A life of interruptions--any life,
and any interruptions--
moments of loss become
a litany of colons
the independent minded semi-colon
quiet ellipses
and even a series of exclamations points
maybe even an unexpected interobang...
23 February 2007
03 February 2007
Bad grammar makes one [sic], doesn't it?
She wrote, "I am a woman hear my rawer [sic]!" Not a Harlequin title, not a NOW slogan, not the circus's freak-show-lion-woman's yelp...
I was reading through the first round of essays, a set of informal papers to get the writer's-juices a-flowing, and I came across the above title. The students were writing on a Molière play, and the saucy maid Dorine proved--and rightfully so! --a favored topic among many. (She's the iconoclastic servant girl to whom the playwright gives a fair amount of 'air' time....). I always encourage a catchy title, something of a hook to draw the reader's eye in... Well, this sure did grab my attention--and I'm not really a plain-clothes grammar police, but if you're my student, and you turn in a paper that acts as an extension of yourself and your ability to use your native language..Well, that's a whole 'nother tale.
A few digressive thoughts--digressions within digressions, I fear--indulge me. I find rawer to be an interesting modification of roar. It makes me think of drawer (then the giggly, but outdated drawers), and just how wacky the English language is. (Over in the Queen's country, they pronounce flaw exactly as they pronounce floor. That was a wild bit of trivia.) So then I must consider this: how many teens or 20somethings were raised on "hooked on fonics" [sic], and it would be natural to sound things out, carry on that practice. However, the same generation was probably able to type before they studied penmanship (makes me sound old!), which would follow that they would have access to Word's spell check. And last I looked, rawer was not in that dictionary.
From this I move to another observation: presentation. Anything with your name on it--a painting, a business card, an essay, etc.--is an extension of your self. It is how you put yourself out in the world, how you want the world to see you... If you misspell the prof's name, a word in your title, ad nauseum, you're saying that you don't really care about the assignment. You don't really care about how you will be perceived: a conscientious student or a lax one. Appearances do matter in today's world---not just in one's height or cup size---but the world in which we want to earn our dough. But perhaps it really doesn't anymore?
The next point is that this particular paper comes from a "special needs" student. A student who has a very real learning disability. Moreover, at the college level, she clearly is not getting the help she needs. She is determined to be highly qualified in English and teach special education. Now, while I admire her drive and determination, I must wonder how she continues to fall through the academic cracks. Colleges, especially private ones, are tuition driven institutions; like a good thriving business, they want your money, and, like a good consumer, you want your purchased product--your degree or credentials. Special services for students with special needs require that students pay additional funds (on top of that beefy tuition check) for additional services required. So, if this student does not opt for these services, which she does not, she will continue to earn barely-passing grades. In the end, she will not meet the state's standards for her special education credentials... if that's the case, should this student be teaching or aiding special needs kids?
Do we live in a world, or maybe a culture, where we feel that if we have experienced something (i.e. a learning disability) that makes us qualified to serve a population going through similar experiences? Empathy qualifications... Or, should we have results-oriented professionals working with special needs individuals so that they can get the knack of using spell-check or putting a subject in their sentences? People who can do more than provide hugs? Because, let's face it, children who hug their teachers these days could be in for a sexual harassment suit...
So, the next time you see WOMENS [sic] room, get out your sharpie and consider correcting it to WOMEN'S!
I was reading through the first round of essays, a set of informal papers to get the writer's-juices a-flowing, and I came across the above title. The students were writing on a Molière play, and the saucy maid Dorine proved--and rightfully so! --a favored topic among many. (She's the iconoclastic servant girl to whom the playwright gives a fair amount of 'air' time....). I always encourage a catchy title, something of a hook to draw the reader's eye in... Well, this sure did grab my attention--and I'm not really a plain-clothes grammar police, but if you're my student, and you turn in a paper that acts as an extension of yourself and your ability to use your native language..Well, that's a whole 'nother tale.
A few digressive thoughts--digressions within digressions, I fear--indulge me. I find rawer to be an interesting modification of roar. It makes me think of drawer (then the giggly, but outdated drawers), and just how wacky the English language is. (Over in the Queen's country, they pronounce flaw exactly as they pronounce floor. That was a wild bit of trivia.) So then I must consider this: how many teens or 20somethings were raised on "hooked on fonics" [sic], and it would be natural to sound things out, carry on that practice. However, the same generation was probably able to type before they studied penmanship (makes me sound old!), which would follow that they would have access to Word's spell check. And last I looked, rawer was not in that dictionary.
From this I move to another observation: presentation. Anything with your name on it--a painting, a business card, an essay, etc.--is an extension of your self. It is how you put yourself out in the world, how you want the world to see you... If you misspell the prof's name, a word in your title, ad nauseum, you're saying that you don't really care about the assignment. You don't really care about how you will be perceived: a conscientious student or a lax one. Appearances do matter in today's world---not just in one's height or cup size---but the world in which we want to earn our dough. But perhaps it really doesn't anymore?
The next point is that this particular paper comes from a "special needs" student. A student who has a very real learning disability. Moreover, at the college level, she clearly is not getting the help she needs. She is determined to be highly qualified in English and teach special education. Now, while I admire her drive and determination, I must wonder how she continues to fall through the academic cracks. Colleges, especially private ones, are tuition driven institutions; like a good thriving business, they want your money, and, like a good consumer, you want your purchased product--your degree or credentials. Special services for students with special needs require that students pay additional funds (on top of that beefy tuition check) for additional services required. So, if this student does not opt for these services, which she does not, she will continue to earn barely-passing grades. In the end, she will not meet the state's standards for her special education credentials... if that's the case, should this student be teaching or aiding special needs kids?
Do we live in a world, or maybe a culture, where we feel that if we have experienced something (i.e. a learning disability) that makes us qualified to serve a population going through similar experiences? Empathy qualifications... Or, should we have results-oriented professionals working with special needs individuals so that they can get the knack of using spell-check or putting a subject in their sentences? People who can do more than provide hugs? Because, let's face it, children who hug their teachers these days could be in for a sexual harassment suit...
So, the next time you see WOMENS [sic] room, get out your sharpie and consider correcting it to WOMEN'S!
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