If handwriting commentary, it is important to avoid using red ink. Since teachers have traditionally used red ink whenever correcting student work so it stands out from the blue or black writing of students, red ink has become the privilege of teachers, the color of authority. Commentary written in blue, black, or even green ink can prevent students from regarding the teacher as the authoritarian and harsh critic. Writing commentary in a color that students use in a way puts teachers and students on the same level, and students are more likely to approach comments as suggestions that they can use to improve their writing rather than as criticisms of errors and problematic areas.
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