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Subject:RE: OT - Errors on cover letters From:"Dori Green" <dgreen -at- associatedbrands -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Mon, 5 Nov 2007 15:53:01 -0500
I had the privilege some years ago to spend some time as a Title I
Regents Remedial Writing Tutor (teacher's assistant, no training or
guidance, $8.50 per hour for a 25-mile-each-way commute).
One of my students was a big eleventh grader who wanted to be a
mechanic. He folded his arms and announced "I ain't gonna write and you
can't make me." I suggested that he go talk to the owner or manager of
any garage he wanted to work at some day, and ask how important it was
going to be that he be able to read service orders -- and write good
service orders.
At the next couple of sessions we worked on service orders. I was able
to sneak in the basics of construction (Kipling's 5 Ws). Within a
couple of months he was crafting decent essays, and he ultimately did
pass the proficiency exam.
Did I ever get him to respect language, or teachers? Probably not.
Education is not one size fits all. I still don't know if the system is
broken, or if it's the whole society. Notice that I did not stay in
teaching. It was a useful experience and I recommend it to anybody
who's thinking of going back to school to obtain a teaching certificate.
It saved me a lot of effort and money in the long run.
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