Chapter 7: Questions and Answers about the Portfolio

Chapter 7: Questions and Answers about the Portfolio

How do you physically put together the portfolio?

Keep in mind that the most important aspect of your portfolio is the writing! We are very
interested in what you have to say and hope you will be fired up and enthusiastic about
writing. However, the portfolio process also gives you an opportunity to show that you can
follow simple format rules. We don’t want you to make a bad first impression over something
that might be quite minor. So be sure to read the following tidbits:

 Use a plain paper pocket folder for presenting your portfolio (not plastic!). Put your
instructor code and student ID number on the top left. Do not put your name or the
instructor’s name anywhere on the folder.
 Do not mention your instructor by name, anywhere – on the folder, in or on the
cover letter, in or on the essays.
 Do not mention yourself by name, anywhere -- on the folder, in or on the cover
letter, in or on the essays.
 Do not write “English 95” or “English 96” or “ALP” anywhere on the folder.
 Put the cover letter and two essays in one of the pockets, with the letter on top and
the essays in the order you want them read. Make sure your cover letter and essays are
stapled if need be and in the correct order. We have to go through 300-400 of the
portfolios in one day and doing anything that slows us down makes us more impatient,
not impressed, with your writing.
 Double space your essays. Use the default 1 inch or 1¼ inch margins that come with
most word processing software. Use a normal font like Times New Roman, Calibri, or
Ariel-- size 12.

What you should you think about while writing the cover letter or reflective
essay?

The cover letter is just as important as the essays, so be sure to work equally hard on
it. The letter is like a job application letter. Think about how it makes you sound. You
should not only discuss your writing this semester, but also do your best writing to convince the
committee of the quality of your writing.

Remember that this is your first impression on the people grading your papers. This is
your opportunity to present yourself in a positive way, so consider your ethos as a writer and
adopt a tone that will make a good impression on the portfolio readers. If you sound
resentful, lazy, or combative in your letter, it won't help you get your readers on your side.

Show that you care about your writing and that you've thought about it critically.

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You should be honest but polite, and use the letter to prove that you really have learned
something specific (something you can explain to us) about writing. Most impressive are
cover letters that are especially reflective, for example, those that really address the
question "how exactly have I grown as a writer this semester?"

Speaking honestly in your own terms is also of great importance. It looks bad when
you try to impress the graders with terms you don’t understand. It’s great to use the terms
of the course when you understand them--brainstorming, pre-writing, free-writing,
invention, revision, and so on--but not if you don’t completely understand them.

Perhaps the cover letter will go better if you write about it all semester, for yourself.
What is your own definition of good writing? Of good writing habits? What is, in your own
words, the meaning of the terms your instructor might use, words like brainstorming, pre-
writing, free-writing, focus, theme, and so on? Do this “writing to think”, not just because
this book or your instructor tells you to, but to discover your own ideas about writing. Do it
to understand yourself as a writer better, then share your understanding with the graders
when you write your letter. Thinking about these things all semester will not only help you
write a better cover letter, they will be a positive influence on your writing habits.

The cover letter should go well onto page two, at least. It should have a good
introductory paragraph and a strong closing. It’s not a good idea to use a whole paragraph
to sum up each essay. Instead, sum each essay up in a sentence, then use the rest of the
paragraph to justify why the essay is worthwhile reading and to explain what you learned in
the process of writing it. This is also your opportunity to spell out what you did to revise
(improve) the essay. Go into detail. Consider quoting from your drafts to show us what you
changed over time.

Which essays should you choose to put in the portfolio?

Quality should be your first priority, variety your second. Almost always, the essays
you were most interested in writing and were ultimately the most satisfied with are going
to be the ones the portfolio graders rate the highest. If you have three essays that are tied
in your mind, it would be best to pick the two that show the most variety. Two very
different essays would be great (for example one about your own experience and another
about a political issue). But if the two you pick are the same kind of essay but are easily the
best you have done, you are best going with those two.

Instructors generally like reading about your experiences, but they are interested in
other things, and even when you do write about your experience, they encourage you to go
beyond writing about something just because it happened to you and to arrive at a greater
meaning, whether directly stated or implied.

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Your instructor will push you sometimes to find the greater meaning, and you might
resist by asking, “Why can't I just write what I feel like?" But when you reach that higher
level, it’s a great bonus in the reader’s mind instead of that sinking feeling that it’s “just
another graduation essay” or “one more essay about a vacation.” Things that happen to
you are important, but you also have to think about what makes these events important to
the readers. What is your insight?

How long should the essays be?

To get a clear picture of what you are writing about usually takes more than two
pages. Teachers assign minimum length requirements because it takes a while to develop
ideas sufficiently. In an essay, it's pretty difficult to do that in a page and a half.

To be quite honest, to get into 96, you might not make it with two essays that are
700-1000 words. Typically something near 1000 words is the least each essay has to be for
you to be considered for English 101. That doesn’t mean instructors go by hard and fast
rules and think, “Oh, it isn’t exactly the right number of words, so it fails.” There are no
automatic check off points. Every once in a great while, an 95/96 student can get enough
accomplished in a shorter essay to really impress the graders. This is rare. Usually, you
really need to get past the bottom of page three without rambling or padding to make an
impression. If we were to honestly describe what has generally happened in previous
portfolio grading sessions, we would have to say that it has been fairly consistent that the
higher scores go to the students who can write essays that sustain a certain level of quality
for a greater number of words.

One idea to keep in mind: We are also not saying that an essay is great just because it is
long. The length in the essay should show you've accomplished the skills we introduced way
back on page 6.

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What do instructors say about quality and grading?

What are you looking forward to reading in a cover letter?

Keep in mind that the cover letter is usually the first thing that a teacher will read -- you want to
make a great first impression! Here are some responses from the surveyed instructors:

 What I like to hear about in the cover letter is how and why, not what. How did you go
about tackling the assignments? Why did you make the choices you did? I am about to
read the what (what the essays are about), so please stick to the how and the why when
writing about your essays.
 When reading a cover letter, I most look forward to hearing how the student has
improved the development and organization of the essays they are submitting as the
semester progressed.
 Agency -- I want to be informed by [the student’s] past but also what became of them
(these students) as they grew in the writing classroom.
 Specific reflection/thinking about composing processes and specific choices made in
particular papers.
 I want to see what students have learned and are able to practice in their writing. If
students write that they understand the rhetorical process, I should see that
demonstrated in the portfolio. I also want to read about the steps students use to revise
their writing and I want to see evidence that the student uses these strategies in the
portfolio.
 Explain what you did with your writing to make your papers “good.” I want to know why
you think these pieces of writing are your best. Tell me what you did to connect to your
readers and capture our attention. Tell me what you added or changed... and why. How
did you decide to start and end your papers? What did you zoom in on? What
background information was needed? Did you decide to tell a story, argue a point,
provide information,... What was your purpose for this approach to the assignment?
Basically, what decisions did you make to guarantee that your papers were meaningful
contributions to your portfolio?
 I would love to know who you are as a person and as a writer -- perhaps you could help
us see your strengths and weaknesses or perhaps even how you engaged with the class
and the assignments.

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 I look for an honest assessment of the student’s ability. How did a personal experience
essay (for example) help you with seeing yourself as a writer? How is that different
from writing an argumentative essay? Don’t just give me buzz words. I like
“realness.” Yes, I know that sound corny, but I am more drawn to effort and a genuine
analysis on how you feel as a writer than just dropping the cute phrases.
 I look for three pieces of information: (1) Introduce the papers being submitted in the
portfolio. Why did the student choose them? What makes them good? (2) The writing
process the student went through for the papers. How did the student prepare to write
the paper? How did the student organize his/her thoughts for the paper? (3) The
revision process for the papers. What did the student revise? Why? Specific examples of
the revisions.

What one piece of advice would you give to a student submitting a portfolio?

Make sure to read the following comments -- these instructors want to see you pass the
portfolio and they have advice to give you including how to spend your time during the
semester and what to do just before you submit your portfolio.

 Make your portfolio stand out as uniquely yours. You have experiences and stories and
beliefs and dreams that make you special and very interesting. Find a way to connect to
your writing and to show us why we should be interested in what you have to say as
well.
 When selecting essays for the portfolio, if you are not sure which to submit, try to
choose papers that show different skills of yours. If you told a narrative in one, try not to
choose another narrative for the second essay. Or pick papers with different tones or
vastly different topics. That helps us to know that you can succeed with different
assignments.
 The portfolio is the end product of a semester's hard work. To do it well, you need to be
working diligently on your writing from day one.
 Give yourself time to enjoy playing with words and phrases to decide how to best
express your ideas. Listen to what you have typed on the page and ask yourself if your
readers will understand what you meant to say to them. Reading your paper aloud will
help you.
 Think about what makes a good paper. What strategies did you use to connect the topic
to yourself and to the reader? What strategies did you use to make the paper
interesting? What did you do to hook the reader in at the start? What strategy did you
use to bring your paper to a close? What did you do in your paper to get your reader to
think about something you wrote? What did the reader learn from your paper? If you
can't answer these questions, then maybe you need to look at your paper closer and
actually think about what you did to be a good writer.
 Be willing to revise. Slow down! Writing is a labor-intensive process and even the best
writers cannot rush through it. We might begin with fast freewriting, but at the end, we

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need to pour over the text slowly and carefully, making sure our message is clear for our
readers. Reading instructor comments and carefully considering that feedback is part of
that process, as well as conferencing with the teacher.
 This portfolio should represent all the hard work that you have done over the course of
the semester. Be proud of what you are submitting.
 Check everything and then check again. It gets boring I know. However, even the small
details (double-space, spelling, etc) will be noticed by someone. If you cannot do the
small things, how can you accomplish the bigger things?

How do you know if a submitted essay is strong enough for ENG 101?

Hopefully, by the time you reach the end of the semester, you will have a solid idea of what
comprises an effective college-level essay. Here are some comments from SWIC writing
instructors as to how they know if a portfolio is ready for the next level of writing instruction:

 The basics--focus, development, organization, critical thinking, and language. See the
grading criteria.
 It stands out. I feel your passion and commitment to making me see, feel, or understand
something. I enjoy reading it and see purposeful development in what was written.
 I enjoyed reading the essay. It included examples, explanations, descriptions, stories,
humor ... It captured my interest and made me think or entertained me. It went beyond
just stating the obvious in mundane language. I recognized at least an attempt to use
strategies of a good writer. The cover letter actually discussed the writing process and
gave examples of what the writer did to produce good papers.
 An essay that makes me think the author is going to be successful in 101 is one where
the writer has made an attempt to engage the audience, has a distinctive voice and has
made sure that the writing in the portfolio reflects the amount of work and effort the
author has put into the task.
 The submitted essay displays creativity, voice, and significant purpose.
 It has a clear sense of purpose - a thesis that will be evident to the reader throughout
the essay, but is not "announced" to the reader. In fact, even though it may not have a
"thesis statement," it will still have a thesis, which will be a central idea that the writer
wants to get across to your readers: a point to prove to them. And there will be plenty
of support for that point: examples, narratives, descriptions, cause/effects, etc.I also
look for added insight. An English 101 essay will teach me something or make me think
in a new way - and that almost always involves analysis.
 Your writing teacher has experience in teaching Eng. 101. Follow his or her advice and
ask for more reviews from the teacher with that point in mind. Also ask for challenging
topics reflected in Eng. 101.
 The essays included have a specific purpose/point/ thesis (whatever you want to call it)
and the writer can support and discuss that purpose. Grammar issues can be "fixed"
later -- but I know that you can survive ENG 101 if you are thinking and writing.

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 This is a difficult question because each reader is drawn to something different. I look at
the basic questions we use to make a determination and I match that with the essay I
just read. If the writer is mostly successful with development, rhetorical content, and
order, then I believe the writer is strong enough for ENG 101.

What is the most common “mistake” that you have noticed with students who
do not pass the portfolio assessment?

We asked our writing instructors to think about “mistakes” that could be rectified to help
ensure that our students writers not only pass the portfolio process, but excel at this important
opportunity to share their writing. Here are a few comments from the surveyed instructors:

 Not enough time spent writing and rewriting the reflection/ letter--time management in
locating themselves within the work as it pertains to them in the actual process of
writing--it's a chore at times getting students to put down the mirror. Many instructors
(writing and reading) have opined what should be the deciding factor in the portfolio--
the essays or the reflection or vice versa? Again--the rubric comes into play--tough
questions are born out of this what should be an obvious assessment and judgement.
This is still a work in progress for me, though!
 They are too easily satisfied! Students who do well are never fully "done." They are
constantly looking for stronger word choices, more vivid descriptions, interesting
examples. They are adding dialog or reordering paragraphs for a better flow. They look
for what is too wordy or repetitive, and they search for areas in their papers where
more information is needed. They mull over suggestions and work hard to make
meaningful changes to their papers. Successful students who do well work consistently
in and out of class to improve their papers. They do not just do the bare minimum in
class to fulfill the assignment nor do they make only minimal changes to their drafts.
 Lack of development!!! Don't tell me what you are writing about in the introduction.
Instead show me what you are writing about in the body of the paper. And don't end
with "in conclusion" and state what you already told me. It should be clear what you
told me.
 The biggest "mistake" I see students making is when they choose not to spend more
time on the portfolio in the final week of the class. This is the one thing that determines
whether you pass or fail the course. Unless your instructor has personally told you that
the portfolio is ready to be submitted, assume that there is room for improvement.
 I think they underestimate the power of real revision. When we put our writing away for
a while and then come back to it, we often see it with fresh eyes, and can then work
wonders with it - especially since by the end of the semester, we have gained more
insights and skills with which to rethink and revise. But students might not allow enough
time at the end. They get in a hurry at the last minute and the essay is not all that it
could be.

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 Sometimes the writing is too "general" meaning that I have a fuzzy idea in my head
about what you are writing about. Instead, I would love to see the specifics and the
details that will make your writing "yours" and unique from other essays and portfolios.
 The biggest mistake is an underdeveloped essay. Don’t just tell me you love your
grandma and she is the greatest person ever. Tell me why. Give me some background
information, some little stories about your grandmother that prove why she is so
loveable. Describe her in detail. What does she look like? How does she talk? Use her
language. Maybe I, as the reader, will love her as well! Of course, this is just an
example but avoid the mistake of not doing enough. You can overdo it and then work
with your instructor to edit your writing.

What do you wish students knew about you as a reader?

It is important that you understand the concept of audience as you work on your writing. We
writing teachers are not robots. We are human beings who want you to succeed in all of your
endeavors. In the comments below, a few of our surveyed writing instructors shared their
ideas of who they want you to think about in terms of your portfolio’s audience:

 That it all started with super hero comic magazines and newspaper comic strips as a
young kid looking forward to riding his bike on a Saturday morning to buy whatever the
corner liquor store had to offer, cheap back then--to today where I am everywhere with
the reading/ genres--which helped me back when as a lowly student to even now the
present day as a professional writing teacher--so yes, you can read without writing, but
you can't write without reading or some paradox like that. Hope this all helps?
 That I'm intelligent and generally knowledgeable, but not a mind reader. You, the writer,
need to explain your thoughts fully.
 I'm on your side. I'm rooting for you. I want you to pass. I also want you to do well in
college, so I'm not going to let you slide if I think your writing skills still need some work.
I'm not looking for perfection. But I am looking for purposeful development of your
papers and the ability to make a connection to your topic.
 I am looking for something uniquely yours, something that shows real effort on your
part. I'm not mean, and I really do want you to succeed. But I want you to succeed in
college as a whole, not just pass through this class. I am not expecting you to write a
perfect paper at the level of someone with a B.A. degree in English. But your papers
should reflect a semester's worth of sincere effort and evidence of the writing strategies
you learned.
 If you have chosen a topic because you think "it will make a good English paper topic," I
am less likely to be interested in it, probably because I've read over a dozen papers on
that same topic. If you choose something a little offbeat, you immediately have more of
my attention and interest. Over ten years ago, I read a paper about trying to fill a pool
with Jell-O. Do you know how many papers I have read in between?...yet I still
remember reading a paper about the attempt to fill a pool with Jell-O.

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 I want to be surprised and awed by how interesting an essay is. I love it when someone
takes me in a new direction or teaches me something new.
 I am genuinely interested in what you have to say, and I want to learn something from
you, so I hope you will write about something that will really matter not just to you, but
also to me - and to their other readers. I hope that you will offer us readers some kind of
insight to carry away from your work, and I hope that it will be clear to us so that we can
truly appreciate it.
 I want to know you and I want to know your thoughts via language and words.
 I really love reading different ideas and opinions even if I disagree. So, give me
something that will make me think. James Baldwin once said, “Write like it matters, and
it will.” If I know that the essays you submit matters to you, it will matter to me as well.
And, I will know that it matters to you because you put in the work.

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