Ricky Alvarez

Within Its Time for Class: Toward a More Complex Pedagogy of Narrative, Amy
Robillard demonstrates the importance of a students individual narrative as the bridge from their
background to success in the classroom. In order to understand the significance of a personal
narrative, Robillard intervenes her personal narrative to juxtapose the current ideology behind
first person writing within a college composition class. Following Joseph Bizup rhetorical
analysis strategy, the reader would be able to distinguish and gain a better understanding of the
importance of a personal narrative. Therefore, Robillards push towards a personal narrative
stems from the concrete idea that everything has a reason and, along with the use of her own
personal narrative, further demonstrates the pedological benefits of incorporating narrative into
college composition.
By taking root in the common belief that everything happens for a purpose, Robillard
views personal narratives as happening for a reason, and, because of it, the narrative should be
told. During her time at Syracuse University, Robillard saw the depletion of personal narrative
in the classroom and its replacement with reason and argument. However, this does not reflect
writing as a whole. Many writers today begin their works with an opening of a their own past
stories such as Julie Lindquist began her paper with Before I was an English teacher, I was a
bartender (225). By doing so, Lindquist ties a relationship between her background and how it
correlates to her literacy and background in English. Robillard argues that the end of personal
narrative comes from students that are coming from a working class background, where they
only seemed to be interested in the concepts that will take them further within their own
education, rather than viewing education with a holistic approach. This brings about the
importance of personal narrative. Personal narrative shows the reader why things happen, thus
giving shape towards an idea, concept, or function. Without this, students from middle class
backgrounds will not be able to gain a full understanding of the what is presented within the
classroom. Students, no matter the social class, would not be able to connect the ideas from one
classroom to another. Robillard uses this background to begin to demonstrate the value of
personal narrative in the classroom and the significant impact played within students careers.
Beginning with her own personal account, Robillard draws the reader into the text by
distinguishing the piece from solely being driven by text. By writing about her past, Robillard
demonstrates the use of interpretation in a personal narrative as it moves from what happened to
what has happened to what was happening to what may happen, (Robillard). The place of focus
is on the narratives as they explained her reason why and how the things occurred, rather than
just retelling the events. Narratives help not to marginalize middle class students. The inclusion
of her personal narrative juxtaposes the very nature of what is being taught within the classroom.
Authorities, such as the dean of schools at universities, have already established how we should
learn, whereas the approach, as Robillard argues, should not be revolved around one sole way of
thinking. First year students are solely taught to think in terms of the future, which in many cases
causes them to only lose sight of interpretation and only pick and choose what they want to learn.
Robillard focuses on her personal narrative to set an interpretation, rather than having the
students strictly viewing history as facts. Robillards personal narrative gives way to
understanding a new set of interpretations and allows for thoughts and ideas to not solely be
based in the development of thought and argument.
 Throughout the entirety of the essay, Robillard continues to propose the development of
the personal narrative allows for a classroom to be a place where they feel comfortable to speak
out and express their own thoughts and convey interest. It now allows for the classroom to serve
as a ground for shared interest amongst the students, not common experience. By incorporating
personal narrative into the classroom, working class students are no longer marginalized, where
the classroom is set around interest, not by experiences. Interest is what drives the students,
whereas experiences limit students to what has occurred. Narrative analysis acts a new form of
interpretation. Although many might argue that personal narratives only focus on the individual,
rather it forces the writer to critique his or her own past experiences and convey new insight.
Narratives then give a proper balance to both work and personal life.
Second Draft
In Its Time for Class: Toward a More Complex Pedagogy of Narrative, Amy Robillard
addresses the importance of personal narrative within the classroom as it bridges the student to
the course material. Robillard does so by embedding her very own personal narrative within her
argument to both further justify her argument and to creating that personal built to the readers.
Her personal narrative then serves as the juxtaposition to the current ideology of a college
composition course, which is solely to draw arguments and make interpretations on a certain
piece of work. In addition to this, Joseph Bizup BEAM analysis, which focuses in on pieces
background, exhibits, arguments, and methods to create connections between the text and the
world around them, rather than solely viewing the material as only sources. Through the use of
the BEAM analysis, which focuses in on the background, exhibits, arguments, and methods used
by the writer, will then allow for Robillards claim to be explained further. Therefore,
Robillards push towards a personal narrative stems from the concrete idea that everything has a
reason and, along with the use of her own personal narrative, further demonstrates the
pedological benefits of incorporating a narrative into college composition class.
The use of background allows for the writer to assert as facts, which allows him or her to
authorize the information in which they are drawing upon. By taking root in the common belief
that everything happens for a purpose, Robillard views personal narratives as happening for a
reason, and, because of it, should be told. During her time at Syracuse University, Robillard saw
the depletion of personal narrative in the classroom and its replacement with reason and
argument. However, this does not reflect writing as a whole. Many writers today begin their
works with an opening of a their own past stories such as Julie Lindquist began her paper with
Before I was an English teacher, I was a bartender (225). By doing so, Lindquist ties a
relationship between her background and how it correlates to her literacy and background in
English. Robillard argues that the end of personal narrative comes from students that are coming
from a working class background, where they only seemed to be interested in the concepts that
will take them further within their own education, rather than viewing education with a holistic
approach. This brings about the importance of personal narrative. Personal narrative shows the
reader why things happen, thus giving shape towards an idea, concept, or function. Without this,
students from middle class backgrounds will not be able to gain a full understanding of what is
presented within the classroom. Students, no matter the social class, would not be able to connect
the ideas from one classroom to another. Robillard uses this background to begin to demonstrate
the value of personal narrative in the classroom and the significant impact played within
students careers.
Following background, method are the examples that the writer uses to further explain,
analyze, or interpret that would lend support to their claim. Beginning with her own personal
account, Robillard draws the reader into the text by distinguishing the piece from solely being
driven by text. By writing about her past, Robillard demonstrates the use of interpretation in a
personal narrative as it moves from what happened to what has happened to what was
happening to what may happen, (Robillard). The place of focus is on the narratives as they
explained her reason for why and how things occurred, rather than retelling the events.
Narratives help not to marginalize middle class students. The inclusion of her personal narrative
juxtaposes the very nature of what is being taught within the classroom. Authorities, such as the
dean of schools at universities, have already established how we should learn, whereas the
approach, as Robillard argues, should not be revolved around one sole way of thinking. First year
students are solely taught to think in terms of the future, which in many cases causes them to
only lose sight of interpretation and only pick and choose what they want to learn. Robillard
focuses on her personal narrative to set an interpretation, rather than having the students strictly
viewing history as facts. Robillards personal narrative gives way to understanding a new set of
interpretations and allows for thoughts and ideas to not solely be based in the development of
thought and argument.
Argument are sources or other materials that the writer uses to further support their claim,
which mainly connects to another field and draws idea parallel to the claims that they made.
Throughout the entirety of the essay, Robillard continues to propose the development of the
personal narrative allows for a classroom to be a place where they feel comfortable to speak out
and express their own thoughts and convey interest. It now allows for the classroom to serve as a
ground for shared interest amongst the students, not common experience. By incorporating
personal narrative into the classroom, working class students are no longer marginalized, where
the classroom is set around interest, not by experiences. Interest is what drives the students,
whereas experiences limit students to what has occurred. Narrative analysis acts a new form of
interpretation. Although many might argue that personal narratives only focus on the individual,
rather it forces the writer to critique his or her own past experiences and convey new insight.
Narratives then give a proper balance to both work and personal life.
Third Draft