Graves Middle School hosted their first Student Portfolio Day on Wednesday, April 12, at their school.
The Student Portfolio Day was a day where GMS AVID student’s were able to showcase their portfolio that consisted of their best work that represented them as an 8th grade student. Interviewers who attended the event had the opportunity to interview and engage in conversation with the students about their work and provided them with feedback.
There were many community organizations and representatives that took part in the day. Some included the Boys and Girls Club, Rio Hondo Community College, California State Assembly, Yahoo!, Caltech, and others. South Whittier School District also had representatives present at the event including Cabinet, principals, Classified Management, teachers, and board members.
Each interview was ten to fifteen minutes long and consisted of a variety of questions. Questions included why they chose a particular piece of work, how that piece represented them, and what process they went through to develop each piece. Students were also given both verbal and written feedback through a “Glows and Grow” form. Students were given feedback based on professional appearance, eye contact, body language, expressing ideas clearly and confidently, handshake and greetings, and there was room for interviewers to provide additional feedback as well.
In preparation for the interview, students prepared in two different ways. First, they prepared their interview skills that consisted of their professionalism throughout the interview. They also prepared by communicating clearly about each piece of work in their portfolio. They focused on their quality of work, presentation, and elements of reflection.