to stress out about getting my grades back up at the end of the school year. I will also keep believing that I will build a cathedral to succeed and enjoy my freshman year.

Anonymous said...

I know that so far in biology I have been in the building the wall stage. I believe that i can and that i will do better because i have not been giving it my all. I have barely been passing because of a lot of missing assignments. I know that next semester i will move my efforts into the "Building the cathedral" stage. I will do this be applying all my knowledge and work into getting the highest grade i can in your class.
Mark Williams
Craig, Period 3

Anonymous said...

For the first semester I feel as if I have had a very lazy attitude and a "just laying bricks attitude" and to finish this first semester positive I need to keep a good mantality. I just need to keep up on my work for the rest of the year and not forget to do my work and then I can get to the building a cathedral mantality.

Anonymous said...

Durring the first semester i feel like i have not tried my best and have had an "i will do it later" attitude. i feel like i have been laying the bricks down and not trying to accomplish anything. next semester i plan to take notes in class, do my homework, watch the podcast, and stay caught up with the class and don't fall behind.

Anonymous said...

1.First semester I believe that I have attempted to build a cathedral. While I work hard on every assignment, I try to maintain focus of my overall grades and my goals.

2. Next semester I would like to continue to improve my focus and allow my goals to continue to motivate me. At some points I am discouraged because I have so much to do, but I should think of it as “this will help me get to where I would like to be.” I would also like to work on my efficiency so I can be more productive and have more time to review material so I understand it even better.

Anonymous said...

for my first semester i was "building a wall". i am new to this school and during the first couple weeks, i was laying bricks, getting use to the schedule and meeting all sorts of new people. i am starting to "get it" and understand where i fall as a student and as a person. i also understand my strengths and weaknesses and how i can use them.

my goals for the rest of this semester is end it on a good note. i have missed a lot of school this month and catching up has been rough. one of my goals is to stay on track and focus on what needs to be done for a relaxing second semester. moving closer to the "cathedral" attitude will insist in focus and hard work. just like building a cathedral, it doesn't happen by magic.

TomM2014 said...

Personally, this semester I have mostly just layed bricks because some of the concepts we have been going over have challenged me and therefor all I have been doing is focusing on certain concepts rather that focusing on what I will have achieved after it is all done.
Next semester, I just want to do a lot better than I did this semester because this semester I started out really strong and then I really slacked off unfortunately. I am going to focus on doing the moodles more often. Though it seems like a hastle, the information in the moodles have potential to teach me concepts that I didn't understand in class.

Anonymous said...

I think for first semester I have a brick layered wall, that collapses then gets repaired. This is because I have started out with bad grades and worked up to get strong grades before finals.
My Goals are to do all my homework on time and bring all material to class.
I can challenge myself by working on this later on off hours and the rest at home

MaddieJ said...

1. For first semester I have had more of a brick layer attitude. I haven't really been looking ahead towards any goal.

2. I think I am going to try harder for the rest of this semester, and also try to do my best. Because looking at the big picture, I realize that learning is beneficial to me.

sam bahl said...

my first semester i was laying bricks, i forgot about homework and just didn't do it sometimes, this semester though i'm studying more and focusing on doing quality work.

Alexis Traylor said...

1. For my fist semester I think instead of laying bricks i think that i was knocking them down. In 8th grade I had built a cathedral. I had all A's. This year has been a lot harder. Once my grades fall it's hard to get them back up. I have come to the realization that in high school you actually have to study and do homework to get goo grades.
2. I think that I am going to set more time aside for studying because it is second on my plate and it needs to become first. I know college is in the future and now is the time that grades actually do matter.

Anonymous said...

This semester I believe I have been building a wall. I have worked hard for the most part but at some points I have lacked in motivation.

Going forward, I would like to find the motivation to reach my full potential and strive to be the best that aI can at what I do in all aspects of school and life for that matter. As long as I give my total best, I would be working to complete the cathedral. I could use my planner more to help me remember the occasional spaced assignment. I can challenge myself to pursue perfection.

LouisH2014 said...

My first semester story was defiantly a mix of “just building a wall” to, “I’m building a Cathedral.” After getting over the first year freshman hump I had little ambition remaining at the start. I was aware that college was only three years ahead of me but that seemed to far away to even consider thinking about. Although every now and than the Cathedral would come in view and the pressures of college would effect my daily wall building. But the majority of my time was spent building a wall to just getting by.

My goals for this semester as well as next semester are increase my understanding of the things we learn in class. To turn my work in consistently, and work harder on my homework. To keep a positive attitude on something I’m not that excited about or enjoy that much, such as my homework and to keep the larger picture of the cathedral in focus for the rest for the rest of the school year.