An Exemplar - Rough Draft

WRITING A BOOK

A REFLECTION OF LEARNING IN A MULTI-PARAGRAPH ESSAY

     Never in my entire life did I ever think that I would actually become a published author.  I hated writing until I was way into adulthood.  But one day something clicked and I remembered a very significant time in my life that I felt had to be written down – somewhere, somehow.  It wasn’t easy.  When I think of the approaches to learning that AISJ asks students to pay attention to – those fabulous behaviors that teachers are convinced ensure successful learning – I wondered how I approached writing my book using the ATLs.  I believe that I aced three of the ATLs – takes ownership of learning, contributes to the learning process, and cooperates and interacts respectfully with others.  Practicing self-management was one that I struggled during the five years it took me to write the book.

     I have always struggled with procrastination.  Even when I want to do something, I find ways to get out of doing whatever I need to do to get things done.  I remember starting out the day, raring to go, knowing that I had to write at least 1000 words before the day ended.   And there I would sit.  I would stare at the computer.  Maybe pet the kitties for a while.  Or I would just find an excuse to make another cup of tea.  As deadlines approached, I realized I needed to get my act together so I could submit my work to my editor in an organized, well-structured narrative.  I made my deadlines – most of the time.  But I did occasionally panic and pull all-nighters, which was not so great for my need to sleep.  Thankfully, I did take ownership of my project, which was most definitely the ATL that saved me from my time-management failures.

     My book became my life, I owned it wholeheartedly because I believed that it was important for people to read about the, “…other side of the Vietnam War.”  I was more than engaged. I lived, ate, and breathed the book.  Even when I couldn’t find the right structure – the hardest part for me – I didn’t give up.  I read books to find guidance and the one that helped me the most, John Dos Passos’ USA, became the exemplar I used to structure Waiting Wives. I sought feedback from just about anyone who would read chapters.  Or, sometimes I just needed to throw around ideas.  Seeking feedback was so important because sometimes, when in the middle of a project, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. At one point, early on, I realized that I needed to contribute more to the book than my personal knowledge about my own story. I need be well-armed with broader knowledge to tell other people’s stories. So, I prepared and researched for what seemed like years because I had to be fearless and filled with background information when I met people.

     The knowledge I acquired through research prepared me for the over one-hundred and fifty interviews – 98% were people I didn’t even know – I conducted. I researched for years.  I read every book about the Vietnam War I could get my hands.  I went to all of the major news broadcasting companies and watch old new footage.  Visiting war museums, reading classified documents, and scouring old newspapers on a microfiche reader became my entertainment.  I would have to cold-call, make appointments, and travel to see people, hoping against hope that their stories could add to my book.  And let me tell you, not going to lie, I AM THE SHYEST PERSON IN THE WORLD.  I wasn’t going to get anywhere if I didn’t conduct those interviews to find stories for the book.  I was terrified, but fearless. As a result, I heard amazing stories and met awesomely kind people that cooperated with me and whom I respected greatly.  After all, they were telling me about very personal, sometimes tragic events that happened in their lives.

     Being respectful to the unique situations of each person was essential to successful interviewing.  I remember I met with one woman who had a story so disturbing that I left it out of the book.  It simply did not fit with the theme of my narrative.  I had to remain neutral as she told the story even though, on the inside, I was crying for her and what she went through.  Another time, a woman’s story was soooooo boring that I could not wait to get out of her home and onto the next interview.  I couldn’t let her know how I felt – I needed to respect that fact that she thought her stories were fabulous.  Research led me to her, but in the end, I could not use any of her stories.  I was lucky to have many other stories from people’s experiences that helped me shape my book.  For sure, looking back through the lens of approaches to learning, I am certain that they helped me finish by book.

      The ATLs provided me with a solid foundation for me to complete my book with a successful outcome.  Really, when you think about it, the ATLs were a way for me to discipline myself in order to accomplish a great thing – publishing a book.  Even though I had an issue with time-management, engaging my other ATLs helped me to compensate for that one weakness.  Basically, they got my butt in gear.  Without them, I probably would have floundered around forever with a great idea, but nothing to show for it in the end. 

     So, I ask you – students of grade 8 - is the way we approach learning important?  Well, I can’t answer that for you, you will need to reflect, not only on the Humans of AISJ project, but on other assignments you have had and decide why they were successful, or not.

Color Coded for Organization

Thesis/Topic/Summing Up Voice/Thoughts/Opinion Evidence/Details Transition Sentences – final sentence in a paragraph that connects to the paragraph that follows

WRITING A BOOK

A REFLECTION OF LEARNING IN A MULTI-PARAGRAPH ESSAY

Never in my entire life did I ever think that I would actually become a published author.  I hated writing until I was way into adulthood.  But one day something clicked and I remembered a very significant time in my life that I felt had to be written down – somewhere, somehow.  It wasn’t easy.  When I think of the approaches to learning that AISJ asks students to pay attention to – those fabulous behaviors that teachers are convinced ensure successful learning – I wondered how I approached writing my book using the ATLs.  I believe that I aced three of the ATLs – takes ownership of learning, contributes to the learning process, and cooperates and interacts respectfully with others.  Practicing self-management was one that I struggled during the five years it took me to write the book.

I have always struggled with procrastination.  Even when I want to do something, I find ways to get out of doing whatever I need to do to get things done.  I remember starting out the day, raring to go, knowing that I had to write at least 1000 words before the day ended.   And there I would sit.  I would stare at the computer.  Maybe pet the kitties for a while.  Or I would just find an excuse to make another cup of tea.  As deadlines approached, I realized I needed to get my act together so I could submit my work to my editor in an organized, well-structured narrative.  I made my deadlines – most of the time.  But I did occasionally panic and pull all-nighters, which was not so great for my need to sleep.  Thankfully, I did take ownership of my project, which was most definitely the ATL that saved me from my time-management failures.

My book became my life, I owned it wholeheartedly because I believed that it was important for people to read about the, “…other side of the Vietnam War.”  I was more than engaged. I lived, ate, and breathed the book.  Even when I couldn’t find the right structure – the hardest part for me – I didn’t give up.  I read books to find guidance and the one that helped me the most, John Dos Passos’ USA, became the exemplar I used to structure Waiting Wives. I sought feedback from just about anyone who would read chapters.  Or, sometimes I just needed to throw around ideas.  Seeking feedback was so important because sometimes, when in the middle of a project, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. At one point, early on, I realized that I needed to contribute more to the book than my personal knowledge about my own story. I needed to be well-armed with broader knowledge to tell other people’s stories. So, I prepared and researched for what seemed like years because I had to be fearless and filled with background information when I met people.

The knowledge I acquired through research prepared me for the over one-hundred and fifty interviews – 98% were people I didn’t even know – I conducted. I researched for years.  I read every book about the Vietnam War I could get my hands.  I went to all of the major news broadcasting companies and watch old new footage.  Visiting war museums, reading classified documents, and scouring old newspapers on a microfiche reader became my entertainment.  I would have to cold-call, make appointments, and travel to see people, hoping against hope that their stories could add to my book.  And let me tell you, not going to lie, I AM THE SHYEST PERSON IN THE WORLD.  I wasn’t going to get anywhere if I didn’t conduct those interviews to find stories for the book.  I was terrified, but fearless. As a result, I heard amazing stories and met awesomely kind people that cooperated with me and whom I respected greatly.  After all, they were telling me about very personal, sometimes tragic events that happened in their lives.

Being respectful to the unique situations of each person was essential to successful interviewing.  I remember I met with one woman who had a story so disturbing that I left it out of the book.  It simply did not fit with the theme of my narrative.  I had to remain neutral as she told the story even though, on the inside, I was crying for her and what she went through.  Another time, a woman’s story was soooooo boring that I could not wait to get out of her home and onto the next interview.  I couldn’t let her know how I felt – I needed to respect that fact that she thought her stories were fabulous.  Research led me to her, but in the end, I could not use any of her stories.  I was lucky to have many other stories from people’s experiences that helped me shape my book.  For sure, looking back through the lens of approaches to learning, I am certain that they helped me finish by book.

The ATLs provided me with a solid foundation for me to complete my book with a successful outcome.  Really, when you think about it, the ATLs were a way for me to discipline myself in order to accomplish a great thing – publishing a book.  Even though I had an issue with time-management, engaging my other ATLs helped me to compensate for that one weakness.  Basically, they got my butt in gear.  Without them, I probably would have floundered around forever with a great idea, but nothing to show for it in the end. 

So, I ask you – students of grade 8 - is the way you approach learning important?  Well, I can’t answer that for you, you will need to reflect, not only on the Humans of AISJ project, but on other assignments you have had and decide why you were successful, or not.