Prompt #9: Peer Review Party

Peer reviews. They are dreaded in every classroom across the world. I've never heard anyone say, "YES, WE GET TO PARTICIPATE IN A PEER REVIEW, PARTY TIME!" I'm not saying someone, somewhere didn't get totally pumped for a peer review, but it most likely didn't happen. If it does happen, it doesn't happen often.

I think if teachers and professors had a different method for peer reviews students wouldn't see them as such a  negative aspect of writing. I don't think students know the positives of peer review enough to see it in a good light in the first place. I believe the first step to peer review should be the explanation as to why peer reviews are important. The professor could give the students examples of how successful it is with writers outside of the classroom. It always helps for students to know how they are going to use this information one day outside of that particular class.

The professors should give the students a guide for the peer review so that they know what is expected of them to give the most useful feedback. I know it can be confusing about what to fix in a paper and it's hard to put in the effort of trying to figure out but if they had a guideline to go buy it would be a lot easier for them. The guideline should include having positive comments and redirection of the paper. The students shouldn't always have to have comments that make them feel bad about there work, just a little redirecting can help a lot when it comes to the peer review.

Another step to take in peer review is letting the students take home the work and let them peer review over night. It will give them time to read everything over a couple times and not have the awkwardness that comes along with editing someones paper in front of them.

A good way for a teacher or professor to tell if the peer review was successful is to get feedback from the students. Not every class is going to work in the same way and not everyone's going to like the same methods, give them options but once you find that option, stick with it. Don't make them peer review just one paper, make them do the same method with every paper so they have consistency with there work.

Everyone would benefit from a successful peer review. The audience of this post is to give students and teachers/professors ideas about how important peer review is and ways to make it a lot more enjoyable and functionable for everyone involved.


Have a lovely day, always remember to stop and enjoy the sunshine.
~Kelsey