I am not color blind, and I am grateful for that. The opportunity to experience color is everywhere: feelings, food, and politics. And editing. But were you aware that one of the greatest perceived threats to students today is the application of a color? To be specific, it is in the use of the red pen.
When used by a teacher, the color red has a force that can always be counted on. Correcting a spelling test? A red pen will draw immediate attention to the misspelled word, as well as shouting out the total score and percentage at the top of the paper. I have never had an issue with the red pen. As a student, I knew that its role was “professional” and not “personal.” The red pen conveyed that teacher-voice. Whether constructive or affirming, a comment written with the red pen demanded attention. But now some educators believe that attention created by the red pen has been deemed “stressful.”
Feelings, whether stated or implied, have always been attributed to color. Red is not the sole defendant. We have all used colors for both negative and positive situations. Feeling blue? Well, maybe not if you just won a blue ribbon. Are you green with envy? Probably not if you just got the green light on your latest project. How about politics? Is your state red or blue? Depending on your party affiliation, one of these is good for our country while the other will lead us to despair. But then, if you are not sure, you just might live in a purple state. And then there is red. We have all had the experience of seeing red, but what about the color of passion and love? No one can ignore the impact of the color red.
Well, the red pen has become the latest scapegoat for inducing stress in students. Teachers, principals, and some school districts have banned the use of the red pen in the correction of students’ work. More “neutral” colors are being employed, such as green and purple. In fact, manufacturers of pens such as Bic have increased their production of purple pens expressly for use by teachers. The first time I corrected spelling tests as a volunteer in my children’s classrooms, I was given a green pen and told that it was less stressful for students if work was corrected in green. It actually reminded me of when I was in 6th grade and my teacher had us peer correct papers. We were told to place a “C” next to the correct answers, leaving the incorrect answers unmarked. We were told that it stressed a more positive tone. After receiving our papers back, we used simple math to determine how many we got wrong. So much for tone.
When my son started his 8th grade year, his English teacher sent home a list of supplies to bring to class. They included college ruled paper, pencil with eraser, black pen . . . and a red pen. This struck a chord in my writer’s heart. Speaking as a writer, and with a husband who makes his living writing, the red pen has always been an invaluable tool for improving writing. Over the years, my husband Brad has spoken to 6th grade classrooms at our children’s elementary school, and he has campaigned for the red pen. The power that the red pen has in the hands of the young writer can be transforming. Its use helps the student/writer and teacher/editor deconstruct and re-map a piece of writing. Marks on a written page can blend together, but the marks of a red pen is a beacon for the writer. It takes the writer by the shoulders and says, “This is where we get to business.”
Physical items do not possess power. Instead, their power is assigned by people. I love the color red. Red is a color that is in nearly every room of my house. I see it as welcoming, passionate, and happy. As an educator, I want my students to feel empowered and confident. So I will choose the red pen.
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