In order to be able to do this, I prepared for the semester by clarifying for myself what were the key topics, issues or skills that I hoped every student would explore in the English class. I tried to make sure that I covered both affective and cognitive development, as I believe the inter-play of both domains results in optimum learning. I made a list of outcomes that were germane to my educational philosophy about learning and, in particular, about learning in the English classroom. I then developed a list of personal narrative topics to go with the outcomes. (See table.)

Outcomes Topics for personal narratives
Each student feels ‘seen’ in the classroom. Select a piece of music that is your theme song. Bring the music to class. Tell the story of why this piece of music is significant and play the song.
Each student determines the conditions he or she needs that promote learning. Tell a story about a memorable learning experience in your life.
Each student examines and practices the development of a thesis and support points for making an argument. Tell a story about a time you tried to convince somebody of something.
Each student is exposed to the concept that literature and life are full of symbols. Bring an item from home that has special value for you and tell a story about why.
Each student explores the issues of power, inclusion and community. Tell a story about a time when you felt left out.
Each student examines the various roles that print material plays in his or her life. Bring two important or significant things that you have read at any time in your life. Tell a story about one of them.

I hoped that the personal stories the students told on these topics would raise salient points that I could then connect to the course content outcomes that had been determined earlier. For each of these narrative topics, I brainstormed a list of all the points I wanted to cover on each topic and that I hoped would come from the student stories. Before I entered the classroom each time I used one of these personal narrative activities, I re-read my brainstormed list a number of times so that I could, as smoothly as possible, identify and highlight for the students the content points their stories illustrated.