(750-1000 words)  (3-4 typed pages, double-spaced).

Together, we have read/watched several “education narratives” (including video lectures, poems and spoken word poetry, flash fiction pieces, personal essays and memoir excerpts, and music videos). In these narratives, writers describe a time when they learned something important (either inside and outside school settings).

Now, it is time for YOU to write your own education narrative.

Think of a time in your life when you learned something important and transformative.

    • What did you learn or conclude, and take with you moving forward?
    • How did that experience affect you and shape who you are today?
    • This could be a lesson you learned from:
  • A parent, grandparent or family member
  • A role model
  • A work experience
  • A book you read
  • A teacher
  • An interaction in class
  • A random conversation on a city block
  • An educational experience (You do not have to discuss school specifically. If you decide to talk about school, you are not being asked to praise the educational system, or say that it transformed you in a positive way.).

Assignment Components & Rubric

Your essay should include these six components:

    1. Introduction (15%)
  • You (briefly) provide context
  • Your have a clear thesis (overarching point) about what your experience taught you
  • You (briefly) summarize your supporting details
    1. Body Paragraph A (15%)
  • EVIDENCE: You use examples (one particular memory, or a series of significant experiences or ideas s) that support your main idea and prove your main point
  • DETAILS: You include specific, fully realized examples and rich detail that paint a picture for your reader 
  • STRUCTURE: Your have a narrative progression/sequence or organizational structure that makes sense for your reader
    1. Body Paragraph B (15%)
  • Same as above
    1. Quote Sandwich A (15%)
  • You quote one of the education narratives we read for class (or one that you have found on your own, as long as you have your professor’s approval)
  • You explain how it relates to your experience, using a quote sandwich.
    1. Quote Sandwich B (15%)
      • Same as above
    2. Conclusion (15%)
  • You summarize your main argument 
  • You take us somewhere new 
    1. Title (5%): You have a title that conveys your overall point in an engaging, clear way
    2. Editing (5%): You have edited for:
  • Clear sentence structure
  • Grammar
  • Punctuation
  • Capitalization
  • Spacing
  • MLA Format

Student Examples

 

Blank Education-Narrative-Outline Form for You

Essay Breakdown & Quote Sandwich Info Powerpoint