In recent years, research on response to student writing within the field of composition studies has waned and given way to scholarship in Second Language Writing. This lull in the research has also contributed to a gap in the research pertaining to Teaching Associates' responses to student writing. While all teachers of writing stand to gain from a revival of this issue, Teaching Associates are perhaps the most in need of renewed interest. This study analyzes the responses to student writing by two Teaching Associates. Using the sample responses as a guide, this paper examines issues of motivation, effectiveness, and practical concerns expressed by Teaching Associates tasked with teaching student writers. Ultimately, this paper argues that if responses on student writing are to have the desired effect, the field needs to reexamine and reevaluate the ways that new teachers are taught to interact with student writers.
