[Bkn-english-646-fall-2009] Assignment Ch. 7

[Rajul Punjabi]

A part of this chapter that stuck out to me is the point about students taking their grades personally. I find that while it makes no logical sense to use the term "I got an B" instead of "my paper got a B", most people feel like their soul has been judged when it's just a piece of work that was submitted. But is it really just a piece of work?

In pg 138, it says, "Because writing is so intimately tied to each writer's language, experiences and values, paper comments are bound to be taken more personally, say, than comments on chemistry reports..." It's true, many times, writers put a lot of heart into their essays and papers, so it's hard not to feel personally judged by a grade. That's why I appreciate when professors explain why they gave the grade they did. As a tutor, I try to find that fine line between authority and a trusted ally and ask questions that the professor might, while still technically playing for the student's team.

Later in the chapter it discusses analyzing what the professor is looking for when working on a paper. I also feel like this is useful because professors are not all clones of eachother; they sometimes differ in the aspects that they value in a paper and the things that piss them off. Some of my professors focused more on mechanics - format and punctuation - while others didn;t even bother to correct minor errors. That's why I always ask what the assignment specifically entails and what the professor is looking for. If the student can articulate that, it's half the battle.

Thanks!
R



      
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