Reflection -- responding to student writing (23 Oct 2009)

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I would hope that grading a paper, the mark and comments, would be some learning experience for the student, but I think that the majority of students pay no heed to these comments and don't even look at comments other than the grade. Believing that, I often feel that making comments is a waste of my time, and in fact only a way to cover my ass in case a student challenges the actual mark.

On the other hand, there are some students who learn and want to improve their writing, or at least want to improve their grade. I think sometimes I grade, especially hard on the first papers to show students how ill-prepared for college their high schools have been for them. This isn't fair, nor is it productive. I do know tht I can be offended at student writing, and my comments can reflect that (though I hide this offense in academic jargon) -- sometimes offended at their ideas, but more likely offended at their lack of ideas. Is this intellectual snobbery (and if so, does it matter?).

Ultimately, response does need to be education -- it needs to provide at least a semblance of instruction, as classwork offers such a semblance. Similarly, some students will take advantage of that instruction and some will not. But even here -- am I absolving myself in this approach, or is my attitude of hand-washing justified? Do I see response as a means of imposing my authority, as if I need to?

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