Some thoughts on the editing process...

When I heard that we had to peer edit Dr. McCormick's 101 students, I was pretty excited. As someone who aspires to become a college level English professor, it seemed like a great way to get a small glimpse into one aspect of the profession. It also showed me different people's writing processes. You could tell from reading their drafts if they had done sufficient research, or had done some pre-writing for structure and organization. I had some previous experience doing peer review through my ENG 220-Seminar in Teaching Writing course. So I was already prepared for being critical of someone's work in a positive and constructive manner. This was important as I could tell from one of my student's blogs that she was a solid, confident writer and because of this she may not have been as receptive to criticism as someone who is aware of a deficiency. I tried to remain as honest as possible, but I was certainly mindful of the language I used to critique her draft and I made a concerted effort only to point out major issues such as lack of analysis for a quote. I didn't feel that apprehensive about my ability to critique or the way it could be interpreted by the students. I really did try to be as constructive as possible so that not only would I benefit from the editing process but the students I reviewed would be able to write a better draft as they go through their revisions.

As for how this experience will effect my own work, I think it will definitely allow me o be more critical of my work. I too am confident in my writing ability and at times this can be an obstacle in the editing process. In the past I tended not to do a lot of revision, instead opting to write a first draft, doing some minor editing such as spell check, and then submitting that draft as is. Only after my draft has been reviewed by the professor would I then go back and tweak my paper. However, I have learned that this is not necessarily the best way to approach writing. Since I would also like to do some creative writing in the future, I clearly see the benefits to peer review and a more critical self-editing process. By editing my own papers more thoroughly, I can see if my paper is starting to become too broad or losing focus. I can also keep my thesis loose, allowing it to evolve as I write my paper. Going forward with editing my research paper, I think I will be more open to rewriting or rethinking certain elements. I also have given my paper to a couple of fellow students to gauge their ideas on what I could improve or refocus. All in all, I truly enjoyed this experience and feel that both parties will benefit greatly from it.