EDLA 522 - The Personal Essay: Knowledge, Power, and the College Application

A personal essay tells an illuminating story about its author, its central character in a narrative about self-discovery. Developing and writing a personal essay engages the writer in purposeful critical thinking and creative writing; the writer analyzes herself as subject of a particular story, deciphering her behaviors and their consequences, in order to reveal character and growth. Therefore, it’s not surprising that colleges require a personal essay for admission, as it provides a platform for the student to illustrate herself as a maturing and self-aware citizen of the world.

From this course, the teacher will learn best practices for facilitating the multiple steps of personal narrative development, from writing as a strong narrator to editing and revising. Course activities introduce and reinforce strategies for helping students find and explore the right topics, extend their narrative-writing skills, embrace the support of rubrics, and be their own editors. By the end of the course, the teacher will be able to support students, those college-bound or otherwise, as they write rewarding personal narrative essays.