#TutoringTuesday Personal Narrative

By far, my favorite assignment is the personal narrative essay. Students use what they know — their own personal life experiences — to acquaint themselves with academic writing. Not only do the students have an opportunity to reflect upon a life changing moment, but I receive the personal pleasure of learning more about these individuals who spend 10-15 weeks with me (depending on the term). The student connects with me, whether we are in a classroom face to face or merely text on a screen interacting abstractly through a Learning Management System. The essay humanizes my students and allows me to understand the lens through which they see the world. Though they might receive their papers back with notations about grammar and structure, their messages never get lost to the grading process.