Writing assignment #1: “Where I lived and what I lived for”
Self-reflection and projection for the year

We asked students (as a beginning-of-year benchmark) to write a short response to the following cue:

This weekend we want you to take some time to reflect on where you are right now and what your goals for this year look like. Tell us about who you are, what you like to do outside of school, what is most important to you and what you absolutely abhor. Think about what you would like to get out of this class (maybe its learning how to weld or think outside of the box) and what your expectations or preconceptions of the class might be (“I hear they don’t give out much homework”, etc.)

Write as though you are doing a gestural drawing. Scribble some notes as the thoughts come to you, write in outline or bulleted form. Yes, this is a writing assignment but don’t think of it as a term paper that needs a thesis, body of supporting evidence and a conclusion. This should feel honest, organic and done by hand.

Bonus points were given for students who could identify the literary source of the assignment title, “Where I lived and what I lived for.”

Their responses will helped inform us as instructors but also begin the process of self reflection and metacognition in which students track their own process through out the year. At the end of the year, we’ll write similar, but more detailed essays (as we did last year – see student essays here).

Some entertaining and enlightening excerpts from our current students’ responses to “Where I lived and what I lived for” are below:

• “I would like to learn to use a stick welder, and to think outside of the box to make new things.”
• “I believe by taking this class I will get a better understanding of what I want to do after high school.”
• “I absolutely abhor cats; I hate cats with a passion.”
• “I like to break things and then fix them. I love the Celtics and the Eagles. I’m very sarcastic.”
• “I took this class because I wan to be able to better my community by building anything that they may want or need. I hate drama and bullying. I am in my church’s choir.”
• “I hate taking classes online all day.”

Download assignment as pdf here.