EDUA 5752 The Personal Essay: Knowledge
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-essay development, from inkling to idea and formlessness to formal drafts. Course activities introduce and reinforce strategies for helping students find and explore the right topics, extend their narrative-writing skills, embrace the necessity of multiple drafts, 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 essays.