In Los Angeles, there is a wealth of unique voices with complex and interesting stories to tell. Stories connect us to others, our world, and ourselves. By infusing personal stories, or narrative, into the curriculum, a teacher can inspire students to be creative and expressive, while supporting the development of their literacy skills and connection to those around them. This course is designed to engage 5th-12th grade English Language Arts teachers in teaching narrative in the classroom. The teacher will learn what narrative writing is and how it supports students’ reading, writing, and comprehension as well as critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical skills. The teacher will understand and develop the components of effective narrative essays and build richly crafted personal narratives to serve as models in his or her own classroom. In addition, the teacher will learn about the writing process, group work, peer review, formative and summative assessment, and lesson planning.
This course provides the teacher with the tools to engage all students, including English language learners and exceptional students. Finally, this course will demonstrate how narrative writing is a gateway to academic writing and research projects. Students and teachers alike will learn the power, joy, and versatility of narrative in the classroom. After all, everyone has a story to tell.