Gilmore #4
Getting It Together

I liked the parts in this chapter that ellaborated on getting offended and the ability to ask questions about your writing. There have been two very current and distenct instances this past week on my writing submissions for my classes. Two way different classes, two very different writing styles, and two way different professors: as a result, two way different suggestions.

I just want to say, when students eagerly look at the paper they poured hours of labor to create and find hundred of corrections or suggestions on the front page, our hearts sink. However, it is what these comments say that "make or break us."

I had to do this huge experiment and write a paper on my results. I got my paper back and saw a lot of writing, being that I am not a very confident writer in the first place, my heart sank. But this time it was different. This professor enjoyed my writing style and she actually said that. She made funny likeably comments, like it was actually fun for her to read my paper. Yes, there were some suggestions made, that will definitly help me with my next paper, but overall, I felt successful and confident to write that next paper.
On the other hand, in my other class, I had to research and present my research. Once again I saw a paper with hundreds of ink marks on my paper. Trust me, after awhile they just looked like markings on a piece of paper. i was so hurt by what was writtin and how it was written, it actually made me loose my previously new found confidence. It made me not want to write anymore papers for this professor, becasue deep down I felt I had done a fine job. But, in that one instant, I lost confidence in that class and in my writing.

These two experiences has shown me what kind of english teacher I want to be. I wont mark every little pointless correction just to make myself seem more powewrful or important then my students. I will not write little hurtful comments that did not need to be written. But I will help each student to be proud of thier own personal writing style, and to perfect it. Every one is different and it is reflected in thier writing, who am I to say that style is wrong. I am the one the students can come to for help thier writing style, not to change it!