Home › Education › Writing Life Stories: Lessons from the college classroom, prison workshop, and senior community

Writing Life Stories: Lessons from the college classroom, prison workshop, and senior community

by Laurie Woodford

Teaching personal narrative across community settings

Regular price $34.17 USD
Regular price $42.72 USD Sale price $34.17 USD
Save 20%

Paperback New

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.

Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

AlbakiReads Editorial

Teaching personal narrative across community settings

Laurie Woodford draws on teaching experiences in community colleges, correctional facilities, and senior communities to examine how personal narrative can be taught across varied learning environments. The book combines reflections on her professional development with practical frameworks and teaching practices for helping learners document lived experience. Its scope links writing instruction with questions of access and education for underserved and non-traditional populations, making the classroom context central to its approach. The examples span remedial college classrooms, prison workshops, and senior centers, offering a cross-setting perspective on life-story writing as a teaching practice.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Educators and facilitators working with non-traditional or underserved learners
  • Students and professionals in education, composition, and creative writing
  • Those interested in writing programs in carceral or senior-community settings

Themes

Personal narrative and lived experienceWriting pedagogyEducation across community settingsAccess and underserved learners

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

How can educators harness the power of personal narrative to empower underserved learners across the diverse landscapes of community colleges, correctional facilities, and senior centers?

In Writing Life Stories, Laurie Woodford chronicles her profound journey through the craft of writing and the art of pedagogy, spanning from remedial community college classrooms to high-stakes prison workshops and vibrant senior communities. Through the lens of her own professional evolution, Woodford explores the transformative impact of documenting lived experiences, offering readers a blend of heartfelt humor and seasoned expertise. This guide provides vital, field-tested practices and practical frameworks that demonstrate how narrative writing can be effectively taught to a broad spectrum of learners. By sharing these lessons, Woodford offers a roadmap for any instructor looking to turn personal history into a powerful tool for academic and personal growth.

This work is essential reading for professionals and students within the fields of Education, English Composition, Creative Writing, Carceral Studies, and Gerontology. It is specifically designed for those dedicated to serving non-traditional and underserved populations, including educators working with remedial students, facilitators in carceral settings, and organizers engaging with senior citizen communities.

Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews