It's pretty much universally known that my handwriting stinks. (And if you didn't know that, now you do.) My students are always saying that they can't read my writing. Even my son's second grade teacher commented on my poor penmanship. It's bad when that happens!
So yesterday, I wrote the word, "Excellent" across one of my student's assignments. The student, a third-grader, said, "Mrs. Ellis, why did you write, 'Elephant' on my paper?"
"That doesn't say, 'Elephant.' It says, 'Excellent.'"
The girl frowned. "That's not how you make an 'x.'" She took a pencil and demonstrated how to properly make an "x" and how to properly write, "excellent." "Now you try," she said when she was finished.
I took the pencil and did my best to write legibly.
The girl looked at it when I was done. She shook her head. "That's still not right!" Then she took the pencil and gave me a big "F-" at the top. "You might be a good music teacher," she said. "But you need to go back to school to learn how to write!"
Uh. Okay.
That's why I don't write in cursive anymore...
ReplyDeleteYou're a smart guy!
Deletethat is quite unusual, shouldn't you have a calm and practised hand due to all the violin playing? :)
ReplyDeleteNo. I have a spastic hand from all the notes I whip through! ;0)
Deletewill you?
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking about it. ;0)
Deletelol elephant from excellent, wow it has to be bad. Mine stinks but I can make an x at least
ReplyDeleteYou're way better than me! ;0)
DeleteI would love to see your handwriting based on the girl's interpretation of the word "excellent". This girl sounds pretty funny. :)
ReplyDelete~Jess
She is!
DeleteI bet the little girl loved assigning you a grade. All students should give their teachers grades. And they should be able to do it anonymously. Heh-heh-heh. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure she liked giving me a big fat "F-"!
DeleteOr you could be a doctor...
ReplyDeleteI should've listened to my dad. He told me that a long time ago! ;0)
DeleteMy son plays violin and his handwriting looks like a serial killer's scrawl. He will only do cursive if forced.
ReplyDeleteHaha! I know a lot of violinists. And we all have horrendous cursive!
DeleteThat must have been a bit depressing, but she did only have trouble reading one letter and she said you were a good music teacher so maybe she tried to cushion her comments a little. D
ReplyDeleteDepressing? Heck no. I'm kind of proud of it! ;0)
DeleteSounds like you need to be a doctor! I actually read that several thousand deaths are caused by bad penmanship each year though. So maybe not. I also read that bad handwriting usually means that you're extremely intelligent because your hand can't keep up with your mind.
ReplyDeleteOh. Yeah, that explains it. Thanks. I feel so much better about it, now! ;0)
DeleteMy students don't understand my cursive at all, but I can't help it. I write in cursive, plus it's not the neatest penmanship.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how we lose our ability to write neat as we get older!
DeleteThe Hurricane's handwriting is illegible. I told her for many years that her writing was bad enough that she could go to medical school.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I would definitely qualify for medical school, based on my writing!
DeleteWith that kind of handwriting, you should have been a doctor!!
ReplyDeleteYep. I'm sure I'd be making a lot more money if I had done that!
DeleteThe other day I received a text from our administrator wanting me to decipher a word I'd written on the project board... I'm there with you and the bad handwriting
ReplyDeleteYou must be a very intelligent person!
DeleteSo funny! Especially since the younger generation should realize that handwriting is becoming less important with each year, thanks to computers.
ReplyDeleteActually, that's kind of sad.
DeleteAnd you aren't a doctor or lawyer?
ReplyDeleteI really should've been a doctor!
DeleteI honestly don't think instruments help at all. I know that the violin hasn't helped me a bit in terms of handwriting.
ReplyDeletewww.modernworld4.blogspot.com
If anything, I think they make your writing more sloppy. ;0)
DeleteKind of funny when the student gives the teacher a failing grade for penmanship.
ReplyDeleteYep. Pathetic!
DeleteAww. Wasn't she helpful. lol!
ReplyDeleteMaybe she was trying to teach me!
Delete