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Introduction to ELA 20F

Assignment:

A Moment in Time
In order for me to get to know you a little bit, you
will be writing five paragraphs that discuss – in
detail – a moment in your life that you feel was
very significant in making you who you are today.
Try to think outside of the box; don’t make safe
choices in your writing. Be creative.

First, determine your writing variables: central idea, form, audience, purpose, and
context.

Then, in your first paragraph, be sure to include:


- an introduction to the situation (who was there, where were you, when did this
take place)
- lots of sensory (sights, sounds, tastes, etc) details

In the remaining four paragraphs, describe what happened and why this particular
moment helped to make you into who you are today.

There are very few criteria here, I am simply trying to see how you write, and examine
how willing you are to be creative. Also, keep in mind that I am NOT looking for five
paragraphs describing the event. Be sure to use the assignment template.

Marking Rubric
A Moment in Time

Organization (writing variables) /5


Content /10
Mechanics /5
Style /5
/25

Due: Wednesday, September 9, 2010


“A Moment in Time”
Lindsay Brown 11298763
ELA20F Ms. Brown
September 10, 2010

Central Idea: Examine a moment in my life that was significant and has made me into the
person I am today.

Form: A five-paragraph reflection written in the first person.

Audience: Grade 10 ELA class.

Purpose: To help the class get to know me, as well as to model what the assignment should look
like.

Context: Reviewed in class on the overhead so that students understand the expectations of the
assignment.

I had crossed the stage a few weeks earlier and was still awash with feelings of

accomplishment, yet there was a pang of anticipation that had begun to grow inside of me.

Finishing University was always a part of the plan; moving halfway across the country to a city

where I knew not a soul, however, was not. Even though I knew that Montreal would be a city

where so many opportunities would present themselves, I was still incredibly anxious and

nervous. Despite all of my worries, I packed up my belongings and boarded the plane bound

for Quebec. I can still remember how musty the plane smelled when I walked to my seat in row

18. Little did I know just how profoundly I would change and just how much I would learn in

that year away from home.

Over the course of the school year, I taught in a private language school on the south shore of

Montreal where most of the students were fluent in both official languages: English and French.

I however, was not, and this made for some very difficult challenges. I learned how to be
resourceful, spending my evenings brushing up on the limited French skills that I had acquired

in junior high. I worked tirelessly to improve my language skills, and this really taught me to

appreciate how difficult it must be for students who are learning another language. I feel that

this discovery has made me a much more compassionate and empathetic teacher.

When I was all settled in my apartment, I realized that I had no one to go out with as I hadn’t

had the opportunity to meet anyone yet. As a result, I took to going for long walks around the

city, going to concerts solo, and enjoying films alone in a dark movie theatre. Even though this

sounds kind of pathetic, I really enjoyed the time I spent by myself in such a massive city. I

could get lost in the crowds - and in my own thoughts – without every feeling alone. I fell in

love with the sounds of the city and the beautiful architecture that surrounded me. This time

spent discovering on my own really made me learn about myself and allowed me to develop a

true sense of appreciation for one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

As much as I spent time alone while living in Montreal, I also met some amazing people. The

men and women that I worked with were incredibly welcoming and genuinely kind. My

students were a real challenge at times, but they also taught me a lot. In fact, I still keep in

touch with a few of them and it’s those lasting relationships that I truly value and are what

made my year away from Winnipeg so memorable.

A moment – or year, in this case – in time that really changed me and made me into the person

I am today was the year I spent living and working in southern Quebec. I learned to appreciate

alone time, but also to truly enjoy the company of others. The friendships I made are ones that
I hope to make last a lifetime, and it’s always nice to have a place to crash when I visit in the

summer! I developed a lot of empathy for students who are learning a new language and had

an opportunity to fall in love. All of these experiences have shaped my into who I am and I

wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything.

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