The first time I

felt great at
somethingMy sister
Mrs.
Accused of
broke her
MacKenzie
cheating in
arm- carrying
second grade
all the beach
Memorable stuff back
Experiences
Third grade
Starting family
teacher told
business- age
me Id never
13
write
Getting into
college- high
school

Guiding Questions: Circle Map

Was there ever a time when someone did something special
for you?
Was there ever a time you tried something and succeeded
because of your effort?
Was there ever a time when you needed to apologize for
something you had done?

The first time I felt great at something- Poems in Dr. Ms class

Key People

Scenes

4rd grade parent

teacher
conference/home
office
New middle
school
Bucknell
education classDr. Ms class

My parents
Dr. MacKenzie

Main Events

Getting my first
desk
Attending a new
school
Dr. MacKenzies
class about
poems- revelation
moment

What did you

learn?

Found my niche
Wanted to help
others find that
something that
they are great at

Introduction (Top box on flow map)

Natalie, we have some exciting news for you! We are getting you your very own desk! was what my
parents said to me when the arrived home from their first parent-teacher conference at my fancy new
school. I was glad my parents had secured an early conference time that evening because I was dying to see
how it went. You see, this was my first time attending a new school since I had began nursery school, where
I met my best friend Arianna. Her parents wanted her to visit a new school and after hours of begging, my
parents said I was allowed to visit as well. I was so relieved, I couldnt imagine attending a day of school
without Ari. A new desk is something I should have felt excited for but something was off in my parents
eyes.

Body Paragraphs (Middle boxes on flow map)

What happened
before the main
event?

Feeling simply
average @ new school

Not particularly
bad or good at
anything
Didnt feel noticed
Felt like I was
hanging on
Admired others
for their talents

Meeting Dr.
MacKenzie

Young, warm, soft

voice
Learned how to make
students feel cared
for
Class made me feel
cared about, like I
could do well
Able to go above &
beyond

What is the main

event?

Poetry Activity

Began like most classes- Dr.

M greeting each of us
Unconventional seating
arrangement
Reading from collection of
poems about teaching
No discussion, just voices of
educators/students
Then it hit me! Found my niche

Guiding Questions: Body Paragraphs

What did you do?

What were those around you doing?
What were you thinking?
What were you feeling?
What did it look like?

Conclusion (Bottom box on flow map)

Dr. MacKenzie has continued to affect my life years later. From when she asked me for
permission to share my final project with her students as an exemplar to a couple of days ago. A
colleague said to me, I cant imagine you as a learner. I smiled inside and thinking of that
parent-teacher conference, my very own first desk, and Dr. MacKenzie. My colleagues small
comment embodied the feeling I got that day in Dr. MacKenzies class. I wonder if Dr.
MacKenzie knows she gave me the power to transition from learner to expert and I hope some
day my students smile and think of me.