Top of page
Skip to main content
Main content

Portfolios in Class


Every student in first-year composition should create a portfolio of her/his work. During the course of the semester, students should reflect on their writing frequently and this reflective writing should also become part of the portfolio.

At the conclusion of the semester, students should write a reflective portfolio letter (750-1250 words) as a guide to their portfolio. In this letter, students argue–we hope, using rhetorical terminology they’ve learned in the course–that they have successfully achieved the course outcomes: both the Emory FYC outcomes and the outcomes you have developed that are related to your course theme.

You should assign significant weight to these assignments in your grade calculations so that students understand them as important.

The following pages will help you think through how to manage the portfolio in your class.

You might also consider requesting desk copies of the following texts and adopting the second for your course:

  • Reynolds, Nedra, and Elizabeth Davis. Portfolio Teaching: A Guide for Instructors. Third Edition edition. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. Print. ISBN 978-1-4576-3286-0
  • Reynolds, Nedra, and Elizabeth Davis. Portfolio Keeping: A Guide for Students. Third Edition edition. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. Print. ISBN 978-1-4576-3285-3