Editing
Students won't stand for it - first draft edit
My first editor made me a much better writer. I always looked forward to her comments. She was ruthless but she always gave a reason why. I learned so much about how to write from her. I try to channel her wisdom when I edit stories now. When I tell someone on staff that something is wrong, I always make sure I tell them why. Editing is about learning. As much as I always want to improve, I want everyone on my staff to always improve. I want those on the staff of the Red & Black to understand how to be responsible journalists, to report thoroughly and use their platform to accurately and compassionately give a voice to those that they cover. When I edit stories, my goal is teach while also making sure that everything we publish is the best it can be. It's what my first editor taught me, and now it's what I want to instill in others.
Editing checklist
This summer, I was fortunate enough to attend writing classes taught by both Moni Basu and Bobby Hawthorne. After attending both of their classes, I came up with a list of questions to answer and things to remove so that my staff could independently tighten up their writing.
Editing my own writing - Living up to the Wilson standard
The students scramble to take out their books. The room is silent besides the desperate scratching of pens. The only person answering questions is the unimpressed teacher. It’s English class, and it’s every man for themselves.
“This isn’t high quality. Now you guys haven’t seen me really beat some freshmen down, but you’re gonna make me go there,” IB English teacher Linda Wilson warned. Wilson has been holding students to her high expectations for 30 years. Inside the classroom, the anxiety is palpable. She expects the freshman to live up to the “Wilson standard,” and according to her, they aren’t quite there yet.
However, despite her tough love attitude, the students have garnered respect for this take no prisoner English teacher. “She’s very helpful when it comes to work, helping you understand it, maybe not helping you do it, but she helps you understand it,” freshman Anthony Jackson explained.
Wilson pressures her students to keep their noses buried in their books but it’s not coming from a place of ill-will. “She prepares you for life and college,” freshman Natalia Artz said. And Wilson has been doing it longer than she’s officially been a teacher.
“I’ve been teaching all my life. I’ve taught brothers, sisters, dogs, cats, neighbors. I always had school, I always played school,” Wilson said. She was always trying to learn and despite being the youngest, she pushed her twin and older siblings to learn right alongside her. And her teaching wasn’t just confined to those in her household. “I taught old people when I was a kid. I taught them how to read, all kind of things,” she recalled. Inspired by her parents’ work ethic, she fearlessly educated herself and those around her.
“[My parents] did railroad work and domestic work, but they still respected education,” Wilson explained. Always something that she admired; Wilson tries to instill that same work ethic in her students. The work ethic her parents possessed was something she always had to look up to and as the years have gone by, she has strived to set the same standard for her students.
Although praise is few and far between, she isn’t heartless. Teaching is her passion, but it was never just about making sure her students passed a test or performed well on a writing assignment. Wilson’s career has been about seeing her students succeed.
“That’s one of the best parts, seeing a kid do well that you knew. That’s one of the best parts about teaching. That’s one of the best, best, best parts,” Wilson said. And she’s seen plenty of success in her time as a teacher. From doctors to lawyers to teachers and movie stars, and Wilson stays in touch with many of them.
For many, Wilson’s rough teaching style not only made them better writers but taught them to persevere. “She’s not as mean as a lot of people think,” Jackson said. Added senior McKenzie Gracyalny: “Looking back, she made me a better student.”
Many of her students have also helped her. “Some of them have even saved my own life, my own students. They told me what to do if I got sick again, and I just followed their directions,” Wilson said. Her relationship with her students has been one of affection all 30 years of her career. Her respect for education keeps her standards high but although she’s a whirlwind of activity, she’s not the “tornado” that some perceive her to be.
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Read the original version here.
I originally wrote this profile in my Journalism 1 class my freshman year. It was only the second piece that I had published in the Red & Black, and it gave me a lot of confidence. I was terrified to interview Ms. Wilson. Not only was she terrifying, but I was timid. Fortunately, interviewing her wasn't as bad as I thought and I wrote a profile that I was so proud of. I knew it wasn't perfect, but it showed me that I could write and have a voice and be good at it. So, I decided now was the time to revisit it. This was the first piece of scholastic journalism that made me excited to be a part of this environment, and it needed some work. After all, it seemed overdue for an edit. Above is the new, slightly more polished albeit still not perfect version, and the original is linked here as well.