Writing Timeline and School Trajectory

Writing Timeline and Schooling Trajectory
Writing Timeline	Schooling Trajectory	Similarities
Writing short stories with illustrations to form little books	Learning to structure sentences and how to form paragraphs	As I was learning and growing in writing, I used knowledge I acquired from school to write short stories for my family. They were not necessarily anything special; they all involved some type of animal that was lost and found its way home.
Winning the DARE Essay contest	Winning DARE Essay contest	In middle school we had to attend the DARE program. During the conclusion, students were asked to write an essay about what we learned through the course. My essay won and was published in the local newspaper.
Junior Paper/Senior Project speech	Junior Paper/Senior Project speech	In high school I was able to expand my abilities in writing to a whole new level. I had never taken on such long or intense papers like my Junior paper. I wrote an eight page research paper and received the score of 100%. I also was able to experience writing a speech which was presented in front of judges who not only were able to read my research paper, but could see how I presented myself.
Playwriting	Taking theatre classes that focused on playwriting and story developing	Throughout high school I was very involved in theatre. I took many classes that not only involved acting, but also allowed us to write the plays we did, and develop the stories ourselves. I grew very much in my writing through this time. I was able to build on a quality that I was not strong in.
Research Papers	College level writing and researching	First semester of college I was expected to write a research paper with expectations I had never encountered. I was forced to expand my boundaries even more and go deeper into my research.

Writing Timeline

     I have never felt like I have been a strong writer.  I never could word or say anything the way I wanted it to come out. I worked really hard through school, and always made good grades on my writing assignments. However, I never lived up to my own expectations.  I had a teacher in tenth grade who saw my potential and inspired me. Mrs. Kendrick took the time to critique my writing and help me in such a positive way. She gave me books that she thought I could write good reports on, and helped me through the process.
     In eleventh grade I had another teacher who influenced my writing. Ms. Spearman took time to teach me how to really engage myself in a topic and to become dedicated to my writing. Throughout her class, I had to write my Junior paper; a research paper I had to complete to graduate. I chose the topic of Deforestation for my eight page paper. This paper was the first work I had ever been proud of.  I knew by looking over it that I had put my absolute best into it, and was excited to share it with my classmates and family.  I am thankful of all the time and effort my teachers put into helping me develop and grow as a writer.
     I am someone who likes to take the time to plan out my writing. I find it much easier to get it done because I already have an outline and basic ideas of what to write about. I would like to think that some of my best writing results from something I have planned and reviewed. I also include most of my research in my outlines. This also helps aid to my thought process and helps to keep me on track.
    Looking over my timeline, I see how I have grown and learned more techniques.  I have never have taken the time to look back at all the reasons I have become who I am as a writer.  I can generalize that I was not a very strong writer until I got in high school, and I think this applies to most students. I never took the time to write until I was forced to. I always dreaded papers that were assigned to me and when I was told to write about a specific subject.  When I wrote my Junior paper, I was given the opportunity to choose a topic of my interest, and expand my knowledge with research. That is something I believe every student should be given the chance to do because it made me enjoy writing much more.


Schooling Trajectory

     While looking back over my path through school, I discovered that I started out really insecure and not confident of my writing. I never fully learned how to set goals and how much planning would help my writing. Besides the teachers I previously mentioned, I had a theatre teacher, Mr. Treharne, who also helped me. He taught me that you need inspiration more than anything to spark a good story. 
    My family also had a huge role in my inspiration as a writer. They always supported me and pushed me to do the best I am capable of. I owe them for how successful and confident I am in myself today. I grew up with a cousin who was very close to me. She was an excellent writer, and I always looked up to her for guidance.  She had an answer or solution to any problem I had, and never made me feel insecure about it. I now have a good foundation to grow upon and become an even more successful student while I go through college.
    My freshman year in college, I was enrolled in Dr. Steven's Intro to Sociology class. Through this course I had to write a sixteen page paper on a topic that you could struggle to get five pages out of. I was stuck rambling about random things and pushing through it, to somehow come out with a 100. My writing is best done in a quiet place with no distractions. Otherwise, I will be doing anything and everything besides focusing, as I am experiencing now. Overall, I am proud of my progess through school, and hope to grow even more in this course.