Each project trains students’ (and my) brains via the power of habit with visual cues and routines, thus creating effective writing habits which they can take with them to future college classes.
A common complaint of students is the peer review process. I make the drafting process meaningful by communicating to students that I, too, despised submitting rough drafts and participating in peer reviews in my undergraduate days of yore and it is precisely for that reason that I employ the same drafting process for each large writing project complete with an instructor consultation for first drafts and a checklist I developed specifically for them to use during peer reviews. This lends method to the madness that can ensue when a writing instructor mandates a free-for-all, “tell each other what you think” class period. The structure I provide proves very important for freshman students, especially those who are intimidated by writing, the writing/drafting process as a whole, and providing and receiving feedback.
The ground rules crown the top of each reader review checklist to keep them focused; the checklist helps them visualize the structure of the paper; the follow-up questions train their brains to look for the positive aspects of each other’s writing, which research as well as my own personal experience in creative writing workshops has been shown to provide better revision results; and the final graphic illustrates the importance of hooking the reader with a positive first impression via strong lede paragraphs (the “face” of the paper), bodies which support the thesis (the “body” of the paper), and a “kicker” which memorably ties together the paper’s thru-line.
Plante_Review_checklist.docx