Receiving peer feedback on writing

Two original fictional non-fiction texts for reading practice.

Text A: a teacher’s reflection

Pupils sometimes hear “give feedback” as “find mistakes”. They search for spelling faults because those are easier to point to than a paragraph whose purpose is unclear. I ask readers first to say what they think the writer is trying to do and where they began to lose the thread.

Praise can be useful when it is specific. “The example helped me understand the point” tells a writer something that “great work” does not. Criticism also needs a reason; changing a word merely because the reader prefers another can make every piece sound like the person giving advice.

The writer should not be obliged to accept every suggestion. They should consider it, ask a question if needed and explain a decision about revision. A discussion in which two readers disagree can be valuable evidence about how the writing is being understood. Peer feedback is a reader's response, not a second teacher's verdict.

Text B: a pupil’s account

The first comments on my article were a list of small corrections and the words “good ideas”. I made the corrections but did not know which ideas had worked or why the ending felt weak. It was easier to obey marks on a page than decide what to change.

A later partner described the point she thought I was making. It was not quite the point I intended. That was uncomfortable, but it gave us something to discuss. She showed where a repeated example had sent her towards a different conclusion. I rewrote part of the article and kept one sentence she had wanted removed, because it served a purpose I could explain.

I still wanted help with spelling. Small faults are not unimportant just because bigger questions exist. What helped was receiving both kinds of comment and having time to ask about them. I also learned that refusing one suggestion need not mean refusing to listen. Feedback was more useful when I had to think than when I could simply follow orders.

Compare what the two writers say about pupils receiving peer feedback on writing. Make it clear which text you are using.