If I were the judge...

Being judged is not always negative, in fact to get the most out of the criticism one must view it as advice to help them improve. In general I think that writing is one of the most important means of communication and should always be worked on. Then again, I enjoy writing. If I were a judge of English 101 portfolios I would look for criteria that would evaluate each writer reasonably. I would also make sure the judging criteria is clear because nothing is less fair than being critiqued on something you didn’t know. I think it is important to start off an essay with a topic that is appropriate for the audience, and with interpretive essays, it is crucial the essay doesn’t become bias. The view of what is being written about, the audience and of the writer themselves must be taken into consideration. A writer should also make it clear to the audience what point or side they’re taking by using appropriate word choice and sentence agreement. Nothing is more confusing to read than a paper that doesn’t flow. To judge the fluency of an essay the judge shouldn’t have to reread a section more than twice and should understand the overall topic. This includes checking for mechanical and grammar errors. Seeing that the essay is being revised multiple times there is no excuse for spelling errors. Lastly, I think it is most important for the student to be proud of their work and to show improvement in their writing from the beginning of the semester. With a portfolio like this one I think it is so important to put a lot of time and effort into the paper. Whether or not writing is what the author likes to do, they should work their hardest to deserve a passing grade.