Seamus is able to identify what makes a good academic essay, and is also aware of precisely where his essays need improvement. This will help him as he attempts to refine his writing. He has also demonstrated thorough knowledge of the film techniques and themes in Sunset Boulevard.

As we move into the new semester, the focus will shift to furthering language skills (as opposed to essay structure alone) and identifying literary techniques (as opposed to filmic ones). With regards to the former, Seamus needs to put in more effort outside of our sessions to see visible improvements in vocabulary, and needs to exhibit more interest in the subject (as the contentions of his writing currently lack conviction). To foster interest, he has been asked to write an essay on any VCE-style topic for a piece of media of his choosing.

Seamus has gradually improved his understanding of what a good essay constitutes and the steps he can take to improve the quality of his essays. He could consistently pick out the most relevant arguments and points in the activity, and connect the themes given to Sunset Boulevard.

Adding depth to his analyses is something he needs to work on. While he has improved a bit, it will require more effort from his end. He needs to practice writing essays more diligently. As advised, a good place to start would be to write analyses of other works he enjoys, such as tv shows, books, animated media etc. To encourage him to think more critically and incorporate more academic vocabulary into his essays, it might be beneficial for him to learn and do extended reading about themes explored in Sunset Boulevard, such as identity, fame, mental health, gender constructs etc. He has been assigned homework addressing the concerns above, as we will not be meeting over the Easter break.

We identified that he requires more support with writing in a formal tone, and identifying points that are actually relevant to the question. Identifying has helped me devise an action plan for future lessons.

The session saw minimal progress this week, as further review of the practice SAC and SAC revealed some more areas Seamus is struggling with (such as argument construction and cohesion, and writing individual sentences to establishe the cogency of argument). We also realized that the activities we have been doing so far have not helped, especially when writing in an exam setting. As such, we had to cut today's lesson fairly short. Starting next week, we will be trying alternative exercises, and revisitng some fundamental concepts in writing (such as active and passive voice, and methods to avoid verbose sentences). Seamus also needs to attempt doing the assigned homework, as improvement in writing skills can only be achieved through extensive practice.

Seamus expressed that he is more comfortable and confident approaching essays. We also identified that he might need some assistance with making his sentences more formal, which helps as I'll be able to devise exercises going forward that address this. Seamus has also shown improvement in adding depth to his essays and incorporating evidence to support his text. His paragraphs have clearly identifiable PEEL sentences. He was also able to act on the input given and improve his Introductory paragraph.

He will need to practice writing consistently to improve his paragraph structures. While his paragraphs have distinguishable PEEL sentences, the structure is still incorrect, and the order in which he presents his ideas needs to change. We will work on this by writing more essays and reviewing them, as practice helps immensely with writing order.