Core Competency Reflection

Personal Awareness and Responsibility

Strengths:
1. I understand my decisions and actions can affect me.
Understanding that our decisions and actions can affect us is a valuable life lesson that I learned
during school. One example of this was when I had to choose between studying diligently for a
challenging math test or procrastinating and not putting in the effort. I realized that my decision
to study hard and prepare thoroughly directly impacted my performance on the test. As a result, I
received a higher grade when I made the right choice to prioritize my studies. This experience
taught me the importance of taking responsibility for my actions and making choices that have a
positive impact on my life.
2. I can express my needs and seek help when needed.
During school, I learned how to express my needs and seek help when necessary. For instance,
when I was struggling with a question in English class that I couldn’t understand, I approached
my teacher and asked for clarification. This not only helped me understand the question better
but also showed me the importance of advocating for myself in an educational setting.
Weakness:
1. I am learning to take care of myself.
I have recognized that I need to improve my self-care in a school setting. Often, I prioritize my
academic responsibilities over my personal well-being. This can lead to burnout, increased stress
levels, and a decline in my overall performance. It's challenging for me to strike a balance
between my studies and taking care of myself.

Social Responsibility
Strengths:
1. I value diversity, defend human rights, advocate for others, and act ethically in all my
interactions, including online.
I believe in the importance of diversity, human rights, advocacy for others, and ethical behavior
in all interactions, whether in-person or online. For instance, I have actively shared and promoted
information about the human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, raised
awareness about the importance of a two-state solution for lasting peace, advocated for the rights
of Palestinian refugees, and engaged in respectful discussions to amplify the voices of those
affected by the conflict and promote justice and equality in the region.
2. I am aware of my community and environment and work independently and
collaboratively for the benefit of others.
In my workplace, I am conscientious about my role in the broader community and environment.
As an independent contributor, I strive to reduce waste and energy consumption by implementing
more efficient processes in my department. For example, I always recommend to people that
come in and purchase anything that purchasing a reusable bag is a better alternative to using
plastic bags every time at checkout.
Weakness:
1. I can identify and appreciate different perspectives on issues and use and evaluate
strategies to resolve problems.
While I do possess the ability to identify and appreciate different perspectives on issues and
utilize various strategies to resolve problems, this strength can sometimes become a weakness for
me. For example, in group settings or team projects, I tend to be very open-minded and receptive
to the ideas and opinions of others. While this can foster collaboration and inclusivity, it can also
make me susceptible to indecision. I may spend too much time considering multiple viewpoints
and potential solutions, which can lead to delays in decision-making. It's essential for me to
strike a balance between valuing diverse perspectives and making timely decisions, especially in
situations where swift action is required.

Critical Thinking
Strengths:
1. I can analyze and critique my work and learning.
In a genocide studies project, I carefully reviewed my research and presentation. I assessed the
clarity of my arguments, the accuracy of my facts, and the overall coherence of my ideas. I
recognized that while I effectively conveyed the historical events, I could improve on organizing
the information for a smoother flow. This self-reflection allowed me to make targeted
improvements and enhance my future projects.
2. I understand the purpose for my work and consider my audience.
When I was tasked with writing a persuasive essay on environmental issues, I first identified the
purpose: to convince my classmates to take action to protect the environment. To do this
effectively, I considered my audience, which consisted of my peers who may not have a deep
understanding of the topic. Therefore, I used clear language, provided relatable examples, and
highlighted the relevance of the issue to their daily lives. This approach helped me achieve the
intended purpose of the essay by engaging and persuading my audience effectively.
Weakness:
1. I can assess my progress.
When I first began physics last year, I became very obsessed with assessing my progress that it
became more of a weakness then a strength. When we began a new topic, I would subject myself
to more challenging work then I should have been doing, which would end up with me
eventually being stuck on a question for an extended period.

Creative Thinking
Strengths:
1. I can use the environment around me, including others, and my unconscious mind to
generate new ideas.
In a school setting, I've found that I can use the environment around me, including others, and
my unconscious mind to generate new ideas. For instance, during a group project, I collaborated
with my classmates to brainstorm ideas for a science experiment. Each of us brought a unique
perspective and knowledge to the table. By actively listening to their suggestions and building
upon them, we were able to develop a novel experiment that combined elements from each of
our contributions. I've noticed that when I take short breaks between study sessions, my
unconscious mind often continues to work on solving problems or generating new ideas in the
background.
2. I can take my ideas evaluate, develop, and refine them and make something productive
out of them.
When I tasked with a science fair project a couple years ago, I had the idea to investigate the
effects of different types of soil on plant growth. I evaluated the idea by researching existing
studies and determining its scientific significance. Then, I developed a plan that included
selecting specific plant species, designing the experiment, and acquiring the necessary materials.
As the experiment progressed, I continually refined my approach by adjusting variables,
improving data collection methods, and troubleshooting any issues that arose. Through this
iterative process, I not only obtained meaningful results but also deepened my understanding of
the scientific method.
Weakness:
1. I can persevere and understand that failure can be productive.
One of my weaknesses is my tendency to persevere relentlessly and view failure as a productive
learning experience. For example, during Chemistry 11, I encountered difficult problems that I
couldn't solve despite numerous attempts. Instead of seeking help or moving on to other concepts
temporarily, I persisted in trying to solve it independently. While my determination was
admirable, it became a weakness in this context because it caused me to spend an excessive
amount of time on a single problem, ultimately affecting my progress in the course. When I do
fail at something, it often has a significant impact on my confidence and motivation to tackle
similar challenges in the future.

Communication
Strengths:
1. I can reflect on the processes of learning and share what I have learned.
One of my strengths at school is my ability to reflect on the processes of learning and share what
I have learned effectively. For instance, in my last science project, I not only conducted
experiments and gathered data but also took the time to analyze the methods I used and the
challenges I faced, including possible errors. I then shared my insights with my group members,
helping us better understand the concepts and encouraging a more comprehensive discussion.
This reflective approach not only enhances my own understanding but also contributes to the
overall learning experience of my peers, making it a valuable strength in my academic journey.
2. I can engage in deep and meaningful inquiry for a variety of purposes and audiences.
During a recent history project focused on a complex historical event, I embarked on an
extensive research journey. I didn't merely skim the surface but went the extra mile to explore
various historical records, scholarly articles, and primary sources. This thorough exploration
allowed me to gain a comprehensive understanding of the event, including its social, political,
and cultural dimensions.
Weakness:
1. I can work with other students to plan, inquire, and solve problems.
One weakness I've noticed in my schoolwork is my tendency to prefer working independently,
even in group projects. For instance, in a Law Studies project, we were tasked with creating a
presentation about a historical injustice. While my group members were eager to collaborate and
share ideas, I found myself wanting to work alone on my section of the project. I believed that I
could produce a higher-quality outcome if I controlled every aspect of it. This inclination to work
independently can be a weakness because it might lead to a lack of teamwork and collaboration
skills development. In school and the real world, the ability to work effectively in a team is often
crucial for success. By always opting for independent work, I may miss out on valuable
opportunities to learn from others, contribute my strengths to a group effort, and develop
important interpersonal skills.

Personal Culture and Identity

Strengths:
1. I understand what is important to me.
Throughout my whole life, I went through a lot of changes when considering what is important
to me. What was important to me when I was in middle school is no longer important to me in
high school, but some of those things stuck with me throughout all the years. An example of
something that faded away was going out and socializing with friends. During middle school, I
went out with friends almost every week, whether it be at the mall, going to Vancouver, a market
or anything along those lines, but as I grew older, I soon realised that those people who I
considered to be friends were just fake friends, and I slowly pushed myself away from them,
which ended those routine gatherings. So far, there have been only a handful of things that
remain important to me, and the top 3 are family, friends, and music. Family is self explanatory,
without my family, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Friends because I found myself a new friend
group where I feel I belong and can relate to everyone else. Finally, music. I’ve always loved
music; it’s always been a gateway to escape from everything that sucks in the world and just
have time to myself.
2. I understand how what I value has and will shape my choices.
The values that I have are very much influenced by who and what I surround myself with.
Whether it be something religious, something revolving around my heritage, or political views. A
very common example has been to do with politics. I don’t like to consider myself political and I
see politics as nothing but boring to me, but if I had to choose one sort of side, it would be
Libertarianism. I’m a very firm believer in freedom, not the fourth of July fireworks kind of
freedom, but the ability to express who you are without fear or oppression kind of freedom. A big
thing that comes up whenever I mention that I follow Libertarianism and I explain what it is, I’m
usually met with the question “why are you against the government.”, which is understandable.
If I said I was anti-government, I would be lying too not only myself, but those around me. I just
feel that the government should have less control over peoples lives, and against the idea of state
intervention in the private lives of people and the free market. Leaders around the world have
done some nasty things in the past, which I’m not a very big fan of and serves as a steppingstone
as to why I believe in what I believe in.
Weakness:
1. I know my strengths and what makes me unique.
I’ve always had a problem with identifying a strength and how/what makes me unique. Sure, I
can identify a strength, but with every strength I have, I can point out a weakness, and if a
strength has a weakness, I don’t really consider it a strength anymore. As for what makes me
unique part, I’ve never really found anything that makes me truly unique. A good example of this
for me is every year since I was in middle school, in almost every English course I’ve taken, I
had to identify something unique to myself, and I always struggled with this. Whenever I think
of something that’s truly unique, it must be VERY specific, or else it really isn’t unique anymore.
Something that I could consider unique to myself is my taste in music. An example of this is
whenever I get asked the question “what music do you listen to?” and I tell them a band, they
give me a confused look and say, “never heard of them.” Then I tell them a genre I listen to, and
they always say something along the lines of never heard of it. Then in the odd chance someone
does know a genre I say, they either say one of the following two things, “Are you sad or
something?” or “That music sounds weird.” So, if weird or sad sounding music is unique, then I
guess that is one thing that can make me unique.