After reading and discussing some examples of educational writing that make use of vignettes (brief, vivid descriptions of real-life situations), you will write a short essay of this kind that draws on personal experience or observation. This will involve submitting a draft and rewriting the essay based on feedback (25%).
The three reflective essays provided in the courseware package are intended as models:
“The Green Monongahela” by John Taylor Gatto;
“Death at an Early Age” by Jonathan Kozol;
“Making Words Count” by Susan Ohanian.
Intentionally, these three essays have quite different moods and styles. Gatto’s is autobiographical, and inspirational; the central story concerns his interaction with a young female student called Milagros, which confirms his decision to become a teacher. Kozol’s is observational, and tragic: he focuses on a small African-American boy called Stephen, and his soul-destroying experiences in art class. Ohanian’s is told in the wry voice of a practitioner, an experienced teacher with a good sense of humour; the central story describes her interactions with Tiffany, a particularly difficult Grade 7 student. Each of these essays provides a good model for your own reflective essay: they are filled with interesting detail, have a strong central storyline, and contain insightful comments on the meaning of the events they describe.