Teacher Comments and Student Reaction

McGlaun’s piece on teacher comments and student reaction is very thought provoking.  The way that she presented her thoughts, which was through the use of a timeline, was different than most academic works.  The reader is able to follow McGlaun’s experiences with writing over a ten-year span.  This kept me interested in wanting to know more about what McGlaun learned throughout this time.

            McGlaun’s journey begins in 1991, when she was the “tutee.”  She recalls that a professor was worried about her first draft; she even noticed his distress on his facial expressions during their meeting.  This led her to go to the writing center at her school.  On the top floor of an academic building, she found the writing center welcoming as soon as she entered (5).  She found it even more welcoming when she began to work with the tutors.  They gave her the permission and the space to write as she wanted, and then they would work together on her ideas (5).  These ideas resonate greatly with me.  When talking to a peer or a consultant, I feel no pressure when talking about my paper.  Although I should feel comfortable when talking to my professors as well, sometimes I feel like there is pressure to say the “correct” statement.

            In 1994 and 1995, she was both a teacher and a student.  As a teacher, McGlaun admits that it is very challenging to not sound like you are making pronouncements.  She noted that sharing her suggestions to her students without them seeming like commands was not as easy as she thought it would be (6).  McGlaun realized that this had to be a process of engagement, not one of listening to the teacher and doing just as he or she says.  As a student, McGlaun made even more discoveries.  After working as a teacher, she now understood that each professor has different preferences, which led to different commentary and guidance.  Here, McGlaun states the importance of continuous dialogue (6).  Talking about your paper with others is something I believe in whole-heartedly.  I have even noticed that I have made strange arguments in certain papers when I say them aloud to friends.

            In 2001, McGlaun earned her Ph.D. and became a director of a writing center.  When in conference, McGlaun would ask her students to read their professor’s comments aloud in the tone they presumed the teacher was talking in (7).  All of the tones were negative; this was a theme seen by many of the consultants.  McGlaun started to record her voice for her students so that they could understand what tone she was speaking in (7).  This is an excellent idea.  It, however, seems taxing, and is probably not something that many professors would do.  McGlaun ends with saying that the professor’s voice should sound like one of an ally (7), but does not, in my opinion, give enough information on how to make this possible.  How can we get students and teachers on the same page when discussing writing?  Dialogue and conferences are important, but there has to be more, and I do not think McGlaun gave enough advice on how to make this happen.