Personalized Essays: Junior High Edition

Author: Beijing Municipal Research Team on Personalized Composition of Middle School Students
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: The Research Team on Personalized Composition of Middle School Students believes that individuality refers to a person's independence, uniqueness, and irreplaceability. In pedagogy, individuality refers to "a unique whole formed on the basis of innate qualities, through the interaction with the post-natal environment, which is beneficial to self-liberation and composed of multiple qualities." Its most important quality is being special and novel. We believe that the fundamental connotation of personalized composition is: autonomy, authenticity, innovation, and wholeness.
Autonomy means writing out of the need to express oneself, writing what one wants to write, and expressing oneself in one's preferred way. Authenticity means speaking the truth, writing the truth, and expressing sincerity and genuine feelings. Seeking truth is the foundation of stylistic elements and also a criterion for being a person. Innovation means daring to break through old conventions, thinking independently, having one's own unique insights, adopting new expressive methods, and having a fresh style. Only originality is truly personalized. Wholeness means that individuality is not just extremely personal but also possesses richness and sociality; it involves humanistic sentiments, broad perspectives, and a generous heart. Therefore, personalized composition must embody individuality in thought, thinking, planning, and language style, among which, individuality in thought plays a decisive role.
Collecting students' compositions under the banner of individuality is a conscious practice in pursuing personalized composition. It is hoped that this can open a new chapter in students' writing, allowing our students to love writing, making writing a lifestyle for expressing the inner self, showcasing growth, and liberating the spirit. Through writing, students can gain freedom of thought, joy in life, and an appreciation of beauty.