While we’re getting ready to start our rhetorical analysis project, I think this article, “Responding to Other Students’ Writing” by Richard Straubs is going to be helpful. One thing that I liked about this article that he kept saying was that we aren’t teachers, editors, or writers but simply a reader. He mentioned this through his piece and I agree with it. There are other people who can help out with grammar or the structure of the writing but as a reader we’re required to give feedback sole on the writing. Often when we’re starting off we just want to jot down everything while all of our ides are coming to us, that’s when we create our first shitty drafts. But after we hand in our draft, that’s when we as readers come in and try to expand the writing or get a better understanding of the writing piece.
Another thing that I liked about the way Straubs wrote his article is that he broke sections down into different categories. He didn’t just tell the readers what to do and not to do, like a list. But he gave examples to help us give a better understanding. Back in middle school or even the first two years of high school for my English classes we often had other students read our papers and give constructive criticism. As Straubs mentioned about the comments, many students would just write small worded sentences about something in general and that wouldn’t really help me. I agree that if you want to use comments, they should be addressed in detail. We should use the margins of where the comment is relating to. I also feel like students often just left positive comments instead of giving their real thoughts of the writing piece. By not doing this, it doesn’t help the writer turn in a well developed piece. Of course, we can only suggest our thoughts.
I very much agree when you said as editors, we are not teachers or writers, but simply are readers. I think as a reader and editor it is important to note your feelings and opinions about a paper, but you need to make sure your ideas are only suggestions. We as editors, are never sure of exactly the goal the writing might be or the objective and therefore should not permanently change things of other’s papers.
I like that you mention a structure of this article. I found it as some kind of a plan and step-by-step guide. I never thought that there is a big thing. After this article I will pay more attention when I will give a comment to someone’s work. I will think before I write something. I will think is it helpful or not, will I offend and criticize the author, because sometimes your silly comment to some ones work will close any future improvements because the person will think that he did a bad job and he is “lack of talent”
I agree with you when you say that we are not teachers or writers but simply readers. I think our job as readers is to give feedback on what we got out of the paper and what our understanding and even confusion is on the topic. It’s our job as readers to make suggestions to help improve the writing but thats all it is, just a suggestion. I also like how you mention the structure of the article and how its a very easy to follow step by step guide.
“I also feel like students often just left positive comments instead of giving their real thoughts of the writing piece”… I find that a very true statement, because I think most of the time students are a. just trying to be nice, b. “get through the assignment” (as Straub says), or c. laziness with not wanting to have to figure out others’ writing issues (among other reasons). I think this happens to a lot of students at one point or another, but hopefully having read this assignment, our class will be more devoted to giving more constructive feedback!!