Congratulations! You have completed Writing Workshop and reached the end of the marking period. Now, it’s time to write your portfolio letter. Don’t panic, though! The portfolio letter is not as intimidating as it may appear. Simply remember to introduce your essays, emphasize your strengths and weaknesses, and inform evaluators about the knowledge and skills you’ve acquired from Academic Writing Workshop.
Here are some tips that might be helpful for you:
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It only has to be one-two pages (Woo-hoo! )
The portfolio letter should be from one to two pages. However, sometimes it is more difficult to fit all the information you want into a short letter, so this is an opportunity to practice using word economy (painting the picture and illustrating your point using as few words as practical). -
Start it like a letter
You could start your letter the way you start any regular letter: “Dear Ms. Tannous, Enclosed you will find… ” Ten you can start by introducing the essays you have included. You can include the titles of your essays and what they are about. -
Mention your strengths and weaknesses
Now it’s time to show them that you have an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses as a writer. This is the most important part of your letter.
Strengths: To increase the likelihood of success for your portfolio, it is important to present specific and strong points. These strengths should include your work ethic, ability to handle frustration during the writing process, capacity for engaging in conferences (both giving and receiving feedback), skills in brainstorming, revising word choice, and constructing transitions.
Weaknesses: Recognizing strengths and weaknesses is essential for effective writers, and it is crucial to address both. By highlighting weaknesses and explaining how they were overcome, your arguments can be strengthened. Including specific examples from the essays will help evaluators understand and relate to your points.
