I’ve
been thinking about personal narratives a lot lately.
First,
I heard uber-dedicated fifth grade teacher Colby Sharp (@colbysharp) discussing his class’s struggles and successes with this
form of writing in a vlog he posted on September 13. (Are you watching these? They’re terrific. So full of insight
and inspiration.)
I heard uber-dedicated fifth grade teacher Colby Sharp (@colbysharp) discussing his class’s struggles and successes with this
form of writing in a vlog he posted on September 13. (Are you watching these? They’re terrific. So full of insight
and inspiration.)
The
next weekend, I headed off to nErDcamp Northern New England (#nerdchampNNE) in Maine. In one session, teachers
discussed the reasons elementary students are often resistant to writing
personal narratives and possible ways to prevent children from shutting down,
especially since personal narratives are often their first writing experience of
the school year.
next weekend, I headed off to nErDcamp Northern New England (#nerdchampNNE) in Maine. In one session, teachers
discussed the reasons elementary students are often resistant to writing
personal narratives and possible ways to prevent children from shutting down,
especially since personal narratives are often their first writing experience of
the school year.
Elementary
students are reluctant to tackle personal narratives because (1) they don’t
think they have anything worth writing about and (2) they feel that it’s a risk
to share personal things about their lives, and they are afraid to be
vulnerable.
students are reluctant to tackle personal narratives because (1) they don’t
think they have anything worth writing about and (2) they feel that it’s a risk
to share personal things about their lives, and they are afraid to be
vulnerable.
Last
week, at the Literacy for All conference in Providence, RI, highly-regarded
writer, poet, and educational consultant Georgia Heard (@GeorgiaHeard1) recommended a book called To Show and To Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction by Phillip Lopate, an award-winning writer
and director of the nonfiction graduate program at Columbia
University.
Imagine my delight when I discovered that his book a lengthy section on personal narratives.
week, at the Literacy for All conference in Providence, RI, highly-regarded
writer, poet, and educational consultant Georgia Heard (@GeorgiaHeard1) recommended a book called To Show and To Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction by Phillip Lopate, an award-winning writer
and director of the nonfiction graduate program at Columbia
University.
Imagine my delight when I discovered that his book a lengthy section on personal narratives.
In
the second chapter, Lopate says, “I am inclined to think that what stands in
the way of most personal writing is not technique but psychology.” He says that
his MFA graduate students—adults paying a lot of money for the opportunity to
learn the craft of writing—usually express one of the following reasons for
their misgiving about personal narratives:
the second chapter, Lopate says, “I am inclined to think that what stands in
the way of most personal writing is not technique but psychology.” He says that
his MFA graduate students—adults paying a lot of money for the opportunity to
learn the craft of writing—usually express one of the following reasons for
their misgiving about personal narratives:
“I
am so boring, nothing ever happens to me out of the ordinary, so who would want
to read about me?”
am so boring, nothing ever happens to me out of the ordinary, so who would want
to read about me?”
“I
am so weird that I could never tell on the page what is really secretly going
on in my mind.”
am so weird that I could never tell on the page what is really secretly going
on in my mind.”
Sound
familiar? I guess some things never change.
familiar? I guess some things never change.
What’s
the solution?
the solution?
First,
let students know that what they’re feeling is normal and understandable. But
also assure them that small moments and details from their lives really call
interest readers.
let students know that what they’re feeling is normal and understandable. But
also assure them that small moments and details from their lives really call
interest readers.
Next,
give your students some guidelines, such as the ones in the anchor chart above.
In addition, Lopate recommends that students:
give your students some guidelines, such as the ones in the anchor chart above.
In addition, Lopate recommends that students:
1.
Think
of the “I” in a personal narrative as a character. This can give writers some
distance and make the process easier.
Think
of the “I” in a personal narrative as a character. This can give writers some
distance and make the process easier.
2.
Think
of themselves as a reporter who is curious about the character and the
situation he/she is in. This can help students get over the concern that their life
is boring and not worth writing about.
Think
of themselves as a reporter who is curious about the character and the
situation he/she is in. This can help students get over the concern that their life
is boring and not worth writing about.
3.
Include
at least one new idea that will give readers something to think about after
they finish reading.
Include
at least one new idea that will give readers something to think about after
they finish reading.
Finally, you can inspire students by sharing some great personal narratives with them. That’s exactly what I’ll do on Friday. Stay tuned.
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