For all the grammar police out there

[cw1982]

This is exactly why I don't want to be a teacher. I fear I'll write mean words like "moron" and "idiot" on students' papers and end up getting myself fired.

Yeah, that's always hard, especially when the advanced students gripe that I don't give them enough feedback on their papers, but then when I do give them more feedback, they say I'm too hard on them. I can't win.

I thought about switching careers, but I'm 8 years in now, so changing jobs would be difficult.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Yeah, that's always hard, especially when the advanced students gripe that I don't give them enough feedback on their papers, but then when I do give them more feedback, they say I'm too hard on them. I can't win.

I thought about switching careers, but I'm 8 years in now, so changing jobs would be difficult.

If I was 8 years in, I wouldn't change either.

My advisor at my university told me I should consider becoming an English professor. If I did teach, it would most likely be college-level. What grade level do you teach?

 

[cw1982]

If I was 8 years in, I wouldn't change either.

My advisor at my university told me I should consider becoming an English professor. If I did teach, it would most likely be college-level. What grade level do you teach?

I teach high school. This coming year I'll have primarily 9th grade, which I'm fine with because that's my favorite part of the curriculum. I thought about trying to teach at the college level, and may still do so part time for extra money, but the reason I stayed with the high school level is because the collegiate setting tends to be more cut throat. From what my friends who do teach at colleges have told me, tenured positions are harder and harder to come by, and most schools want to hire part-time or adjunct faculty to cut down on benefits being paid out and higher salaries. It's not impossible as a career, but I highly recommend having something else to do between semesters or while you're teaching part-time to supplement your income if that's the path you choose.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I teach high school. This coming year I'll have primarily 9th grade, which I'm fine with because that's my favorite part of the curriculum. I thought about trying to teach at the college level, and may still do so part time for extra money, but the reason I stayed with the high school level is because the collegiate setting tends to be more cut throat. From what my friends who do teach at colleges have told me, tenured positions are harder and harder to come by, and most schools want to hire part-time or adjunct faculty to cut down on benefits being paid out and higher salaries. It's not impossible as a career, but I highly recommend having something else to do between semesters or while you're teaching part-time to supplement your income if that's the path you choose.

Hmm... Interesting. Teaching is one of my last resorts. I would really like to become an editor, or use my skills for a major film production company. We'll see what happens.

 

[Californian Elitist]

This talk of school reminds me of my AP English teacher in high school. I remember him telling our class we were a relief for him because his other classes were filled with "slackers". I thought that was funny.

 

[JenniferS]

Too funny. I woke up this morning (no, that's not the funny part) to find my brother had posted this song to my Facebook wall.

"Made me think of you."

 

[JenniferS]

If I was 8 years in, I wouldn't change either.

My advisor at my university told me I should consider becoming an English professor. If I did teach, it would most likely be college-level. What grade level do you teach?

If I were eight years in ....

If I had gone into teaching, someone would have shot me by now.

Spoiler

And we don't even that many guns up here.

 

[JenniferS]

Hmm... Interesting. Teaching is one of my last resorts. I would really like to become an editor, or use my skills for a major film production company. We'll see what happens.

I've done some corporate editing. It was mind-numbingly dull.

I thought I'd be like Seinfeld's Elaine, when she worked for Pendant Publishing.
Ummm ... not so much.

 

[Nemo14]

My favorite was a paper I graded a few years ago where the student stopped, mid-sentence, and said, "well, Mrs. W, this is all I can come up with, so I'm gonna stop here. So good luck! "

Yes. She really included the smiley face after wishing ME good luck. I've always wondered what I was supposed to need luck for at that moment? Avoiding a heart attack?

As a retired math teacher married to a retired math teacher with a science-teacher daughter, I have seen more than my share of stupidity, from students, parents, fellow teachers, and administrators. One of the joys of all the "new standards" crap was having to give essay-type questions on every test. Students (and some parents even) used to get upset with me because I would correct spelling and grammar on their essays. How dare I ?!!!

I'll leave you with my favorite essay story though, which has nothing at all to do with spelling or grammar - just stupidity. I'll preface this with a little background info:
Back before internet days (yes I'm that old) if a student had to write a paper, they would have to research it at a library in actual books or periodicals. Copy-paste was not an option, nor was scanning, although there were "copy machines" available for a price. It was a grueling task at times, involving a lot of reading, note-taking, and typing.

DH was teaching middle-school math at the time, and had a student who was struggling to achieve a passing grade, despite a lot of after-school help. She just didn't "get" math. So, as a last straw attempt to justify a passing grade for her, DH told her that if she could write a paper about a famous mathematician, he would give her the points she needed to bring her average up to passing. He gave her a list of possible names, and she chose Euclid. Two weeks later I heard uproarious laughter coming from the living room where DH was reading the assignment. The opening sentence to this 3 page paper went like this: Euclid - a town in Ohio, named after the famous mathematician. She went on to describe the climate, population, industry, etc. of Euclid, Ohio.

 

[Master Yoda]

As a retired math teacher married to a retired math teacher with a science-teacher daughter, I have seen more than my share of stupidity, from students, parents, fellow teachers, and administrators. One of the joys of all the "new standards" crap was having to give essay-type questions on every test. Students (and some parents even) used to get upset with me because I would correct spelling and grammar on their essays. How dare I ?!!!

I'll leave you with my favorite essay story though, which has nothing at all to do with spelling or grammar - just stupidity. I'll preface this with a little background info:
Back before internet days (yes I'm that old) if a student had to write a paper, they would have to research it at a library in actual books or periodicals. Copy-paste was not an option, nor was scanning, although there were "copy machines" available for a price. It was a grueling task at times, involving a lot of reading, note-taking, and typing.

DH was teaching middle-school math at the time, and had a student who was struggling to achieve a passing grade, despite a lot of after-school help. She just didn't "get" math. So, as a last straw attempt to justify a passing grade for her, DH told her that if she could write a paper about a famous mathematician, he would give her the points she needed to bring her average up to passing. He gave her a list of possible names, and she chose Euclid. Two weeks later I heard uproarious laughter coming from the living room where DH was reading the assignment. The opening sentence to this 3 page paper went like this: Euclid - a town in Ohio, named after the famous mathematician. She went on to describe the climate, population, industry, etc. of Euclid, Ohio.

I honestly don't know how more teachers do not snap on a daily basis. I fully expect at least one third of you to end up in a park, cooing like a pigeon and throwing bread crumbs at yourself after what you deal with on a daily basis.

 

[The Mom]

As a retired math teacher married to a retired math teacher with a science-teacher daughter, I have seen more than my share of stupidity, from students, parents, fellow teachers, and administrators. One of the joys of all the "new standards" crap was having to give essay-type questions on every test. Students (and some parents even) used to get upset with me because I would correct spelling and grammar on their essays. How dare I ?!!!

I'll leave you with my favorite essay story though, which has nothing at all to do with spelling or grammar - just stupidity. I'll preface this with a little background info:
Back before internet days (yes I'm that old) if a student had to write a paper, they would have to research it at a library in actual books or periodicals. Copy-paste was not an option, nor was scanning, although there were "copy machines" available for a price. It was a grueling task at times, involving a lot of reading, note-taking, and typing.

.

I'll bet you had a little box with 3x5 or 4x6 lined index cards for each paper, just as I did. You probably also discovered just the right pressure needed when typing on onionskin paper so the words were legible, but still easy to erase.

 

[The Mom]

I cringe when people use lightening when they mean lightning. One of them is what many women do to their (not there, or they're) hair, while the other is a weather phenomenon.

 

[ABQ]

"I'm smarter than you're."

I saw that on a t-shirt and had to do a double take. Grammatically, is it not correct? It just seems odd.

 

[Nemo14]

I'll bet you had a little box with 3x5 or 4x6 lined index cards for each paper, just as I did. You probably also discovered just the right pressure needed when typing on onionskin paper so the words were legible, but still easy to erase.

Yes, but then you had to line the paper up just right to type over the erasure.

 

[cw1982]

"I'm smarter than you're."

I saw that on a t-shirt and had to do a double take. Grammatically, is it not correct? It just seems odd.

The contraction isn't the problem there, technically. It's the ending of the sentence with "are." The sentence should have ended with the word "you" without the contraction on the end. While there is no hard rule against ending a sentence with "are," it's redundant and unnecessary in this case, so it makes the sentence awkward.

 

[ABQ]

The contraction isn't the problem there, technically. It's the ending of the sentence with "are." The sentence should have ended with the word "you" without the contraction on the end. While there is no hard rule against ending a sentence with "are," it's redundant and unnecessary in this case, so it makes the sentence awkward.

You are smarter than I am. See what I did there?

 

[cw1982]

You are smarter than I am. See what I did there?

Lol

The "am" is redundant as well, but because it's not in contraction form it sounds more formal. While it may not sound right to some, that sentence should have ended with "I."

 

[The Mom]

Lol

The "am" is redundant as well, but because it's not in contraction form it sounds more formal. While it may not sound right to some, that sentence should have ended with "I."

If someone were (not where or we're or weir - if you're reading Thomas Hardy) to complete the sentence, the redundancy would be apparent. "You are smarter than I am....." What would follow? Tall? Tired? Hungry? No, smart, of course. It's understood.

 

[Nemo14]

If someone were (not where or we're or weir - if you're reading Thomas Hardy) to complete the sentence, the redundancy would be apparent. "You are smarter than I am....." What would follow? Tall? Tired? Hungry? No, smart, of course. It's understood.

Smartiepants!

 

[The Mom]

BTW, I've learned to ignore spelling or grammatical errors on the net. I've learned that I'm much more likely to make one myself when correcting someone.