Other Helpful Suggestions From Dohrer
Dohrer (1991) also learned that students will unfailingly revise anything marked by the teacher, except if "they encountered comments calling for macrostructure changes"(p.51). When these changes are proposed by teachers, students typically add a "sentence or two related to the teacher's concern. Students seemed to feel even a token response would be satisfactory"(p.51).
Dohrer (1991) also included several suggestions for teachers. He suggests, as does Greenhalgh (1992), that students and teachers need to discuss their roles in the classroom and what they "value concerning writing"(p.53). Further, once these values are determined, teachers must not, through their comments "betray the values established in the class"(p.53). This process of determining and adhering to values is critical in the development of trust between teachers and students. As we all know, trust is crucial in any student/teacher relationship, but it may be more important with adult education students because of the excessive negative experiences they have had in their past schooling.