Literacy Letter: Reflections on Self as Writer

Task: For this assignment, you'll write a letter to me reflecting on yourself as a writer - both in high school and outside of school. The letter genre allows you to be a little more informal in your voice and style, but you'll still need to provide specific evidence for points you make (for example, it is not enough to merely say, "I can't organize my thoughts." Tell me about a specific assignment in which you struggled with organization). This is your opportunity to tell me about:

- Your strengths as a writer - in school and in general
- What you learned about writing in high school that you think will help you in this class
- How you approach papers you've been assigned in class (your process)
- What you still need to improve
- What goals you have for yourself as a writer in this course and in your chosen major field (if you have one)

While I'm interested in what you feel about yourself as a school writer, you might also want to reflect on the writing you do in other spaces outside of school (journaling, writing letters of political advocacy, corresponding with friends, creative writing, blogging, etc.) and how that writing contributes to your overall sense of yourself as a writer. Feel free to include copies of any out-of-school writing if it helps make your point.

Assignment goal: To provide a snapshot of yourself as a writer coming into this class and to help you set realistic and attainable goals for the writer you want to be by the end of the semester.

Nuts and Bolts:

- This letter should be roughly 500 words (or 2 pages size 12 Times New Roman double spaced)
- Use a format appropriate for a letter
- You don't have to answer/address all of the bullet points I gave you in order; you may combine them in whatever ways make sense to you. Just be sure you are organized in your approach, with a clear overall focus and logical transitions from paragraph to paragraph and point to point.

Due: Friday, Sept 11th at the beginning of class