Blog Assignment #3

I. Complements
A. Stay positive
B. Start with them

II. Suggestions
A. Word choice
B. Details
C. Organization
D. Topic

III. Corrections
A. Punctuation
B. Grammar
C. Sentences
D. Spelling

The best thing you can do for a peer is to give them a compliment. That can turn their whole day around. As a peer, you may be the only one that says something positive to them. Always keep everything you do positive, especially compliments. If you tell a peer everything he or she is doing wrong, and never say they are doing anything right, they will break down before your very eyes. If you are about to give a someone constructive criticism, always start out by pointing out the good things in their work. It will get their self-confidence up and they will be more apt to listen to what you have to say.

When you are criticizing or making suggestions to a person, always watch your word choice. They may have worked his hardest at this work and when you tear them down, they are most likely not going to work that hard again. You must use very specific details. People can not read your mind. They need to be shown and guided on what to do. You must be organized when you help them. Do not jump all over the paper or task you are working on. They will not be able to follow you. That being said, stay on topic. Everyone's minds can only focus for certain periods at a time on certain things. If you stay on one task, they are more likely to understand what you are trying to explain.

When you start making corrections to their paper is when to be very careful. We need to watch for punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, and spelling. anyone can sometimes be careless, but their are those few people who just really need help. Take that into consideration. Maybe try to to teach that struggling person again at a time when they can focus.

Click here for other ways to learn how to critique.