If you are looking to read about how to teach personal statement writing, I’ve got you covered. Keep reading to learn more and to see valuable resources!
At the start of a new school year, I like to assign my students a personal statement as one of the first writing assignments of the year. However, I don’t just assign this to my students and set them free. Instead, I use this personal statement teaching unit to take time to teach my students all about personal statement writing.
Teaching students, especially juniors and seniors, how to write a meaningful and effective personal statement is essential. Our high school students need to know how to highlight their strengths and write positively about themselves in an authentic and professional manner.
It usually always happens like this. I’ll assign the personal statement in August. Students write their personal statements. And then in October or November when students start putting together their college essays, I remind them of their personal statements. And bingo! They have a stellar first draft of their college essay.
How to Teach Personal Statement Writing
When I teach personal statement writing in my classroom, I like to dedicate several days to the assignment. I like to take time with direct instruction. In the lesson, I teach students about what a personal statement is and why they should have one.
What students should include in a personal statement:
- Formal tone
- Professional language
- Precise words
Ideas for students’ personal statements:
- Biggest accomplishment
- Strengths and talents
- Goals and aspirations
- Unique and defining attributes
- Unusual obstacles
Once students have a solid idea about what they should include in their personal statement, I like to pause for a moment before assigning the personal statement. I share examples of already written personal statements with students and have them evaluate each personal statement in small groups. By seeing examples, students are able to see if some of the statements are too generic, too braggy, or just right.
After students read and discuss the sample statements, I assign the personal statement and give them some time to begin brainstorming ideas. I like to take some time on the brainstorming part of the writing process to allow students adequate time to think about what they want to write about. From there, I have students start to outline the structure of their personal statements. From there, we move to drafting, peer editing, and revising.
Teaching Personal Statement Writing
This personal statement writing unit will help your students write phenomenal personal statements that stand out! This personal statement unit includes a presentation for direct instruction and student materials to help students brainstorm, plan, write, and finalize their personal statements.
Ideal for a class assignment or for preparing students to write college entrance essays, this teaching resource includes everything you need from personal statement prompts, to student handouts, to example statements, to peer editing, and more.
Help your students stand out in the crowd by focusing on effective personal statement writing!
What teachers are saying:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Extremely satisfied
“This is a great resource for writing the personal statement. My students found it engaging, relevant, and thought provoking. The guided packet made this a great resource for the kids to complete a unit on personal statement writing. Thank you!”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Extremely satisfied
“My 11/12th graders struggle every year with the personal statement. This resource helped them brainstorm ideas and narrow down their choices. I will be using this with juniors and seniors for a long time!”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Extremely satisfied
“This is a fabulous resource for teaching personal statements! I love how examples are included for students to read. It is so nice to not hunt them down on different websites! I also love how the pre-writing prompts match up with the brainstorming activities. Thank you!”
