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How can you help viewers of your portfolio—including your teacher—to see your progress as a writer?

Now that you have reflected on your strengths and weaknesses and set some important goals, it's time to back up those opinions and claims. Just like all personal declarations, your writing self-assessment needs evidence to support it. As you continue to reflect on your areas of strength or weakness, you'll need to think about why you think or feelthat way.

Teenage boy with a magnifying glass.

The suggestions on the tabs below will help you find examples for each area of your writing reflection. As you consider the questions on each tab, use the second column of the Writing Self-Assessment worksheet to record find specific examples and evidence of your strengths and weaknesses.

Use the the questions in this chart to help you find some examples in your writing to support your strengths. You won't find examples for each one. Instead, use the chart to guide you to examples that support your specific claims. Where can you find examples for each area of strength?

Communicating your ideas
Where did you:
  • … have strong ideas?
  • … provide specific details to support those ideas?
  • … focus and remain on topic?
  • … show understanding of your readers' needs?
Organizing your ideas
Where did you:
  • … use the introduction to hook your reader?
  • … logically sequence your ideas?
  • … use transition words?
  • … have a natural flow with your words?
  • … leave your reader satisfied with your conclusion?
Raising your voice
Where did you:
  • … show personality in your writing?
  • … convince or persuade readers?
  • … connect with your audience?
  • … show your attitude in writing?
Choosing the right words
Where did you:
  • … use thoughtful descriptions?
  • … use vivid and precise nouns and verbs?
  • … use specific details to support claims?
  • … use figurative language?

Record your ideas about examples on your Writing Self-Assessment worksheet by listing the title of each piece that shows that particular type of progress and also the passage or paragraph number.

Use the questions in this chart to help you find specific places in your writing where you need to develop your skills. Remember, it's not about finding a piece that fits every question.

Text structure
Where did you:
  • … use weak introductions and conclusions?
  • … need to add transitional words to signal changes and alert readers?
  • … let your thoughts ramble or lack a purpose?
Support for ideas
Where did you:
  • … provide details out of order?
  • … lack specific details that could have better explained steps or ideas?
  • … include details that don't relate to your topics?
  • … leave your readers with questions?
Mechanics
Where did you:
  • … use incorrect punctuation and capitalization?
  • … have misspellings?
  • … write in incomplete sentences or sloppy sentences?
  • … lack sentence variety?
Diction
Where did you:
  • … use the same words rather than a variety of interesting words?
  • … miss the opportunity to use emotional words to develop a tone?
  • … lack persuasive words to entice readers?
  • … choose weak words that fail to show your point of view?

Record your examples on your Writing Self-Assessment worksheet.

Use this chart to help you set realistic goals for improvement. Don't set a goal for every question. Instead, use the chart to find areas that work for you.

Resources
  • What resources could you use to help you improve your work?
  • What skills should you study so that you become better at writing?
  • How can you use other people (such as a teacher or peer) to help you improve?
Changes
  • What changes can you make to your writing process to improve your work?
  • What new knowledge would you like to develop to improve your performance?
Objectives
  • What are your short-term objectives? (For example, do you want better grades? Do you want to graduate at the top of your class?)
  • What are your long-range career objectives? (For example, do you want to go on to college, or are you focused on a trade or technical school?)
  • What are your plans to achieve your short- and long-range goals?

Record your ideas about goals on your Writing Self-Assessment worksheet.