A portfolio for a writing class contains pieces of writing you choose to be representative of your best work in that course.

During the semester, you will be required to submit two portfolios--one midterm and one final. Each portfolio will be made up of assignments you will have completed and previously handed in to your teacher: an in-class essay, several take-home essays, with and without drafts, and, in your final portfolio, a documented paper.

You will be expected to use your own judgment as to which pieces to include in your portfolios, but pay close attention to your teacher's comments and those of your classmates for guidelines and suggestions for revision. Consider your teacher in particular as an editorial advisor rather than as a judge. That is why your teacher will not be giving you grades for each piece of writing. If you are concerned about your standing in terms of grades, ask your teacher. He or she will be able to give you an overall assessment of your work to that point.

Both your midterm and final portfolios will be assessed and commented on by an independent reader, another teacher of the same course. Your final grade will be given to you by your teacher in consultation with that reader, and with one or more other readers if there is any question about the level of work in your portfolio. Your final portfolio is the major factor in determining your final grade, but your work in class over the course of the semester is important, too. Timely completion of assignments, participation in class discussions, attendance, and the effort you put into group work and peer editing with your classmates can make a critical contribution to your grade in the course.

The midterm portfolio is primarily for practice and for giving you an idea of your standing so far. For the midterm portfolio you will need a manila folder to hold your work. Your teacher will give you a midterm checklist which you should attach to the inside left cover of your folder. (Your teacher may give the folder, as well.) The list will provide a space for comments by the reader on each of the items that must be included in the portfolio:

Items		Comments
1. Cover letter 2. Finished essay with drafts 3. Finished essay without drafts 4. In-class essay	______ ______ ______ ______	_____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________

To select the pieces of writing you will include in the portfolio, read all your work so far, and pick out the two at-home essays you think are best. (You may revise them a little, but don't make major changes without discussing them with your teacher first.)

An important feature of the portfolio is that it not only presents your finished work, but, in the case of one essay, it also shows the process by which you arrived at the finished product, the work you did to make that essay as good a piece of writing as it is. The evidence of that process, that work, is the drafts you wrote as you developed and revised your essay. The finished essay with drafts can include drafts and notes all the way back to its genesis, including your outline and any freewriting you may have done (one student even included a napkin on which he had jotted an idea while sitting in the cafeteria). The drafts should show substantial revision, real development of ideas, not just extra proofreading with a change in spelling here and there. (Since at the beginning of the semester you do not know which essays you will end up putting in your portfolio, you should keep the drafts you do for all your essays. If you are using a computer, an easy way to do this is to print hard copies of each draft or save drafts as separate documents and then print at least two to hand in.)

Both finished essays should be typed, clean copies. For the finished essay with drafts, the finished version should be placed on top of the first draft, with the second draft following and any notes, etc., underneath them.

In the same way you chose your at-home essays, pick out your best in-class essay (if you have done more than one), but do not revise or re-type it. Your in-class essay, like the drafts you include with your finished essay, should be as they were originally written, with any comments teachers or other students have written on them.

Each item should be stapled (not paperclipped), clearly labeled, and arranged in the order of the checklist. Exactness and organization are important! *You will not be given a grade if your portfolio is incomplete.*

When you are selecting pieces for your portfolio, you should consider that variety is important as well as the quality of the individual pieces. Avoid, if possible, including more than one piece on the same topic, and include samples of different kinds of writing.

Write your cover letter after you have selected the pieces of writing to include in the portfolio. The purpose of the cover letter is to give you an opportunity to explain the evolution of your work--how you wrote it, why you chose it, etc.--to the reader and perhaps influence that reader in your favor. It also gives you a chance to reflect on the process of your writing and tells the reader how you feel about it. The letter should be persuasive and polished, like a cover letter for a resume or graduate school application.

Before the final portfolio is due, your teacher will give you a folder with the final portfolio checklist. It will read as follows:

Items Percentage of Total Grade 1. Cover letter ........ 5 2. Finished essay with drafts ........ 25 3. Documented paper ........ 30 4. Final exam ........ 15 5. Classwork ........ 25 ______ Total ........ 100

Select your finished essay with drafts as you did for your midterm portfolio. You should not include any item from your midterm in your final portfolio unless you have your teacher's permission, and then it must be significantly revised. Include your documented paper (if you have written several in your section of English 120, choose one). Your final portfolio will not be returned, so if you want to keep any of the pieces in it, make copies for yourself. Your teacher will insert your final exam into the portfolio when you have finished it.

Your final portfolio will be collected a week before the last class. Follow the same guidelines for neatness, organization and drafts as you did for the midterm (see above). Your portfolio will be kept on file with your teacher or the coordinator of the course for one year in case you wish to appeal a grade.

Good writing takes care, checking on points you do not know, obtaining feedback from readers, and revising as often as may be necessary. Be careful and consistent. With a course like this it is literally impossible to complete everything correctly if you wait until the last minute. Good luck.