Setting Goals with a Writing Portfolio

Simply handing back an essay with commentary and feedback is just one thing a teacher can do to help a student improve their writing.  I take notes while I grade essays so I can go over the areas where students need help.   Whole class verbal feedback helps students correct their own mistakes.  They should be asking themselves if they met the requirements laid out in a rubric instead of relying on their teacher to highlight sections of their essay that need work.  Using the same rubric for major writing assignments also helps students keep track of their strengths and weaknesses.  The end goal is for students to revise their own work and to rely less and less on the teacher’s feedback as the year goes on. 

Each time I hand back an essay, I also ask students to create a list of a few goals.  These short goals appear in a list on one sheet of paper that they keep in a manilla folder that contains all of their work from the year.  I keep the folder in a filing cabinet so if a student wants to conference, all of their essays will be in one place.    When I hand back an essay, I also distribute the writing folders that contain a list of codes with longer explanations for my shorthand comments. 

Goals could include writing specific topics like the thesis statement, topic sentences, introduction, conclusion, interpretation of evidence, clarity, or line of reasoning.  Or they could relate to independent reading habits, taking notes in class, attendance, or class participation.  Students should set goals after each writing assignment and then at the end of the quarter after they look through their writing folder.  This quarterly reflection should not be a list of goals but rather a detailed description that includes specifics from essays and a narrative about any challenges they want to overcome.  If they have all of their essays, assignments, and rubrics in one place, they should be able to observe patterns. 

Teacher's Workshop, professional development and college credit for secondary ELA teachers

Self-Paced Online Courses

Podcast

Teachers Pay Teachers

Blog