"Good luck dealing with your friend's death -- If I can be of help let me know."
There are three messages on this essay to me in 1983, my first semester attending Connecticut College:
1.
"The paper has been improved--its weakest elements removed--and its better part a bit improved.
However, in the end you merely state your views--you neither explain nor support (argue) for them--
Stiel, ... (whatever the f*ck he said--can't read it...)."
2.
"Yoo (u?) should go to the Writing Center -- --- You simply do not write in Standard English -- thus hard to follow you (notice no period)"
3.
"God (crossed out) Good luck on dealig with your friend's death -- If I can be of help let me know."
This is what I call a "prick" professor. Professor Winter was my Sociology Professor in my first year at Connecticut College, and he was a prick. That blue page just below this page (a re-written essay by the way) is a student referral form to the College Writing Center for "Grammar and usage" and "Unidiomatic language."
I took this shot with my phone because I'm really behind and had hoped to compose a shot with my DSLR. I went in search of my high school essays today and happened upon my "College Essays" folder instead. Why was I in search of one of my high school essays? A fellow alumna from my high school recently passed away, and someone on Facebook posted a shot of a religion teacher we all adored in high school (but the FB poster did not know the name--so I went in search of an essay where I would have surely put his name at the top!)...alas, I fell upon the wrong folder.
Instead of finding the name of a teacher who inspired many of us in our teen years, I happened upon the comments of a professor who made my life a living hell my first year in college because he poked fun at one of my greatest insecurities--my writing. Not only did he say that I did not write in Standard English, but he also said in the same breath, "oh, by the way, sorry your friend died." Teachers/Professors like these are PRICKS.
I ended up declaring an English major in college, and I even obtained an M.A. in English later (and PhD studies in Rhetoric/Composition), but not without my continuing doubts as a writer. You see, I hear people always analyzing writers for errors in grammar, style, and syntax, but rarely on “message.” Apparently, one cannot have something to say unless he/she says it correctly. Bullsh*t.
There is this wonderful group of people out there who love to judge writers on their "grammaticality." Grammaticality = Morality, or something stupid like that. Good Speller = Superior Person. Or again, something stupid like that.
I am a writer. I teach writing (gasp). I've authored an internationally awarded, online composition course, and guess what? I can't spell for sh*t. I can catch others' misspellings, but I can't always catch my own. Some would argue that it was that dang phonetics emphasis in the 70’s, or that people just never learned to spell irregular words "correctly" (yeah, memorizing all those irregularities is second nature to, um, about 5% of the population), but in the end, I have a spelling problem. Always have.
I guess I post this photo today because I’m sick of people making fun of people who have issues with writing. I’ve reviewed my essays by Professor Winter, and I can say that he was just full of sh*t and self-aggrandizement, and he enjoyed spilling it on the margins and within the text of my essays. For a first year student, trying to make a way in college, I ended up believing I was just stupid. You should see the blood on the pages. It was gross and completely inappropriate.
Some irony in this photo exists and makes me smirk because one of the great laments of this generation is the fact that cursive writing is not being taught in elementary schools (depending on the state). Well, folks, here’s my take: I could barely read my professor’s writing in cursive in 1983. Don’t know what motor function and brain development he got from being trained professionally in his time, but to me he will always be known as JUST A PRICK.
Wow, what a prick! What is with the red pen. Why do they insist on bloodying our work with red slashes? Funny that you saved this all these years. I had a boss who ripped up my writing and filled the whole page with red ink. I saved it, too, and showed it to HR as I complained about her practices on my way out.
@amandal Amanda, I have every high school, college, and graduate school essay I wrote (or most of them). Oddly, the only one missing is my graduate Thesis (I see only a draft--not the final). Oh well, screw him. He was a prick. ;)
Total. I was just talking about a prick the other day. First job out of college. I was an assistant to a team of realtors (all men) and did marketing and even answered the phones. One of the realtors who was not much older than me, approached me with a pile of papers and said, Since you are so good at making copies...would you...So hard on my pride, that job. I so didn't expect to be that low with a collage degree. Just a stepping stone for a short while, but oooooh, what a prick.
This is an amazing sharing! :) Thank you for being brave. Thank you for sticking with your writing. Thank you for stepping into a role in which you can enlighten (and change) the experiences of students.
I had a prof during my Masters program that insisted I needed to go to the Writing Center. He was a self-grandizing prick, too. Go figure. Maybe they were friends. I wanted to send him a signed copy of my diss.
As a fellow educator, one of my strong beliefs is that we can make or break the self-esteem of young ppl. We, as educators, need to celebrate each and every student and lead them to believe in their own potential: their *OWN* potential.
Hot dog, Daryl! I love your story. My photojournalism professor completely removed my spark. I came across some of my college photos and he said nothing helpful! The other funny thing about your story is that, last week, I had to deal with an awful, awful man. I have never actually said the word you use here until last week. So, good for you for defying such a man.
Prick seems to fit this guy! He could use a lesson in penmanship! If you're so bad why did he give you a B?? Glad you believed in yourself and succeeded despite this asshole.
@danette Yeah, I'm sure I've been some student's horror too, but I know after my few experiences with instructors like these, I tried not to be this harsh. I've had amazing instructors along the way--this one just really killed my sense of worth as a writer--and at the starting gate--first semester in college. Oh well. I don't use that word, much, just so you know. It was intentionally a "writing" piece that pushed the envelope. Thanks for reading. Hot dog points to you and all!
@voiceprintz As a teacher, tutor, instructor, I try my best not to squelch the passions of so many who come with a whole set of talents and struggles. Start with talent and build from there! :)
AMEN! Listen, sorry I mentioned your use of it's and its before. My girlfriend is a MA/PhD in English Lit with a MA in ESL. I get it all the time from her. But, listen, I can't spell well either. I started learning German when I was in 2nd grade. My elementary school was also heavily focused on phonics (sp? ;) ) and to this day I think both of those language learning modalities f'd up my ability to spell correctly. Spelling is important, of course, or communication is not possible. Word meaning, especially in International context, can change so much with the slightest misspelling, and can lead to disastrous consequences. So, I think we should always try to be as precise as possible. Of course.
Spell check isn't always our friend either. I once replaced Gotama in an essay from Siddhartha (Hesse) with the word Goatee. And, it was spell check so it replaced something like 13 uses of the word. And, honestly, I didn't proofread the paper well.
I had a composition in writing course as a requirement in college. The instructor was constantly slamming my writing and giving me a poor grade. It was odd for me because I had always received praise for my writing. I received a 5 on my AP English exam for example. But, I happened to know that the professor was gay. No problem with that. But, the reason I include that is because for my final assignment I wrote a pro argument for gays in the military and anti "don't ask don't tell". Best grade he ever gave me and he included the paper in the college best of essay collection for the department that year.
I am glad you aren't that teacher Daryl. Be honest and help foster potential and talent. And it might not help, but keep this in mind. That prick probably made you a better a teacher by making you NOT want to be like him.
June 21st, 2014
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I had a prof during my Masters program that insisted I needed to go to the Writing Center. He was a self-grandizing prick, too. Go figure. Maybe they were friends. I wanted to send him a signed copy of my diss.
As a fellow educator, one of my strong beliefs is that we can make or break the self-esteem of young ppl. We, as educators, need to celebrate each and every student and lead them to believe in their own potential: their *OWN* potential.
FAV
Spell check isn't always our friend either. I once replaced Gotama in an essay from Siddhartha (Hesse) with the word Goatee. And, it was spell check so it replaced something like 13 uses of the word. And, honestly, I didn't proofread the paper well.
I had a composition in writing course as a requirement in college. The instructor was constantly slamming my writing and giving me a poor grade. It was odd for me because I had always received praise for my writing. I received a 5 on my AP English exam for example. But, I happened to know that the professor was gay. No problem with that. But, the reason I include that is because for my final assignment I wrote a pro argument for gays in the military and anti "don't ask don't tell". Best grade he ever gave me and he included the paper in the college best of essay collection for the department that year.
I am glad you aren't that teacher Daryl. Be honest and help foster potential and talent. And it might not help, but keep this in mind. That prick probably made you a better a teacher by making you NOT want to be like him.