Remains of the day
Dedicated to the year ten English teacher who set an assignment ‘design a book cover’, and gave a B to the girl who designed the back cover because of course I meant the front cover, thus punishing the girl for her (complete) inability to draw, although the subject in question was English, and wasn’t having compulsory art lessons suffering enough for a person like her? And also that B completely ignored the fact that in choosing to design the back cover, the girl demonstrated excellent creativity and insightful analysis of the book in question as well as a good understanding of all that there is in a book as object (isbn etc etc etc) and even her mother agreed that she was not being a smart arse and praised her creativity. And yes, that was the same teacher who taught Shakespeare by assigning a part from Romeo and Juliet to different students in the class and making them read it aloud day after day after week and stretching into a month, and NEVER NOT ONCE EVER giving the girl in question a part to read. Bitter? Yeah. And twisted too.
we had to read R & J line by line around the class. never understood this as a teaching technique. seemed like laziness to me.
Still, I suppose it really instilled a love of Shakespeare into us all. Or not.
What.an.idiot.
In the words of Ted Bullpitt, “someone should blow bad teachers up!”
Oh yeah, a B grade is most definitely worth cracking a shit over. I know of three acts of what is now legally deemed to be terrorism instigated by the recipients of an A-, and a real, actual, like, you know, proper and shit, war from having received countless Fs.
How’s my infliction of psychological trauma faring? I’ve been sensing a flaw with the fluency of late. 😉
Good news for ya: Shakespeare’s dead.
It’s the anger. Inhibits fluency. Hopefully, this got it out of my system.
I don’t know why you’d read the whole play in class. I can understand reading certain pivotal scenes. But just show the kids the BBC version, and Baz’s version and go from there.
And how refreshing is it to hear someone quoting good old Ted ‘money on the fridge, wog’ Bullpit. Go chosha
erm…I was at school several years before Baz was making movies.
We saw the BBC one, but. Presumably our (or their) line by line reading enhanced our viewing.
Yes, I liked chosha’s contribution very much too (and also her blog)
It’s been a while for me since tenth grade (as well), which is why I’m out of sorts with giving people shit.
For the record, I’m hardly ever angry. The exception is when third graders deliberately and repeatedly punch me in the nads. My skin turns green and the shirt shoots off my body.
P.S. I’m glad you didn’t take that bullshit literally, as it’s obvious to everyone with an eye for talent that you’ve become an invaluable asset to the book world. 🙂
Enjoy the weekend, TC.
I think that line-by-line teaching technique for kids is pure laziness of thought from the teachers. It works quite well for older students, and is indispensable for drama students, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT WILL WORK WITH YOUNG TEENS.
I was downgraded in Science glass in Yr 8 for FAILING TO DRAW COVER PAGES when we started a new topic.
I’d simply write “Genetics” across my page, instead of colouring in dividing cells and bunsen burners.
Lazy wanker.
Yes, you, Mr Walker, you.