2. AGENDA
✗ Work on final revisions for
portfolio: Out of class revision or
reflective essay revision HW
Discussion #48: Post your
introduction: Previous experience,
feelings, learning English,
Anecdote illustrating one of
these?
✗ HW Discussion #49: Post your
body paragraph about what you
still need to work on.
✗ Buy, find, or otherwise secure
your folder Revise out of class
essay for portfolio
3. Paper 7: The Reflective Essay
✗ Even though it might not be obvious, this
is a thesis-driven essay.
✗ What is your thesis? A more specific
version of this claim:
“I learned some things in LART/EWRT,
but I will still need to work on some things
in my next writing class.
✗ I recommend that you discuss at least:
✗ THREE or FOUR things you learned
(including one specific to LART), and
✗ ONE thing that you still need to
improve
✗ Things NOT to write about:
✗ The CONTENT of the course. The
English Department is not
interested in what you learned
about immigration or education.
They just want to hear about your
writing skills.
✗ The instructors. Whether you want
to praise me (or criticize me), the
portfolio readers do not care. They
are interested in what you learned,
not how I taught it.
✗ So what might you talk about?
Let’s brainstorm.
4. Paper 6: Structure
✗ Introduction: what might you put in your
intro? How might you start this essay?
✗ Could talk about previous experience
with writing.
✗ Could talk about your feelings about
writing.
✗ Could talk about high school and your
experience with writing.
✗ Could talk about learning English.
✗ Could talk about your future plans
and how writing fits with them.
✗ Body paragraphs about what you learned.
✗ Additional body paragraph(s) about what
you still need to work on.
✗ Conclusion
✗ The body paragraphs should be PIE
paragraphs.
✗ What is the POINT of each paragraph?
✗ But what is the INFORMATION?
✗ Mostly: Examples from your own
work.
✗ Seriously: give specific examples from
your papers—especially the portfolio
essays.
✗ Seriously: QUOTE YOUR OWN
WORK.
✗ Brainstorming activity:
✗ How might you start your intro?
✗ What are 3-4 things you have
learned?
✗ What 1-2 things will you work on in
the future?
5. Homework
✗ Essay #7 Due Tuesday at
midnight
✗ HW Discussion #50: Post your
conclusion: Your future plans?
✗ Finish Everything!
✗ Bring your portfolio essays to
class for final revision work