Blog Post #2 (Darius Stewart)

As it pertains to revision, Chapter 3 points out one writing process that I can most certainly identify with: I am one of those writers who starts revising after only a few sentences, and often sooner. In fact, before I could complete this first sentence, I revised it at least fifteen times before I was satisfied. I’m a local revisionist who would rather “fix” problems of syntax, rhythm, diction, etc. rather than worry about global concerns that ensure readers understand the point I’m trying to make. Consequently, this compulsion has become problematic when grading papers. Instead of reading through a paper once, I start grading immediately. For instance, I once marked a paper for failing to present a thesis, when in fact, the thesis was a few sentences down. The problem, then, was one of organization and not because the essay lacked an argument. In this example, I am lucky because the student doesn’t witness my error. However, if I am tutoring a student in person, then I will have possibly made a mistake that doesn’t inspire faith in my abilities. It can be exasperating to a student who is seeking help and finds an instructor or tutor who is calling out the wrong mistakes. This is an issue I have worked on, and even though I am still very much a local revisionist of my own work, I have done better by my students by giving their papers a global review.  

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