John Bean’s article that covered commentary of student’s writing was so fascinating. I think as a society we tend to forget that teachers are human beings as well. They are not grading machines. Sometimes teachers have a bad day and it could impact how they comment on a student’s piece. Additionally, I found the tips on how to effectively comment on a piece of writing pretty standard or at least what should be standard. The whole time I was reading this article I felt compelled to pull up every essay I had ever written to read the feedback given by my teachers. I think as a child, teachers placed more of an emphasis on structure, punctuation and grammar. If I remember correctly, it wasn’t until around high school maybe even late middle school that teachers actually commented on my content. I never pictured revising as “reimagining”. Revising, to me, always felt more about the minor details of my writing. One of my biggest pet peeves is when a teacher would put a question mark next to a paragraph. It never felt helpful and it always felt like I was stupid if they couldn’t understand the entire paragraph. There were many times I had to ask a teacher exactly what their comment was in reference to. That just felt like a waste of time for everyone.

Peter Elbow’s article covers ranking and evaluating. I think he makes a great point about how ranking is not reliable. It creates an unsafe environment for the writer. For someone to come up with a single numerical measure for your paper and have that be its means of validity seems unnatural in the sense of writing. Elbow’s line reading “Grades and holistic scores are nothing but points on a continuum from “yea” to “boo”–with no information or clues about the criteria behind these noises” (3) actually made me laugh a little. This is exactly how it feels to get graded on the content of writing. Its either “Yay!!! Keep going! You’re so talented and smart!” to “Never write anything again.” These articles really stuck out to me because I have been saying for weeks in this class (and in my life in general) that I tend to use grades as a way of validation. While I am trying to rewire my brain and its thought process when it comes to my writing and grading, it is a hard mindset to break. It is engrained in us from early childhood to the time you are done with your schooling, whatever level that may be. The pressure to succeed academically and abide by the grading standards can feel suffocating at times. This style of grading greatly impacted my confidence as a writer. I constantly feel like my writing is not up to par or I feel out of my wheelhouse. Although, when I write and I feel the creative juices flowing, I remind myself of my passion and that it matters.

Nancy Somers’ article about revision was pretty groundbreaking for me. The idea that many students (including myself) often use the revision process to switch up the phrases, order and vocabulary but not their idea shocked me for some reason. It made me consider all of the work I have ever produced and how I personally revise my work. What I also found pretty cool was that the students and “experienced” writers used for the study all had a different term and their own definition of revision. 

When I consider my revision process, there is a lot of reconstructing of sentences and swapping out words for other words that may sound “better”. Sommers’ explanation that the students are done revising when they have hit every point on the “revision checklist” has made me think about how much of my work is my own versus what someone else is looking for. Am I revising my work to fit someone else’s standards? Also what makes a writer “experienced” by her terms. I think that term is subjective and she should have used a different term. I understand that she means the experienced writers are ones that currently have a career in writing but just because someone doesn’t have title doesn’t mean they aren’t experienced. I think the revision process needs to be retaught and have less of a checklist and more of a guideline with concepts to consider. When students are given “rules” and “structure” around their writing and revision, the idea of writing for a grade or for someone else is reiterated over and over. It creates a cycle where writers feel the pressure to make sure their work is good enough for the authority figure who will be reading it. The way writing and the revision process is taught teaches the student to please others.

Peter Elbow’s article “High Stakes and Low Stakes in Assigning and Responding to Writing” brings up a lot of interesting points. These blogs are an example of “low stakes” writing. We are able to express ourselves informally and casually. These blogs are a way to share ideas and thoughts in a safe and comfortable space. There were a few points in this piece that I found very interesting. One point in particular was in the section responding to writing. Elbow makes a compelling point about feedback that reads, “Researchers have trouble finding good evidence that our comments on student writing actually help students learn more or write better”(Elbow 4). He then elaborates on the tired state in which most educators critique and grade work. That kind of shook me because you always think you are getting the best response from a teacher because they are an authority figure in your life and in many cases their opinion holds a lot of weight with the student but when you consider the fact that they are humans and are grading homework after a long work day, you have to think am i really getting the best advice?

After considering Elbow’s points in different responding techniques, I found myself pondering on what I would prefer as a student. As a college student, I used to tell my professors to “rip it apart” when I handed in a draft. I wanted them to revise my work and give me an honest critique because I wanted the best grade. I think I always attached my value as a person to my academic successes. I never really cared about what I was writing or the content I was writing about because I wanted the best grade I could get. That being said, after reading this article, I wonder if I had just let go of the grade and opinions of my professors, would I be a stronger writer?

While Elbow’s article talked about the different levels of production and responding to a students work, Murray’s “Teach Writing as a Process Not Product” touches more on just that, prioritizing teaching the writing process over the final product. What I noticed is that both of these articles have the same underlying message regarding feedback. In Murray’s article, he dissects the art of teaching process vs product. He feels strongly about allowing a student to take control of their writing process. Murray shared various “implications of the teaching process”, as he put it. These implications have different outcomes of how they could be useful for educators. One that really stood out to me was the fifth one. “Implication No. 5. The student is encouraged to attempt any form of writing which may help him discover and communicate what he has to say. The process which produces “creative” and “functional” writing is the same. You are not teaching products such as business letters and poetry, narrative and exposition. You are teaching a product your students can use now and in the future to produce whatever product his subject and his audience demand.” (Murray 6). I thought this implication made a lot of sense because who cares about how the prewriting section looks? If the final product is done as far as the writer is concerned and they are happy with the end result then what does it matter how the writer chooses to prewrite?

Initially, this article felt rather difficult to digest. I experienced a slight challenge in understanding the idea the author was trying to convey. As I tackled this article, I found myself intrigued by the content. I began asking myself questions of my own experience as a student and writer in a public school setting. From the first page of the article, Lauer takes us through the present style of teaching and learning English studies. There is such a focus on grammar and sentence structure and proper punctuation as well as an emphasis on composition versus rhetoric. Furthermore, the way they teach writing and the process is rather strict. I remember being in late elementary school/early middle school and using different methods of composing a piece of writing such as a prewriting “web”, diagrams, and lists. While these tools can be helpful, they may not work for every student.

Being rhetoric and composition became disciplines in the 1960’s, they are still rather new as far as English studies are concerned. I found the section on style and voice particularly interesting because I think they are a never-ending concept. I think a writers style and voice are constantly evolving as the individual grows as a writer and a human being. For these two concepts to not be focused on until the beginning of the discipline’s studies is pretty surprising.

I found the section on revision appealing because I never considered the idea of teaching a student the revision process before they hand in a draft. In the present day, we hand in a draft, get feedback and revise from there. If students were taught the revision process, the writing may be more inspired. I think some of the tools and processes that are used currently cage some of the students’ minds and cause them to lack inspiration and curiosity on certain subjects. 

If I’m being honest, I had never really considered these disciplines until this article. I had learned certain practices through the current teaching style. This article now had me wondering where my writing would be if there were less rigid structures and a different revision process. 

Since the first day, this class has been something I look forward to every week. I have greatly enjoyed conversing with my classmates and Dr.Zamora. I absolutely adored the spiral journal activity. I look forward to a great semester with everyone!

Hi everyone! My name is Emily Preziose. I am a first year student at Kean University. I have always enjoyed reading and writing from childhood. I was never very good at math or science. I have quiet literally turned in a pre-calculus exam with tears on it. I have a bachelors degree in public relations and strategic communication from Rowan University where I graduated from in 2021.

As for hobbies and interests, I love to read and write. I love to write fiction and poetry. My favorite genres are fantasy and romance. I love even more when the two come together and form the genre of “romantasy”.

Additionally, I love to spend time outdoors (camping, hiking, fishing, etc.). I love to cook and bake, and enjoy spending time with my friends and family. I have two dogs at home that I am truly obsessed with.

I look forward to connecting with you all this semester!