C4 Preparing a portfolio; reflecting on your writing

C4-a: Understanding the benefits of reflection

C4-aUnderstand the benefits of reflection.

Reflection—the process of stepping back periodically to examine your decisions, preferences, strengths, and challenges as a writer—helps you recognize your growth as a writer and is the backbone of portfolio keeping. When you submit your portfolio for a final evaluation or reading, you may be asked to include a reflective opening statement—a cover letter, an introduction, a preface, a memo, or an essay.

Reflective writing allows you to do the following:

show that you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your writing
comment on the progress you’ve made in the course
understand your own writing process
demonstrate that you’ve made good writing decisions
comment on how you might use skills developed in your writing course in other courses where writing is assigned

tip: Save your notes, drafts, and reviewers’ comments for possible use in your portfolio. The more you have assembled, the more you have to choose from to represent your best work. Keep your documents organized in a paper or electronic file system for easy access. (See C2-d.)