Questions I Have For Writing Teachers

Over the course of the past few months, I have found that many of the questions I had about teaching writing have been answered. Although I have learned and discussed various methods about how to teach writing effectively and all the aspects that go with it, I am still curious about a few things. The one question that still sticks out to me is the concept of feedback given within the classroom on student writing. Recently I had a discussion with my peers about how to give feedback to a student to improve their writing. However, I still wonder which type of feedback students respond better to, praise or criticism.

Given the fact that no one truly responds well to criticism, especially students when it comes to their writing, I am sure that many appreciate praise rather than criticism. With that being said, how could I “deliver praise that is effective” instead of “using phrases such as, ‘Great work!’ or ‘Nice job, students!’”

I would like to know how students respond to both types of feedback. For example, if a student hands in an essay that needs improvement, would their writing improve more if you gave them praise, or criticism? Which types of feedback helps them improve more as writers?

I am led to assume that a healthy dosage of both is the way teachers usually go about reviewing student writing. But would it be better to use one method more than the other? I would like to ask teachers about the specific type of feedback they give their students, if they have tried one method more than the other, and which method seemed to result in the best writing from the student.

I would value a teacher’s answers to these questions because then I will be able to better assess the way I teach writing and give feedback on assignments in the future. I want to ensure that I am giving the best possible feedback to help my students achieve greatness without crushing their spirits.