Quality of teaching will have more of an influence in Year 12, but for now, note taking is probably the best practice you can do. Find an annotation method that works for you; this goes for texts as well as LA articles/ visuals. It may be a little too early in the year now, but finding essay structures and approaches that you're comfortable with would also be worthwhile, though don't rush this as it can take time to develop.
Identify any weaknesses early, whether you have a whole section like LA or Contexts that seems weak, or if you struggle with specific things like structure/ vocab/ topic sentences etc. It'll save you a lot of time trying to correct mistakes next year.
If your teacher is really giving you grief, I know some friends who talked to other teachers outside of class and said they learned a lot more. Give him/her the benefit of the doubt for 1st term at least, but after that it might be worth seeking out another teacher or tutor who can assist you.
Also, don't be afraid to read ahead. Your Unit 1/2 stuff should take priority, but if you find you've got a good grasp on the coursework, start reading some of the Year 12 SAC tasks, study guides, or marking schemes to get an idea of what will be asked of you. Finding some good essays from current year 12s or past students can be a big help too.