Richard Straub’s “The Concept of Control in Teacher Response: Defining the Varieties of 'Directive' and 'Facilitative' Commentary”

I actually enjoyed this piece a great deal despite the misgivings I had initially when I saw the pages with corrections on them! Straub lays the groundwork simply; teachers should NOT take over a students’ paper as it then stops being the students work. It is difficult to know when one must stop when helping—and in a teacher’s case—guiding each student to a successful outcome. By making comments which do not fix or change the work but instead brainstorm with the student-writer, a teacher can: “…share responsibility with the writer” (225). 

This question of directive or facilitative responses is a tricky one; quite honestly, I still have trouble discerning one from the other. Straub, however, really makes great strides with the sample composition and the comments by well-known, respected teachers. The study illustrates how different teachers would respond to student writing, and which way or ways proved more effective for students (without writing for them).

I found all four very helpful, albeit different tools were offered, and different reactions presented to the piece itself. Peterson’s was a little directive but softened with facilitative words. White’s was even more facilitative and Gere’s was up on top. Peter Elbow’s was a whole other animal; he acted as a very encouraging reader, but probably not as much help as the student might have expected! However, he gave suggestions, as they all did, and the paper’s course was then placed back in the student’s hands—where it belonged.

None of these four gave strictly directive commentary, which is encouraging as it displays the trend towards allowing students to make their own choices in their writing matters. Straub notes one important fact: “…the optimum style of response for any teacher is going to be a function of her personality and teaching style” (247). In the end, it all comes down to the interaction between the teacher and student, and each teacher’s ability to know when to guide and when to stop. The models illustrated in this paper by Straub through his study, serve as excellent tools for teacher’s to model their own comments. The outcome is sure to benefit all involved in the writing process.