Reflective Cover Letter.

English 111 has been a great learning experience for me. Within only 50 minutes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I have learned more than what I have ever expected. In English I have learned about kaizen, good ethos, and improving the six steps of the writing process. In order for me to succeed not just college, but in life I think theses three things are useful and important.

        Kaizen, before Professor Brandon’s class that was a word I have never heard in my life.  I understand kaizen now; it makes sense to me that making continuous small improvements is better than trying to change everything at one time. With using kaizen I have notice a huge improvement in my college life. I go to the library more to do my homework, this is a step I use to eliminate the noise and distractions around me. Little things like turning my phone of while I study, which has really made a difference to me. I now feel confident that I will reach the success I want with understanding that it is okay to take smaller steps, and picking the lowest hanging fruit is not always a bad thing.

        Understanding and having good ethos was something that I lacked or did not understand at first. Ethos is a form of persuasion. The way you want your audience to portray your message and receive your message, depends greatly on how you deliver it. Having the proper posture, eye contact, and assurance all play a role in establishing good ethos. I knew the importance of this, but I just did not practice it. I know now that the audience that is receiving the message has expectations, and those expectations are to be met by the author or messenger. All of these are factors of the rhetorical triangle. Rhetoric is the study of communication, and I have learned that you have to have good ethos to communicate with your audience. Without the proper ethos your audience will lose interest, and the message will not make any sense. I now understand that establishing ethos from the start of the message is very important, if I want my audience to stay interested and meet their expectations.

        Finally, having knowledge of and improving the six steps of the writing process, something that will take more than just semester for me to master. The six steps are; prewrite, draft, revise, proofread, publish, and review. Prewriting is probably one of the most important steps, and that is getting your ideas out and on paper. Drafting is writing about your ideas. Revising is the process of correcting errors on the draft. Proofreading is making the final changes before publishing. Publishing and delivery is an important step because it is your final product being delivered to your audience. Revising being the final step, this step involves feedback on your work. I know all of the steps by heart and I know how important they are. Each step has its own importance, and without out one the whole process would be incomplete. English 111 has shown me that there are not only steps to writing, but there are also steps to success. These six steps are more than a tool towards my success. I may not appreciate the significance behind it just yet but I do know that it is here to help me on the many papers I have to write in college and in life.

        Professor Brandon’s English 111 class has really help me understand everything there is about ethos, kaizen, and the writing process. I greatly appreciate the information that was given. My success in life depends on the process I choose to take and the routine I stick with. The writing process will help me understand and reevaluate my thoughts before and after they are on paper. Having the knowledge of what good ethos is will help me in not just college, but life. I know that my peers and future employees will have to have respect for me as a person to understand my message. English 111 has made an impact on my life, and it is going to change by the way I look at things now. In the future when I have to write another paper, the writing process will be stuck in my head. When I am interviewing for an important job, the ethos I have learned will play a role in helping me meet the expectations of the person interviewing me. Finally, remembering that it is okay to pick the lowest hanging fruit is okay in life, and sometimes it is not always necessary to take risk.

Kaizen.

Kaizen(group management)- method of managing the steps of process.

·      

     Improving the process.

·      Improving the process in small, continuous steps.

·      Knowing that your process works to produce something of value to yourself and others.

·      The best method for managing yourself and the routines you need to be successful.

·      Figuring out one small change to your routine that is going to bring you closer to what you want.

·      Do not make the changes all at once.

·      Continuous small improvement

Time motion studies- conducted on industrial factory floors.

Picking the lowest hanging fruit

1.     Start with the resources and processes you have.

a.     You start in from where you are.

Going to the library to do work.

Time, not enough hours in the day.

Checking social media.

Homework- what are 3 habits that are getting In the way of being the best student I can be, what are 5 habits that are helping me succeed as a student, or 5 things I have learned that have or will help me become a better student.

1.  Checking social media.

2.  Wondering off to do other things/ procrastination.

3.  Texting

1.  going to the library after school to do work.

2. 

Previewing a chapter

1.     Highlight the title.

2.     Go through and highlight the headings and sub-heading.

3.     Read the glossary carefully.

4.     Read the conclusion of the chapter.

5.     Go to the first major section, read the introduction, highlight as you go.

6.     For the remainder highlight only the first sentence.

7.     Highlight the conclusion of that section.

Chose one habit that is bad that’s getting in the way of your life as a student- make a small change

·      Developing a voice.

Writing a review

·      Inform

·      Persuade

·      Give useful info

·      Establish identification

·      Research the genre

Career Research Paper.

 

My whole life I have been thinking about what am I going to be in life, what am I going to be doing for the rest of my life. As a child my “dream” job changed almost every week. I knew I wanted to make enough money so that I would be happy, and comfortable in life. I wanted a job that involved no stress, and I would enjoy going into work everyday. Helping others is something I enjoy doing, I like to see people happy.  As I got older I became more interested with eyes, so naturally I want to pursue a career in optometry. There are many steps to becoming an Optometrist, and the criteria for this job is important. After completing four years of schooling at a university, and earning a bachelors degree there are four more years of optometry school that is required to get a Doctor of Optometry or O.D. “In 2011, there 20 accredited O.D. programs in the United States.”[i] This tells me I have to work hard and do the best that I can if I want to become an optometrist.

        Optometry school has many programs and helpful hands on training. With a combine of classroom learning and clinical experiences, optometry school really prepares their students for the real world experience. Decision-making, interpersonal, and speaking skills are all important in this field of study[ii]. The scheduling and flexibility that come along with this job is another thing that I like. They do not sit behind a desk all day and in some cases working weekends only is another option. Some optometrists are even self-employed, that is my goal, to not for anyone or under anyone but for my self.  

       

        Finishing school and going the extra step to get my masters or PhD is something that is mandatory. In the world we are living in now a bachelor’s degree is something everyone has or can get, you have to be dedicated and passionate to strive for your masters. I have always said it is better to have something and not need it, than to need something and not have it. So a master’s degree is a must.  To get where I want to be in life and my career I need to complete school with flying colors, get accepted into optometry school and excel in that.

        All of the requirements and standards I hold for my job in the future are important to me. I hope my future job meets all of them, and for some even triple, like salary. I am ready to do the work that I needed in order for me to reach my ultimate goal, which is being so comfortable and letting my money make money for me. I know I have a lot of work to do to get there, but ensuring that I get all of the education that I need is vital. All of the time I put into it now will reward me in the end. I know this job is good fit for me because this is something I am passionate about and I can see myself enjoying going to work everyday and that is something that is important to me, and I will be helping people.

---

[i] Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Optometrists, 
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/optometrists.htm (visited November 22, 2013).

[ii] Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Optometrists, 
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/optometrists.htm (visited November 22, 2013).

Useful Resources.

Throughout English 111 I have learned that I have wonderful resources around me. The library I would have to say would be the most used and reliable resource, along with the internet. This is an example of me bettering my knowledge about the library.

Effective Communication.

Here is an example of me using my communication skills. I email Professor Brandon in regards to me missing a class one day, and with asking questions I was able to obtain the information I needed to better myself.

Ethos.

Establishing good ethos with my audience is something that I will always keep with me. Good ethos helps build trust and trust is always needed by the author and the audience.

The Writing Process.

         

1. Pre-writing

a.    Study audience

                   i.     Expectations

                  ii.     Needs

                 iii.     Desires

                          Study your purpose

                          Study your genre

§  Organization

       

 2. Drafting

a.    Draft inspections        

3. Revise

a.    Add to

b.   Cut from

c.    Reorganize

d.   Restate

    

4. Proofreading

§  Format

§  Grammar

§  Spelling

§  Usage

    5. Publishing/delivery

    6. Review

Discovery what you can and should say.

Sentence Forms.

 In Professor Brandon's class the proper sentence form was very important. With repetition and memorization I now know the five basic sentence forms, including F.A.N.B.O.Y.S. by heart.

In Class Collaborations.

The Rhetorical Triangle.

The rhetorical triangle is the basis for everything. With this I have learned that I have an audience with everything I do, say, or write, and I have to meet their expectations with the delivery of my message.

Professor Brandon's English 111 Class

I am grateful for taking this class, it has not only helped me in bettering my writing skills, but also in looking at things with a different perspective. I appreciate everything I have learned in this class and look forward to bettering my education.