Writing Reflection

Since you were handed back your first English essay of high school today, you should stop and reflect on your writing and set a writing goal for the year. Most students also received their ninth grade writing portfolio piece to provide further reflection information.

To set your goal, create a multi-flow map in your notebook. Put the writing goal in the center box and list what items will cause you to reach the goal. The effects on the multi-flow map are the long-term results that will occur in high school and beyond if you meet this writing goal.

Errors on this first essay included the following:

Ideas
Too much plot summary and not enough analysis
Not focusing on the essay question and search for self
Quotations were chosen to show a plot point when they should have been chosen for analytical points on searching and finding yourself.

Organization
Attention-getters not included
Conclusion was just a recap of paper's ideas--you need to give a final lesson for your reader
Missing transitions
No clear paragraphing

Voice
Most students had strong word choice, the main problem here was that academic writing requires essays to be written in third person, so you cannot use you (second person) or I, we, etc. (first person).

Conventions
Very few students followed MLA format exactly. After a quotation the proper format is
. . . " (Kingsolver 34).
Commas with coordinating conjunctions and adverb clauses appear to be the most common punctuation error, so during peer review of the next essay, we will have a lesson on those punctuation rules. To review the coordinating conjunction and subordinating conjunction (adverb clause) rules, click here.