SPOKEN RESPONSE: Space, Time, And Movies of The Mind

As I write this opening paragraph, I have just completed another academic term. I have spent approximately 150 hours in class, meeting with four composition sections. Using my grade book and a calculator, I realize that I have also spent 143 hours outside of class responding to my students’ drafts and portfolios. This semester has been typical; the numbers merely quantify what all composition instructors are always acutely aware of: responding to student writing is one of the most important—if notthemost important—activities in which we engage when we teach writing. Has it always been this way?