|
ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Techniques and methods in Language Teaching > Are You an Angry Red Pen??
Are You an Angry Red Pen??
|
Nebal
|
Are You an Angry Red Pen??
|
|
Hi eveyone there,
Recently I �ve read the following:
Teachers have been advised that marking students � work in red pen could harm their mental health.
A health expert reveals, "Don �t mark in a red pen (which can be seen as aggressive) - use a different colour."
I don �t know if this should be seriously taken. I feel like it �s not the colour that could be detrimental to childrens � well being rather than the way a teacher corrects. Some teachers scribble all over the kid �s paper which might be discouraging and depressing.
What do you think of this issue, dear teachers??? Shouldn �t we use the red pen for correction?? Could it be that aggressive???
Are you an Angry red pen ?? How do your students react when they see many corrections in red ???
Nebal |
25 Jul 2009
|
|
|
|
carlaaguiarsilva
|
|
Hello! I usually correct the papers using red, but I �ve also heard about that theory. I don �t agree with it... It �s not a question of being angry, it �s just to draw attention to the mistakes. I sometimes use green or pink, but just for fun. Have a wonderful Summer everyone, I �ve started my vacations today!!!!! Hugs from Portugal, Carla |
25 Jul 2009
|
|
|
manonski (f)
|
|
I rarely use red because I like changing colours.
Personally, I �m worried about the fact that it �s becoming more difficult to call it as I see it. I �m worried that when my students become adults, they will not have been confronted to frustration or failure. I �m not wishing them hard times on purpose but the fact that I have to tiptoe around learning difficulties or behavior problems bothers me. |
25 Jul 2009
|
|
|
Spagman63
|
Red is the most shocking color to the human eye and therefore creates a nice contrast to the pencil or ink that the students write in. Red is perceived differently in different cultures.To the Chinese it is a magical color. Both Hong Kong and China have red in the flags. I think it is ridiculous to say that using red ink reflects anger. I tell my kids, "The less red ink you see the better you are doing." LOL
|
25 Jul 2009
|
|
|
fsams
|
Colour isn �t the factor I believe...it �s the way teachers mark it!!
I always use RED and never forget to give positive reinforcement!!! I mean you could always write something like "Good work", Well done, Lovely....kindda like that...
Another thing is that RED is used �Universally � by teachers worldwide.....
It �s my view....
Fsams
|
25 Jul 2009
|
|
|
Lana.
|
Red is soooo last century...
I use crimson, dark-orange or purple.
I do agree that red is aggressive, somehow makes students feel guilty - red is a very strong colour, red is the colour of danger signs, red is the colour of Don �t Cross traffic light, red is the colour of the ambulance cross... 
I have adults and I wouldn �t want them to feel like back to primary school again...
Besides, I think that many mistakes are relative... Language is flexible, and I don �t want to supress the students � creativity by marking in red colour.  |
25 Jul 2009
|
|
|
wakebeauty
|
|
I work at a school that it is forbidden to correct using red. We must correct always in green!
I don �t agree much with that theory, in my country there �s an author that defends this theory, she �s called Jussara Hofman. I think it a little bit exagerated... there are worse things that shock our students, as for example their absent parents nowadays...
|
25 Jul 2009
|
|
|
zambia09
|
I use red most of the time. Sometimes I use pink or purple as well. Once I talked about this with my students (11-15years old). They told me red pen is OK for them as it helps them to memorize the mistakes and next time they could beware of them.
I am still young (33) and I don �t think at all that red would be sooooo last century. Don �t be soooooooo negative, Lana. 
|
25 Jul 2009
|
|
|
Lana.
|
|
It is as a matter of fact the right thing to do - to ASK your students how they fell about the red colour. If they are all right, then go ahead.
I personally didn �t like red pen at school. |
25 Jul 2009
|
|
|
Cyn.
|
Hi everyone!
In my case, I �ve seen teachers mark papers in a beautiful bright light blue pen, but being super aggresive at doing it... Marking errors that were not to be corrected at that level, endlessly circling wrong words, totally changing the student �s style, and writing in big letters phrases such as "WHAT?".
It is not in what colour you correct, it is how you correct!
I personally couldn �t care less what colour I use, but I do try to pay lots of attention to everything I mark, and specially to not discourage my students!
Happy weekend everyone!
Cyn
|
25 Jul 2009
|
|
|
totya ( F )
|
|
Last year I lost my red pen for one day. I took a blue one instead.
What do you think my ( 16 - 17 ) years old students have done???
I entered that day 5 classes . All of them refused the blue pen and
offered me their red pens.  |
25 Jul 2009
|
|
1
2
Next >
|
