As a teacher in an alternative classroom in the Aleutian Islands, I work with many students who have experienced trauma, including drug abuse, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, abuse, and poverty. Driven by a conviction that my greatest responsibility is not helping them pass but helping them better realize their human potential, I teach language arts by focusing on ideas and content aimed at helping them grow emotionally as well as intellectually.
I use a Nancy Atwell–inspired writing workshop model, which gives students choice in genre and content and provides flexibility in the length of their pieces and in their deadlines. I’ve found that memoir is a consistently powerful medium for emotional growth and ultimately for healing. By telling their own stories—which engages and deeply involves them in their work—students are able to make meaning out of their pasts, and to reflect upon, come to terms with, and move beyond experiences that haunt them.
To read more of Amy Purevsuren's article, visit; https://www.edutopia.org/article/writing-heal
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