ABSTRACT
Salzman's anecdote reminds me of the risks involved when we share our writing with one another. The ritual apologies that pour from my adolescents serve as a continual reminder of the risk my students take when they entrust me with their writing. Strong writers will become special writers. Always telling students what is wrong with their papers is a recipe for killing off young writers. When responding to student papers, I start by examining what good writers do. Traditionally, teachers collect their students' papers at the end of the writing process and it is only at that point that students receive feedback. Providing feedback midprocess does not add another layer of work for the teacher—it moves the bulk of the end-of-paper response to the middle of the process. Unfortunately, that is precisely what happens to young writers. The teacher is aware of the young musician's other deficiencies, but those are momentarily set aside so that progress can be made.
