High School/College Topic: Responding to Student Writing

10-second review: How should writing teachers respond to powerfully motivated student writing?

Title: “ ‘Is Anybody Listening?’: Responding to Student Writing.” M. Robertson. College Composition and Communication (February 1986), 87-91. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

Summary/Quote: “A student writes a narrative of a rock-climbing expedition on a wind-swept cliff, an adventure which ends abruptly when her boy friend falls to his death. Her composition teacher’s written end-comment: ‘Your conclusion is much stronger than your previous essay and nicely continues a metaphor from the preceding paragraph.’ ”

Comment: Well, what would be your end-comment? RayS.