My turn to rant.

Published on January 21, 2005 By dharmagrl In Blogging

This has been coming for a few days now....and I simply can't keep it in any longer.

SPELLING CORRECTLY IS IMPORTANT.

I'm not talking about the odd slip here and there, we all do that. I'm talking about a lack of basic spelling skills we all learned when we first started writing. I'm talking about teenagers, highschoolers not being able to string a sentence together without making a mistake.

I'm also talking about finding it funny and insignificant that you can't spell properly. Having an attitude of 'Oh well, it doesn't matter that I look like an idiot because 7 year olds spell better than me. Hahaha...who cares?!'

I'll tell you who cares. Prospective employers care. Schools and organizations that you apply to join and enter care. I care.

I care because I want you, the future of America to succeed. I want you to have better than I had or your parents had.

I care because my future could depend on your actions. The country's future could depend on your actions.

Call me melodramatic if you want, but if you as you are now, with your lackadasical attitude towards your education is what we have to depend on - well, I'm afraid we're going to be fucked.

I'm not saying that you can't be frivilous and silly, that you can't have any fun - I'm just saying that there's a time and a place for everything, and your education isn't something to be taken lightly, not at your age. You're going to be out in the 'real' world in 2 or 3 years...now is the time to get serious about your future.

Not laugh and giggle because you look like a moron.

Here endeth Dharma's rant for today.

Comments (Page 1)

NJforever

on Jan 21, 2005

Heheh, nice Dharma. And let me formally introduce you to the intelligent trapped with idiots club. I know how you feel, I go to a school in a town full of people who just don't care, who sometimes just frusturate me so much I have to restrain myself from yelling out 'Morons!' I was cursed (well, I say blessed) with an extreme love of history. I love everything about it. I'm practically obsessed with Napoleon alone. Unfortunately, in my school there is no 'smart' history class, so I'm with people who are like 'Who's George Washington?' But venting rage such as that is what a blog site is for. Your pet peeve is spelling, so rant it. Of course, won't do you a dang bit of good

P.S. Yeah, I'm a loser in school, but thats what I choose not to care about.

dynamaso

on Jan 21, 2005

Dharma, you have raised a very important issue, not just within America, but globally. In a recent newspaper article here in Australia, it was revealed a group of New England University students studying to be senior high school teachers were given a Year 8 English test. Their results were staggering. A disproportionate number of these students failed the exam, which involved mainly spelling and grammar questions. While New England isn't one of our prestige Universities, the results have concerned a lot of people.

It is also a peeve of mine. While I agree there is a time and place for frivolity, common sense should dictate these occasions. Great rant, Dharma, I enjoyed it.

Cheers,

Maso

Shovelheat

on Jan 21, 2005

grate articale!

(sorry, I just couldn't help myself!)

dharmagrl

on Jan 21, 2005

Unfortunately, in my school there is no 'smart' history class, so I'm with people who are like 'Who's George Washington?'

Doesn't that just drive you nuts?!

Oh, and I was a loser in school as well. I didn't care either.

A disproportionate number of these students failed the exam, which involved mainly spelling and grammar questions. While New England isn't one of our prestige Universities, the results have concerned a lot of people.

As they should. In order to function in today's society, reading and spelling are a must. So much of our communication is written....you have to not only understand, but be able to make yourself understood, and poor spelling puts you at a disadvantage.

Great rant, Dharma, I enjoyed it.

Thank you! It felt really good to let it out too......

grate articale!

(sorry, I just couldn't help myself!)

Hehehe...that's okay!

BigDreamer415

on Jan 21, 2005

I, as well, enjoyed this rant. Whilst you're right, some of our educational institutions need to get a clue as well.

"Schools and organizations that you apply to join and enter care."

That made me laugh. Not at the statement, because I completely agree, but because sometimes, they're just as stupid. At my high school (actually last class was yesterday), they had signs up that said, "65% of students think its not okay to smoke." Lovely little professional poster, no? The its, needs an apostrophe. So, I, being the anal teenager I am, decide to go around to each sign in our large high school and put up post-its saying, "Insert apostrophe here". I also taped a nice explanation of how/where it's and its is used, and it also explained the difference.

The next week my notes were down and they had taken white out and put little apostrophes in each sign (the writing was white and the background darker.) There's gotta be at least a dozen around the whole school.

I always had to laugh to myself when I saw an error on my writing teacher's handouts.

~Sarah

MarcieMoo

on Jan 21, 2005

In first grade, when I'm correcting the kids writing, I'll go back and underneath what they've written I'll do the correct spelling for them. They're using lots of words that they haven't experienced in print yet, so they spell it phonetically, and that's what I want them to do at this point. I guess I've never really thought about this a whole lot...I think I need to talk about the literacy specialist about it now that you bring it up. Hopefully she can help me figure out how hard I should be on the kids regarding their spelling.

I guess what it comes down to is I don't have the extra 10 minutes it would take to do spelling activities in reading groups or whole group. How much do I take resoponsibility for? I send the words home every week, the kids get to experience them in their reading activities 4-5 times during the course of the week, but still...I have between 3-4 students that just don't get it. And it's because they don't practice at home. I can tell the weeks they don't practice. Because five minutes before the test this week we talked about 'ar" words...like farm, or cart, or card...and I *STILL* have children writing arm like "orm". All I have to say is DUH!

Thanks for the thought-provoking article! I need these lots.

Moderateman

on Jan 21, 2005

ouch, the 57 year old man says, as he walks to the wall to stand in the corner.....putting duncecap on..

Texas Wahine

on Jan 21, 2005

Good rant, dharma.

You know, the fact is, right or wrong, we are judged by our writing. If we spell poorly readers will assume that we are stupid . . . even though it may simply be a spelling issue that has no bearing on intelligence, people will make that assumption about us.

My poor mom is dyslexic and has got to be the world's worst speller . . . she is a bright woman, but when she writes she comes across as being far less intelligent. I cringe when I read some of the things she writes (ha, including her recent first blog) because I know that other people will judge her as being stupid based on her writing.

That's just how it is.

It's so important to learn how to write well . . . spell things correctly, write coherently, use good grammar . . . throughout our lives we will have thousands of small, medium, and big writing projects that determine minor as well as incredibly important things in our lives.

Will I get the job? Will I get approved for the loan for the house? Will little Timmy's principal excuse his absence? Will my prison pen pal write me back?

Writing well is crucial.

NJforever

on Jan 21, 2005

Doesn't that just drive you nuts?!

Yes. That's why my version of sanity is 7 parts insanity and 1 part butter.

dharmagrl

on Jan 21, 2005

Thanks for the thought-provoking article! I need these lots.

But you're teaching 1st graders, not high schoolers, Marcie. They're little, they have a whole lot of years to go in which to learn good spelling and writing skills. You're a great teacher, you're too hard on yourself some times.....

ouch, the 57 year old man says, as he walks to the wall to stand in the corner.....putting duncecap on..

I wasn't talking about you, sweetie....and you're no dunce. Besides, you don't make light of your language skills....

Reply #8 By: Texas Wahine - 1/21/2005 11:19:24 PM
Good rant, dharma.

You know, the fact is, right or wrong, we are judged by our writing.

Thanks, Tex...and happy birthday!

You're right, we are. As you said, the smartest people can come over as incredibly stupid if they don't have good writing skills. First impressions last, unfortunately...

greywar

on Jan 22, 2005

Could be worse... at least no one has taken to posting in leetspeak yet.

Zoologist03

on Jan 22, 2005

I know what inspired this...man, do I love knowing the backstory. You're right dharma, of course don't let you assumptions cover everyone, there are a few of us that can redeem the ignorant(meaning- a refusal to learn, not an insult) masses and it only allows people who care about employment to get the job. I, being in highschool myself, try my hardest to spell things correctly and use appropriate grammar and so do some others. I know the representatives from our school that have joined JU aren't portrayed in the best light when it comes to spelling, grammar, and punctuation, but don't get discouraged....not all of us are like that.

~Zoo

dharmagrl

on Jan 22, 2005

don't let you assumptions cover everyone, there are a few of us that can redeem the ignorant(meaning- a refusal to learn, not an insult) masse

And I see and know that. I'm not saying that all highschoolers are like that, I'm just saying that I see almost a sub-culture forming where it's cool to be stupid. I especially see it amongst teenage girls, and it makes me really sad. Women in my generation and the generations before me fought hard against discrimination so these up and coming chickies can have the opportunites they have today (and no, I'm not being melodramatic there either. I recall very clearly the mind-set of 'girls don't do jobs like that' that was prevalent during my youth), and I feel like what we did is being wasted by a chunk of tomorrow's female workforce.

I would be encouraged if those who know they have poor writing and spelling skills were at least a little concerned by it. As it is, they seem to think it's funny or nothing to worry about. That's what scares me, that's what I find most disturbing - and I, as you can see from the above responses, am not alone.

I saw the article that was written in response to this, the one saying that people like me are responsible for other people's suicides and that we're judging others by their writing. I was going to respond, but the post was so full of melodrama that I thought I should leave it alone. To respond would only have created more drama. I will say this though....yes, we are judged by our writing. That's the way the world operates. You can either go through life allowing people to think of you as a dumbass because your basic skills are sorely lacking, or you can do something about it.

To me, there's really no choice.

Zoologist03

on Jan 22, 2005

You can either go through life allowing people to think of you as a dumbass because your basic skills are sorely lacking, or you can do something about it.

100% correct...I agree, sadly you are right in every way. I see it a bit, but still too often. I've tried to tell them to take it seriously, but alas to no avail. I'm not sure what can be done until they learn the hard way, I suppose that's the only way to get it through their heads.

~Zoo

Death_By_Beebles

on Jan 22, 2005

If they don't care, then there isn't much you can do. I've told them before, but to no avail on my part as well.

Fortunately, there are some like Zoo and I, who care about spelling enough to fix our mistakes

Peace,

Beebes

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