Zilong’s Portfolio

Resilience reflection:

The tasks I did were mindfulness walk, personal goal, vision goal etc. Resilience, to me, is about being able to keep going even when life gets really hard. It’s not just about surviving tough situations, but about learning and growing from them. When I think about resilience, I realize it’s something we build over time through the challenges we face. It’s not always easy, but it’s what helps us move forward. By organizing ourselves and planning out what is needed to be done. One thing I’ve noticed is that being resilient doesn’t mean I have to do everything on my own. Sometimes, I’ve needed help from friends, family, or even teachers to get through hard times. Asking for support isn’t a weakness—it’s actually a sign of strength because it shows I’m willing to do what it takes to keep going. I’ve also learned to lean on my past experiences to remind myself that I’ve overcome tough things before, and I can do it again and by doing these tasks I remind myself that there are ways to help myself and become more and more resilient to the hardships life throws at me and will definitely help me later in life.

Skillful communicator:

The tasks I did was performing a skit, newspaper article etc. Being able to communicate properly is one of the greatest life skills you have. In this fast paced society, and rapid developments the skill to communicate face to face and properly has been severely diminished I’ve also noticed how important it is to be clear when I’m trying to explain something. Sometimes I assume that people know what I mean, but if I’m not specific or organized in how I say things, it can lead to confusion. This has come up a lot during group projects, where I’ve had to make sure everyone is on the same page. I’ve learned that asking questions, summarizing ideas, and being open to feedback are all ways to make communication clearer and more effective.Overall, being able to communicate effectively is a skill that takes practice, but it’s definitely worth it. It helps build stronger relationships, solve problems, and express myself in a way that feels authentic. As I keep improving, I’m learning to be more patient, open, and confident in how I communicate.

Critical thinker:

I did Wordplay, how to? ect. To me, being a critical thinker means not just accepting everything at face value but asking questions, looking at things from different angles, and trying to really understand what’s going on. It’s about thinking deeper and not just going with the first idea or answer that pops into my head. And especially with the How to? you had to generate creative ways and really think about what you are doing. I’ve learned about critical thinking is that it’s not just about being smart—it’s about being open-minded. Sometimes I catch myself sticking to my own opinion or assuming I’m right before I hear other people out. But being a good critical thinker means being willing to consider other perspectives, even if they’re different from mine. Being a critical thinker is also about staying curious, asking questions, and not being afraid to challenge ideas and analyzing with multiple perspectives and really understanding. It’s something I’m still working on, but I think it’s a skill that will help me in school, in my future job, and in life in general.

Effective collaborator:

Collaboration is a skill that I’ve come to realize is really important, not just in school but in life. Working with other people can sometimes be challenging, but it’s also one of the best ways to achieve something great. When I reflect on my experiences with collaboration, I’ve learned a lot about teamwork, communication, and the importance of respecting other people’s ideas.Overall, collaboration has taught me a lot about teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. It’s not always easy, but when everyone works together and respects each other, it can lead to amazing results. I know collaboration is a skill I’ll need for the rest of my life, whether it’s in school, at a job, or even in personal relationships. I’m still learning how to be a better collaborator, but I feel like every group project or team experience helps me improve.

Creative thinker

Being a creative learner is something I’ve started to value more and more. For me, being a creative learner means finding new ways to solve problems, thinking outside the box, and not being afraid to try something different. It’s not just about doing things the “right” way but about exploring my own ideas and seeing where they take me. When I reflect on my experiences, I realize that creativity has made learning more fun and meaningful. One thing I’ve noticed about being a creative learner is that it often starts with curiosity. When I’m genuinely interested in what I’m learning, I’m more likely to look for new ways to approach it. For example, in a science project, instead of just following the instructions step by step, I like to add my own twist or experiment with a different idea. Even if it doesn’t always work out perfectly, I feel like I learn more because I’m thinking for myself.

Big project:

The science project we are doing right now creating a drag race car. We have just found out our partners and I’m with a good friend of mine through selections from our strengths and weaknesses. I personally believe that my strengths are my adaptability and respectfulness and my weaknesses are my organizational skills, as I am a rather messy individual. While on the other hand my friend’s skills totally complement mine as his strengths are his organizational skill so I think we would make a good group and combo together. The launch of this project was interesting as a worker from NEO a car company gave us a lecture about a balance between weight/speed and it really got me thinking and I have this gut feeling that this project will turn out well and I will be able to do well.

Extracurricular

I am a member of the club EQED and Orbis in which we host online classes to those visually impaired every week and teach them english that would benefit them. It really is eye opening of the circumstances that the visually impaired are in and teaching them gives me a sense of accomplishment and that I’m doing something right. It is always fun teaching them and sharing your experiences and understanding their experiences and what they are going through. It also helps me appreciate the circumstances that I’m in, in good health and physically able and receiving good education and really helps me empathise with those not as fortunate as I am.