On Memoirs

I’ve been having internal struggle about posting these memoirs. If students are under 18, I don’t post their work without a permission slip from their parents, but even so, I know that some people might consider the content of these stories questionable for telling in a school setting. I just want to be clear that our (my students and I) decision to post these memoirs was not without thought and discussion.

I've heard English teachers say that they don't like assigning students personal writing because of all the crazy stories that come up. "I'm a teacher, not a counselor," they say. And I totally understand this point of view. I’ve had many uncomfortable moments during the crafting of these pieces, and I have often felt unqualified to really help them deal with their experiences and emotions.

On the other hand, I hate that we are a part a system that oppresses based on race, gender, and class, and then often expects our kids to bear the consequences alone, silently. I cannot tell them that their experiences, their lives, are “inappropriate.” Truthfully, we’re uncomfortable listening to their stories because we should be. We should be more than uncomfortable, we should be alarmed, outraged even, that when their English teacher asks them to write about memories that have shaped them as people, our kids so often tell stories of despair and loss.

My students were so, so brave in writing their memoirs. Telling their stories is a step towards figuring it out, towards healing and making their voices heard. And listening to them is an act of love and activism. They’re your kids too! So let’s take this opportunity to listen to their voices, use their stories to help find a way to change the way things are, to make sure that when future children write their memoirs, there are more and more stories of successes, love and hope.