5 tips for writing correctors

I have been working as a writing corrector for more than ten years, and although the time has flown by it has been a huge learning curve. I have learned a lot from the students whose work I have corrected and over time, I have discovered a few strategies that have made this job very enjoyable for me.

In this article, I share some of these tips with you. If you are a writing corrector like me, I think you may find them helpful!

Discipline. As you are working from home you need to motivate yourself and stay focused. Self-discipline is one sure way of staying on track.

• Try setting a target of how many corrections you are going to do every day and make sure you stick to it. This will ensure that you don’t get into a situation at the end of the week or month where you suddenly realise you are way behind your target. That will make you rush through the corrections to meet the deadline and that is where you start making mistakes.
• At the same time, you can’t be too rigid. If you find your attention wandering, or that you have been correcting work with a lot of mistakes, make sure you take a break and start working again only when your mind feels fresh.

Organization. To help stay organized, I have built up a corpus in a Word document which covers the meanings of common words, word choice, and all kinds of grammar rules linked to capitalisation etc. All I need to do when I am doing the corrections is to copy and paste the correction in the appropriate place. I constantly add to it as I go along. I suggest that you try building up a corpus with something similar which can help to make your work easier.

Keep your students in mind. It’s also important to focus on the student. I find it helpful to take a step back and think of the students first. For example, you could take a minute to put yourself in the students’ shoes. They are making an effort; we need to do our best to help them. That is why I feel we should always think of the students when we are correcting their work. If we can help even in the smallest way, we should do so.

Enjoy what you are doing. So many times, I have found myself fascinated by the places or events the students describe. It is enriching if you choose to look at it that way. You are learning about different people, cultures, and situations. If you can find ways to truly enjoy your work, it will become more than something that is just routine and this positive attitude will make a huge difference! Personally, I find that this helps me to finish my work faster.

Sujata D.

Sujata is a Writing Corrector at our center in Bangalore, India. She has been an avid reader since childhood, she loves traveling, and as she is currently learning Portuguese, she is looking forward to visiting many more places in the near future.

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