RR 93-3 Risks and opportunities of writing from personal experience.
Abstract
This paper explores the risks and opportunities of writing from students_ personal experiences in two cases. Anthony, a high-achieving, Hispanic fifth-grader, and Anita, a low-achieving, African-American sixth-grader,participated in a writing workshop in which students kept notebooks of their personal experiences and reflections. The two examples provide a means to explore both the risks and opportunities of writing from one_s own personal experiences. Anthony_s piece reflects some benefits associated with writing from one_s own experiences, including features such as: (a) authenticity, (b) allowing the writer to develop a voice, (c) potential audience engagement, and (d) the potential therapeutic value. However, Anita_s case reveals potential risks, including (a) unintended consequences from what is revealed, (b) possibilities of limiting students_ voice and opportunities to explore other genres, (c) potential cultural conflicts, (d) lack of readiness for some students to reveal emotional issues to peers or the teacher, and (e) a misunderstanding of the role of autobiographical writing in professional authors_ work. The implications of this paper suggest that researchers and teachers may need to be cautious abut embracing a genre of writing without considering potentially painful outcomes for some students.