Feedback: Conferencing on your Higher Level (HL) Essay

I would write a book or a short story, at least three times—once to understand it, the second
time to improve the prose, and a third to compel it to say what it still must say. (Bernard
Malamud, 1988).

Prepare to conference on your HL Essay. As part of the process of writing, this is

your opportunity to get critical feedback from your teacher to help you edit and
improve your essay. The meeting should help you recognize strengths and
limitations of your essay, and identify areas for improvement. It is also a chance for
you to ask any questions about your ideas and writing. See it as a conversation, not
an interrogation! The more time and consideration you give to preparing for and
engaging in this task, the better your essay is likely to become. It is, after all, a truth
that all good writing is rewriting.

 Tell me about your line of inquiry. Why is your question interesting? In what
ways will responding to the question give you opportunities to show an
understanding of your work/body of work?

Your notes:

 Tell me about your introductory paragraph. Tell me about how your

introduction quickly and imaginatively attracts the attention of your reader. Show
me your thesis, and tell me why you arrived at it and how your essay responds to
it. Show me where you anticipate the main arguments in your essay and/or main
areas of focus. How has writing a first draft of your essay changed your initial
ideas about your introductory paragraph?

Your notes:

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 Tell me about your ideas in the essay. How does your essay show an
understanding of your work/body of work? Show me examples of ideas that you
consider convincing and insightful. Show me examples of evidence (including
quotations) that supports your ideas.

Your notes:

 Tell me about how your essay considers language, textual features, and
authorial choices in your work/body of work? How does your essay show an
understanding of language, textual features and authorial choices? Show me
examples that you consider, insightful, convincing, and/or evaluative. Show me
examples of evidence (including quotations) that supports your ideas.

Your notes:

 Tell me about the ways your essay remains focused and holds together to
respond to your initial line of enquiry. Show me examples of the ways you link
ideas, sentences, and paragraphs together. Show me examples of how you
develop ideas throughout your essay. Show me the topic (i.e. main/controlling)
sentences in each of your body paragraphs. Show me examples of the ways you
have embedded quotations into your own writing in your essay.

Your notes:

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 Tell me about your language – it should be concise, accurate, and
appropriate to academic essay writing. Word choice should be precise, and
terminology appropriate to your analysis of work/body of work. Show me
examples of where your language has these qualities.

Your notes:

 Tell me about your final paragraph. How does your last paragraph return to
your line of inquiry, and bring your main points together? In what ways does your
final paragraph consider the broader implications of your discussion?

Your notes:

 Tell me about your grade. If you were to grade your essay 1 (poor) to 7
(excellent), what would you give it? Why? What could you do to improve your
essay and improve your grade?

Your notes:

 Ask me questions that could help you improve your essay. Just remember, I can’t
do the work for you!

Your notes:

When you have made notes, add your completed document to your Learner
Portfolio, and bring it to your conference to guide our discussion. Thanks!

© David McIntyre, InThinking

https://www.thinkib.net/englishalanglit 3