Lesson:
This week, we had a hard, real-life lesson in the revision process.
Revision is much more than editing or proofreading. While editing can be as simple as switching a sentence around, as obvious as swapping out an overused word for a fresh synonym, revision can be painful. "Revision" means re-seeing; revision is looking with new eyes, a a critical reader might. Revision is rethinking the paper altogether, looking objectively at what is working and what is not, and taking whatever steps are needed to fix things.
Since the students in this small class are advanced writers, I felt they were ready for a stiff challenge. We spent the class period stringently dissecting their latest essays for every single less-than-ideal choice, whether in scope, thesis, argumentation, supporting evidence, word choice --- everything. I was more brutally exacting than is my normal teaching style, but my purpose was to walk the students through steps to take when they realize something just isn't working as well as they intended.
For more info on the revision process, read here.
Assignment:
Students will completely revise their most recent essays, keeping in mind what we discussed in class.
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