Writing the Human Experience

The rhetorical situation for this piece is clear: it is intended for parents, teachers, and staff who are interested in the work that is being done in classrooms and who know intuitively that reflection and writing are key to our learning. 

In Grade 12 English, the rhetorical situation has also been clear. Over the last few weeks, under the guidance of Ms. Gallagher, Ms. MacInnis, and me, students have been working on polishing their personal essays, which were at the heart of the personal essay portfolio, a three-week project that required significant reflection and attention to the writing process. 

During class, we met with students to discuss, among many elements, thesis statements, structure and their overall approach to the writing process. Some students chose to write about their outreach trips, and others wrote about the value of sport in their lives. Still others wrote about their love for film, art, and drama. 

Many students spoke of an interesting tension: the process was both very difficult and ultimately rewarding. Unearthing one’s own experience to then write something of significance to the reader is a tough task for anyone, let alone 17-year-olds still gathering life experience. Still, the timing is fitting, as this work aligns with their university applications and helps them find their voice, clarify their values, and express who they are. 

Students were challenged to make clear the growth they experienced and, ultimately, to connect to the ‘human condition’, taking their experience to say something relatable about the human experience.  Many students worried about being unoriginal, about writing ‘yet another cliché’ about winning or losing the big game. But eventually, the topic or event faded into the background, while the human condition element surged forward. They found their voice and were able to find the universal message in their story. As James Joyce wrote, “in the particular is contained the universal”.

One cannot separate the act of writing from reading. Reading helps us empathize with others, to see and understand the struggles and joys of the ‘human condition’. James Baldwin once said, “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented…but then you read”. Reading widens our view of the world and undoubtedly widens the aperture of our mind's eye. 

Just as writing this has allowed me to reflect on my work and to articulate thoughts that often go unspoken, we all write to clarify and sharpen our thought process. Reading, writing, and speaking are interwoven and each reinforces the other, helping our students become not only better communicators but also more compassionate, self-aware young men. 

This work continues in all our classrooms across departments as we challenge and encourage our students to continue exploring and connecting with the human condition.