Memo #5

I have completed surveys from 3 teachers and 5 students (one student survey was done jointly by 2 seventh graders).  I have found ample secondary source information to study my question and form further thoughts.
I now know that teachers who ask students to read their writing aloud insist on the audience playing a vital role.  Their job is to keep written notes while they listen; specifically noting compliments and suggestions equally.  Teachers I've seen give students many practice opportunities to engage in constructive peer editing of classmates' written work on a regular basis.  They do this through small group sessions after which results are shared with the class.  Teachers favor peer editing when they pair students because they will not pair up friends or reluctant writers and it most effective then.
What really surprised me was how my definition of a confident writer suddenly came to mean independent writer.  I had a huge "AHA" moment when I realized this.  I understand independent writers to be those who know how to coordinate the required cognitive strategies with self-regulating strategies.  Many students can do the right cognitive work to write; not as many have figured out self-regulating.
I am frustrated to find that my older daughter is turned off to writing!  I have heard this from her before but now it is certain from her answer to question 2.  Her teacher wrote so many negative comments on an essay about honey bees that she "just rewrote the whole paper".  Her tone is one of disgust; like no learning happened in this process.
The idea that I have that is still lingering is about using multiple low-stakes writing assignments to build confidence in student writing.  I want to know more about this process.  One question I have that is still lingering is: do students prefer peer editing even when the teacher picks the peer they will work with?
Several conclusions can be made at this point.  One conclusion to make is that the act of using ones' mind to create fiction or using ones' life experiences to create non-fiction to be heard/viewed by others is a personal journey and simpley makes students of all ages uncomfortable, regardless of their audience.  Having said this, it seems that students' preference for editors of their work is their peers over a teacher.  A good bit of feedback I received fromm 455 classmates on the blog points to fear of being judged as a major reason for not reading written work aloud.
There are several complexities that I will need to live with for now.  I wonder if the preference students show for peer editing versus teacher editing is two-fold.  One reason might be that they get opportunities for practicing peer editing with small group sessions when then share their results class-wide and another  might simply be that the traditional misconception of teacher as conveyor of all wisdom still lingers in spite of numerous newer practices which are designed to foster student-driven classrooms.  There will always be students like me who were turned off to the writing process early on.  Teachers who have many tools in their writing curriculum toolbox can turn these students around, to a degree.  Some reluctant writers will not be moved.  Here is where it is crucial to know your students!