Never before have parents, teachers, and other advocates for young people been more concerned about the declining quality of higher education. One skill that many students lack when they arrive at college is the ability to write well. The contributors to Teacher Commentary on Student Papers analyze some of the cultural, social, and moral changes that have altered the way in which education is given and received, and they offer approaches that have assisted them as teachers both in evaluating the quality of student writing and guiding students to improve their writing.Areas of expertise of the contributors include composition, cultural studies, English education, literature, writing, and rhetoric. The collection will appeal to both graduate and undergraduate students as well as to experienced and beginning teachers.

Ten concerned teachers share their perspectives on tested ways of commenting on student papers, examining prevailing conventions, and teasing out fresh ways for teachers to stimulate students' efforts to gain a true writing voice.

Introduction: Some Words of Encouragement and Hope for the Teacher by Ode OgedeComments in Context: How Students Use and Abuse Instructor Comments by Bonnie Beedles and Robert SamuelsOvercoming Marginalization: Promoting Active Learning by Teaching the Technique and Theory of Margin Notes by David StrongThe Teacher's Pet Phenomenon: From Dysfunction to Learning Model by David D. PerlmutterTeaching Generation X: A Dialogical Approach to Teacher Commentary by Robert SamuelsA Shared Journey in Composition and Basic Writing Classes: Another View of the Dialogical Approach to Teacher Commentary on Student Assignments by Glenn SheldonWriting and Relationship by Marilyn D. ButtonOn the Margin of Discovery by Mary Theresa HallTeacher Commentary: Put That Red Pen Down for Now! by Louise Maynor and Sandra VavraRethinking Ways to Teach Young Writers: Response and Evaluation in the Creative Writing Course by Stephanie VandersliceFrom Commentary to Conference by Margaret ChristianMoving Students beyond Defensiveness and Anxiety in Writing Assignments by Thomas Earl MidgetteRigor, Rigor, Rigor, the Rigor of Death: A Dose of Discipline Shot through Teacher Response to Student Writing by Ode OgedeSelected BibliographyIndex