Giving and Receiving Feedback - Portfolio Work

We spent time this week giving feedback to each other about one of the poems you want to include in your portfolio. Instead of evaluating each other's poems, we gave two very specific types of non-judgmental feedback: Pointing and Sayback.

• Pointing - Simply identifying words and phrases that "stick out" or resonate with you, the listener, in some way as you hear the poem.
• Sayback - What you, the listener, hear the poem talking about or saying. This usually starts with the phrase, "I hear this poem talking about..." or "I hear this poem saying..."

It is up to you to figure out how to use the feedback, but here are some questions to consider:

• When you read the pointed words / phrases, are they the ones you expected others to hear and focus on? Why?
• Did people point to words / phrases you did not consider to be important?
• Do you want to find a way to emphasize certain terms?
• Did people tell you the poem was saying what you wanted it to say?
• How might you alter the poem to more effectively communicate what you want it to say?

Remember, your portfolio is due on Monday by the start of class.

On that day, part of the assignment is for you to share a finished poem aloud with the class during our celebratory reading.

Here is a link to a description of the Poetry Portfolio.