I've been in college almost a full academic year now, which isn't really a long time. However, I've had a slew of teachers in my life considering elementary school up through Freshman year of college. That being said I've never had a more frustrating teacher... except maybe in math, but never in English. Call me sensitive or lazy, whatever names seem to fit, but I cannot agree with this professor's methods.
She believes in the concept of "simple is best". I have never had a teach tell me to remove words from my sentences because they are too "wordy" or "awkward". Additionally, she believes in a restriction on the verbs that I am allowed to include in my papers such as nothing with the endings -tion, -ence, or -ment. Whenever I have attempted to impress my teachers, I have read or listened to Pride and Prejudice, gotten myself into that voice, and written my papers to sound what I would consider "proper". Long words are what dazzle right? That's what I've learned up until this semester. Always expand my vocabulary to include big words and write in a way I know how is what I have been taught my entire life. That is until today.
If I were turning in this blog post, I would have to go through and remove every "the", "that", and any other word that isn't "necessary". However harmless that may seem, it is a censor on my unique writing voice. Taking out words that aren't "vital" and changing others into a different word with the same meaning is taking my voice and warping it into my professors. I came to college to further my writing skills and I understand that my writing is not perfect. Correct my commas and apostrophes, I won't mind. Correct my grammar or tell me that there is a stronger way to phrase something, but allow me to keep my voice.
I am sounding spiteful, but hear me out. I'm not here to please her. I've gotten passed that since becoming a writer. Write what you want to write is an author's mantra as well as never change for your audience. I am supposed to write to please myself which I usually do and I'm okay for writing for school. I've been doing it most of my life, but I cannot allow myself to be okay with a teacher who represses my voice in favor of her own. It is no longer teaching me how to write, but teaching me how to project someone else's voice and ideas onto my paper.
I've been insulted almost every day this week with comments such as, "Have you learned how to write now?" I rolled my eyes at that and she caught me saying, "SKW says she didn't."
You might be asking yourself what is the lesson in this, SKW? That you can't write? That she's wrong and you know everything? No, nothing like that actually. I could be wrong. She could be wrong. Maybe we're both wrong. The lesson in this is... I wanted out of her class. I wanted to transfer. I don't understand her methods. I don't agree with them and I don't think they count as composition. However... I've decided to stay in her class, not because I can't transfer, but because maybe I'll learn something from her rubbish. Maybe I'll learn there is a deeper meaning to her madness or maybe I'll learn what I already know. What I don't want to do is be that quitter who one day gets up in front of a crowd and tells them the story of the English class that was too hard. What kind of writer would I be to shy away from a challenge? Sure, I may despise her, but the greatest victory would be a battle won with the odds not in my favor.
So that is the lesson... know your limits, but don't shy away from a challenge even when it goes against everything you know. Everything in life is a lesson even if the lesson is hard learned. One day I want to get up in front of a crowd and talk about how nuts this teacher was, but that I survived and so did my writing. It's always fight or flight, guys, and I'm tired of running (plus... I hate running. It's a gross pastime).
Keep your ground my lovelies.
With Love,
SKW
