Writing is a fluid, ever-changing process, and unlike mathematical equations that have a clearly defined start and endpoint and one correct answer, there is always room to edit and revise writing. Peer editing is not and should not be viewed as a means to an endpoint in writing. Rather, it is the process that we should focus on as teachers.
When I walked my students through their first formal essay of the school year, I recently noticed this shift in how students viewed peer editing. They were looking at the end product as the goal when they should have looked at the process as a way to learn.
The sole purpose of peer editing is not to free a paper from grammatical errors. Instead, peer editing aims to help students become stronger writers by getting them to think like editors.
Introducing Peer Editing
Goals of Peer Editing
- Have students read multiple peers papers
- Help students learn to think like editors
- Help students apply their editing skills to their own writing
- Have students think critically about their peer’s edits
Facilitating Peer Editing
My favorite way to facilitate peer editing is by using these peer editing rotations. In this process, students will read four other student papers, and with each paper, they focus on editing the paper for just the tasks at hand.
In the first rotation, students look at the introduction and organization of the essay. They check the thesis statement and topic sentences. In the second rotation, students look at how the evidence is incorporated in the body paragraphs. They check to see if it is relevant, properly introduced and fully explained. In the third rotation, students read the papers looking just for grammatical errors. To help make this rotation more successful, I teach a series of mini-lessons on grammar beforehand. And finally, in the fourth station, students use a comment bank to write one compliment and one suggestion.
After reading four different students’ papers, I find that my students have a clear idea about my expectations. Seeing their peers’ writing helps them gauge their own writing. Furthermore, completing the peer editing process also helps students begin thinking like an editor. Once they’ve read through four other papers, they then receive their paper and start the process of evaluating their peers’ comments, edits, and suggestions. Another helpful way to conduct peer editing is to have students complete a peer editing checklist.
For more on facilitating peer editing in the classroom, you might be interested in reading this blog post entitled "Five Ways to Foster Effective Peer Editing."
Focus on the Process
As we begin to reframe our thinking on peer editing, it's important to stress to students that they aren’t just doing this to fix their friend’s essay or to have their table buddy fix their essay. Instead, it is essential to stress the process and how completing the process benefits the student.More Resources on Peer Editing:
