Why does it bother me so much to have papers with marks on them? Papers I've turned in for class that come back with corrections and a grade.
I keep getting frustrated when I get my papers for English class back. Today, I finally wondered why.
I think it's because writing is kinda dear to me. Yes, I do hope to publish a novel (or two) some day, whether it's the "Great American Novel" or not, just as long as it's published. I enjoy writing; I get comfortable in front of my laptop and write fiction for my own enjoyment. I'm not grading it. It doesn't have to be fantabulous. It makes me happy. It makes me happy just to be writing it. I can let my creative juices flow, in my personal, unjudged by people, myself time.
So, why would that effect getting papers graded for class? Perhaps because the grade, the marks of correction mean my writing is not acceptable. It is imperfect. It is being judged, not mearly enjoyed. It's not supportive marks, just marks. Not marks made by a best friend who is honest with the mistakes but genuinly wants the best I can do and shows me which direction to go. The hardest part may be when I cannot see a reason for some of the marks. They are just there, and I believe the correction marks are wrong. That is extremely frustrating. Especially when it happens every paper. Every paper I think there is at least one mark that is incorrect and, therefore, should not count against me.
Should I let it bother me so much? Most likely no. The theory behind the class is to learn and improve my writing. It doesn't much feel like that's happening, but perhaps it is. Perhaps it is.
That's because the standard for University-level writing in our day was set, in a truly monstrous irony, by Mr George Orwell. Your instructor is probably just doing his job, which these days has come to mean mincing essays with a guillotine in order to make them easily digestible for the illiterate. My sympathies.
ReplyDeleteOf course, it's also just possible that they really are mistakes he's pointing out...
some of them are mistakes, I will concede. That doesn't mean I like them much more, but still, at least they help somewhat.
ReplyDeleteThe ones that get me are the ones that look downright wrong. To make the change that is suggested (or sometimes no change is suggested) makes no sense.
Every time I write a paper, I put a little of myself in it. So it hurts when the effort I made comes back with a lot of marks, especially marks that make no sense.
Why don't you meet with whomever-it-is and ask him to explain the marks that don't make sense?
ReplyDeleteoh, I've done that (and I might likely do it again). Let's just say it's annoying.. sometimes WAY annoying. I'll probably just suck it up and ask. *sigh*
ReplyDelete..only 3 more days of this class!
I once met with a math professor to ask how I could improve, as I wasn't making the grade I hoped for in the class. His answer was "You just need to work more homework problems. You'll get it." Frustrating. Not very helpful.
ReplyDelete