The basic relationship is not between the teacher and the errors in the paper, but between the teacher and the learner. The following guidelines will help teachers to respond to student writing appropriately, giving only the level of help which is needed.
A teacher's response should:
- Be clear to the student
- Be friendly in tone
- Be positive as well as negative
- Be respectful of the student's culture, dialect, ideas
- Help set priorities for the student
- Suggest specific actions. If you offer specific remedies, give more than one option to allow the writer maximum control.
- Be appropriate to the following:
- Announced criteria
- Announced audience and purpose
- The stage of the writing process
- The student's stage of development as a writer
- The student's ability to use the advice.
