Glinda Gets an F
By Glinda
All right, so we already know that Glinda and the Munchkin are not exactly models of perfection when it comes to school and following all of the seemingly arbitrary rules.
I never thought I was rebellious in any way, but hearing the teacher complain about the way the Munchkin writes is enough to make me want to go all Zapata on her. Although with a much less violent outcome.
You see, she explained sweetly, the Munchkin does not write correctly. Why? It isn’t because his letters are formed incorrectly. Indeed, his writing is perfectly clear and legible. No, it is because when he forms a straight line, he does it from the bottom up instead of top down.
Instant disqualification!
When she told me this, I had a really hard time keeping a straight face. Was she serious? I naively assumed that if the line was straight and the letter recognizable all was good. Then I tried to explain that I wasn’t really sure this was all that important, and when he moves to cursive writing, the lines are formed going both up and down. So I wasn’t really getting the point.
But no.
The Munchkin would be suffering a lower handwriting grade if he continued to have the audacity to make straight lines in an unapproved manner.
I spoke briefly with the Munchkin about his deficient straight lines, and he whispered confidentially to me that when the teacher was around, he would make the lines the way she wanted. But when she wasn’t, back to the way he was comfortable with.
I say, don’t let the man keep you down, kid!
May 21st, 2009 at 2:44 pm
You have got to be kidding…No wonder so many people are pulling their kids out of school for home schooling. This is nuts.
May 21st, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Jennie, I wish I was kidding.
And don’t think that with all the budget crap going down here in CA that homeschooling isn’t crossing my mind.
May 21st, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Sounds like the kind of teacher who used to tie southpaws’ left hands behind their backs, to teach them to write “properly.”
May 21st, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Is your kid named Scout? Because this is right out of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Jeebus. Who cares? it’s writing! Bah.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:37 pm
That is ri-god-damn-diculous. She must be a real peach to live with: “No honey, you fold the towels in half, in half again, and THEN in thirds, not in thirds, half and then half again!”
Good for the Munchkin for learning how to play the game while still staying true to himself. I suppose it’s never too early to learn how to deal with petty control freaks, is it?
May 22nd, 2009 at 9:29 am
What a nutty person!!!! Some people obviously have too much time on their hands.
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:53 am
What’s so sad is the public school system is specifically designed to turn kids into clones and stifle every ounce of creativity and originality. It’s unfortunate that that “teacher” has had her spirit crushed to such an extent that she has to fixate on up or down strokes. Poor person.
Your son shouldn’t have to play this game so young.
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I find most teacher’s have at least one thing they’re anal about that a parent might find bizarre. The proper shade of green for a tree -you might want to get your son tested for color blindness, I was told. Mind you, the tree was green, but she was a perfectly wonderful teacher in every other way.
And forget about him learning cursive. It’s taught for about five minutes in 3rd grade and the kids are not required to use it. I heard an 11th grader complain she could not read the teacher’s notes on her paper because they were written in cursive. My neice, a college senior, writes in block letters. Here’s an article: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-01-23-cursive-handwriting_N.htm
May 23rd, 2009 at 4:55 am
Actually, it’s not a public school. Glinda is PAYING for those lessons. At least the Munchkin is a very sophisticated little boy; too bad he has to be, though.
May 23rd, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Raincoaster, he actually is attending public school right now. I think you’re thinking of last year, when he was at a private preschool.
But there is no doubt that sometimes the Munchkin is too smart for his own good.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:24 pm
As a high school English teacher, all I ask is that the handwriting is legible. Okay, one of the things I ask.
We all have our quirks. For instance, I combine print and cursive when I write. Does it make it any more difficult for others to read what I’m writing? No.