TOW #27: TOW Reflection

         Looking back on my very first TOW response reminds me how much my writing has improved over the course of the year. I thoroughly recall not even knowing what a rhetorical device was when I was composing my first TOW. My analysis consisted of a quote and a few words trying to define the significance of my evidence. As I have re read a lot of my TOWS, I realize my progress lies in my analysis of each TOW and devices I chose to use. In the beginning, I really struggled with finding the author's purpose of a certain essay or writing piece. As the year went on though, I challenged myself with harder readings and began to improve my adequateness. My TOWS became more sophisticated throughout the year and I began to sound like a student trying to master the rigorous AP English course and its criteria. I mastered analyzing difficult texts and finding their real meaning. In the beginning of the year, I would stare at an essay or excerpt for hours and not be able to analyze it. Now I am more confident and have more patience to define key words and terms and find the author's purpose. Of course, just because I have improved and mastered certain things doesn't mean there aren't others I still need to improve. Although I have been more adequate, it still isn't 100%. I think the analysis essays will always be my weakness because even though finding the purpose has gotten easier, it's still hard. In addition, I would like to continue to improve my vocabulary. Every AP English test I've gotten there is at least 3 words I am unfamiliar with, and I believe that it would really help me with finding answers and analyzing texts if my vocabulary was varied. Overall, TOWS helped me practice analyzing different forms of literary elements; books, essays, poems, pictures, videos, etc. I personally think that if an essay were assigned to us for each TOW it would be different. Part of my problems with TOWS was finding the write piece of writing to analyze. Also, if the class had the same TOW I could help get more feedback from classmates because they're familiar with the same texts. I like being able to analyze commercials and pictures so I think a few "free choice TOWS" is still good, but it would've helped to have certain essays assigned to us to analyze. I guess overall I did benefit from TOWS because without them I wouldn't have the weeks of practice under my belt before the AP exam.