Writing to educate oneself: self-narrative in educational contexts and in the initial and cotinuous training of teachers

Abstract

The Bildungsroman fascinates with its ability to intertwine growth, transformation, and self-narration. Today, in an era of media and cultural change, the narrative of experience becomes a daily and accessible pedagogical tool. The essay reflects on the educational value of narrative writing in teacher training, present-ing the “Motivation to Be” workshop held in the Specialization Courses for Teaching Support at the University of Foggia. The biographical narrative offered an opportunity for introspection and the construction of a more conscious professional identity. Through letters to themselves, narrative maps, and reflective ex-ercises, writing served as a pedagogical tool, encouraging the pro-cessing of experiences, the recognition of motivations, and orien-tation toward an idea of education based on care and relation-ships. This paper offers a theoretical and practical reflection on the transformative value of storytelling in teaching, supporting awareness, well-being, and educational responsibility.