There are times in writing assignments where students will feel conflicted because they have a story/experience to relate to the topic and most of the time the use of “I” or “my” is strongly prohibited. Students’ relevance to the topic is challenged so what’s the point in writing papers at all if technically we don’t have the expertise to respond to the topic at hand? I am all for using “I” in writing assignments as long as it is used correctly and Kate McKinney Maddalena agrees. Kate McKinney Maddalena’s article, “I Need You to Say ‘I’: Why First Person Is Important in College Writing” argues that applying your expertise/experiences in certain writing scenarios is not as bad as it’s made out to be.
Of course Maddalena isn’t saying to use “I” in every section of your work, but there are times where it is okay to mention something you experienced that is relevant to the writing. Maddalena claims that including “I” in your work gives a sense of ownership and pride to your writing. Your interpretations— when said confidently— for certain topics can spark new questions/ideas and open doors for more opportunity. I strongly agree with Maddalena’s idea that using “I” in papers where you need to summarize/respond to works would be easier when transitioning to the next topic. For example she wrote, “‘Now that I’ve done this thing, I’d like to move into this other part of my argument…” (Maddalena p. 185) I often find it difficult to make a strong transition sentence that will flow nicely into my next paragraph, but using “I” would help make a smoother transition. I believe students would feel more comfortable being able to express themselves a bit more in their work and I hope professors in the future learn to accept “I” in writing.
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