Personal Narrative

Instructions
As human beings, stories and narratives are central to how we make sense of, experience, and create reality (Bruner, 2006). As social workers, students, and people in the world, I believe that each of you has stories to tell – experiences that mattered not only to you but have universal value to other social workers, students, and people in the world.
As you consider a topic of focus for this assignment, remember that the author of scholarly personal narratives should keep three key questions in mind as they write:

• What relevance does my story have for readers?
  • Consider the narrative
    Conveys interpersonal interactions, witnessed events, and felt experiences in a narrative format while being clear about your role (e.g., practitioner, recipient of service, teacher, field instructor,
    student, researcher, other).
    • Places the narrative within the context of a well- told story that helps readers discover new ways of thinking about the personal, the professional, and the political in our lives

• What are the takeaways that will benefit my readers’ personal and professional lives?
  • Consider the theme & relevance for readers
    • Thematize and universalize the story for a broader audience.
    • Clearly define the central issue for the reader.
      Places the reflection within an historical context, focusing on the present, and considering the implications of the narrative for the future.
      How can I make my story resonate in some way with all the varied, unique stories that my readers will bring to my text?
  • Consider the context
    • Places the reflection within an historical context,
      focusing on the present, and considering the implications of the narrative for the future.
    • Uses references that might draw connections between the content and the published literature or that might assist the reader in understanding conceptual or theoretical conclusions about the nature of professional practice.

Keep in mind that the personal story is not the focal point in scholarly narratives, but the larger, universal meanings implicit in the stories are central. Therefore, you will need to make sure to thematize and universalize your story to the broader audience. For example, if you are writing about an experience that happened in your role as a clinical supervisor, what can other clinical supervisors take away from your story? How can you use this event or experience in your professional life to demonstrate and illuminate larger ideas/concepts/constructs that connect human beings everywhere, and social workers, clinicians, and supervisors in particular?

As you connect your story to a broader audience, you will need to incorporate outside sources (peer-reviewed articles, etc.) to situate and contextualize the central issue.
Some things to keep in mind when writing your narrative:

• Focus on a single event or experience that best illustrates the central issue that of focus
• Don’t be long-winded in your retelling of the story; write concisely and densely (i.e., no fluff)
  You are strongly encouraged to find a model paper to give you a sense of how to best organize/ structure your paper. There is