GAHH!!! This work is driving me INSANE!!!!!!! My english teacher is taking my will to

Vesayen · January 14, 2003, 23:09

I have a term paper due tomorrow, I have been working on it for 2 days(with a few hours sleep).

My teacher is the most anal retentive (insert worst slur imaginable here then square it) and has us do all these useless requirements....

We cant just write the paper-that would be to EASY!

First I have to write a thesis statement upon finishing the book(I have Dante's Inferno......I couldn’t of gotten something EASY, or mabey even something in ENGLISH? that’s what I get for being absent the day books were assigned....).....however this statement is off of our opinion of the book-so we don’t know if there is anything published on our opinion or not, but were supposed to just magically "pick" a thesis, and assume tons have been written on it......

My original thesis was criticizing certain writing techniques of the author........thinking I would find lots of information to support it-I was of course wrong, and had to write 5 more thesis statements at random, hoping some "scholarly published" person had written on it.....

We have to make 100 "index cards", where we get 50 quotes from the book were doing it on, and 50 from a "scholarly" published source(don’t get me started how just because something is published it is any more valid then my opinion.....everything they say in books or in the media is true right?")

I only need 10 from each to write my paper.....

However if we just had to write down quotes it would be simple-my teacher being an anal retentive SOB insists we do a certain format, so if one comma is out of place we get no credit.....

Then we have to make bibliography cards......and while we only need 3 sources for our term paper(I used 5) we have to make 15 cards.....so I have to go find information I DONT want and WONT use, and pretend it is useful....

THEN I have to take all this useless information, which I am supposed BASICALLY at random, and from THAT make an outline.

So we take a bunch of information we were supposed to gather BASICALLY at random, then combine alot of completely disjointed information into a smooth outline, when none of it has anything to do with the rest of it, because we had no guiding focus all along?

My pothead teacher SHOULD of first assigned us to research our book, finding what "scholarly" people thought on it(again, just because it is "scholarly" why is their opinion more valid then mine? This isn’t math where there is an absolute answer, in literature EVERYTHING is subjective)-so you research that, instead of waiting your time on other things.

THEN you should make a thesis based on that, THEN an outline, THEN make note cards to support that outline......

My teacher assigned us to take tons of information taken at random, and combine it.....the result is COMPLETE crap.

Many people in the class are smarter then the teacher in these manners.....

Yes you may think my opinions are bad, but most of the people on this board, I think(I hope) will admit I know how to write well, express my thoughts in a coherent manner, and support those thoughts.

(On a side note I should make a t-shirt or a poster: "Everything I learned about debating I learned on forums")

What did the smart people in my class do?

We spent 2 or 3 days writing the term paper the way we wanted to do it, and now we are spending weeks filling the teachers artificial requirements.

These "helping assignment" from the teacher are of no help, and that will be proven when I get a 100% on my term paper, having done her "help" after I already wrote my paper.....

I have a stack of books up to my keyboard next to my computer, and haven’t gotten out of this chair in over 8 hours, if I dont finish this I fail, but my will to do finish this(hell my will to live) is quickly fading away.........can anyone give any words of encouragement, as corny as it sounds it might just help-as I’m desperate at this point, and rapidly descending into a state of neurosis. ((If my somewhat rambling/piecemeal/constantly going off on a tangent post didn’t already clue you in)

Pekka · January 14, 2003, 23:43

Vesayen Bombaye! (or mumbaye, whatever those kids scream to Muhammed Ali).

Nubclear · January 14, 2003, 23:46

Write a letter to the principal (anonymous) professionally stating that you believe the students under Teacher X are not getting the fullest education they can and if it continues you will send a copy of the letter to the school board.

Jon Miller · January 14, 2003, 23:50

Quote:

Originally posted by Vesayen
I have a term paper due tomorrow, I have been working on it for 2 days(with a few hours sleep).

My teacher is the most anal retentive (insert worst slur imaginable here then square it) and has us do all these useless requirements....

We cant just write the paper-that would be to EASY!

First I have to write a thesis statement upon finishing the book(I have Dante's Inferno......I couldn’t of gotten something EASY, or mabey even something in ENGLISH? that’s what I get for being absent the day books were assigned....).....however this statement is off of our opinion of the book-so we don’t know if there is anything published on our opinion or not, but were supposed to just magically "pick" a thesis, and assume tons have been written on it......

My original thesis was criticizing certain writing techniques of the author........thinking I would find lots of information to support it-I was of course wrong, and had to write 5 more thesis statements at random, hoping some "scholarly published" person had written on it.....

We have to make 100 "index cards", where we get 50 quotes from the book were doing it on, and 50 from a "scholarly" published source(don’t get me started how just because something is published it is any more valid then my opinion.....everything they say in books or in the media is true right?")

I only need 10 from each to write my paper.....

However if we just had to write down quotes it would be simple-my teacher being an anal retentive SOB insists we do a certain format, so if one comma is out of place we get no credit.....

Then we have to make bibliography cards......and while we only need 3 sources for our term paper(I used 5) we have to make 15 cards.....so I have to go find information I DONT want and WONT use, and pretend it is useful....

THEN I have to take all this useless information, which I am supposed BASICALLY at random, and from THAT make an outline.

So we take a bunch of information we were supposed to gather BASICALLY at random, then combine alot of completely disjointed information into a smooth outline, when none of it has anything to do with the rest of it, because we had no guiding focus all along?

My pothead teacher SHOULD of first assigned us to research our book, finding what "scholarly" people thought on it(again, just because it is "scholarly" why is their opinion more valid then mine? This isn’t math where there is an absolute answer, in literature EVERYTHING is subjective)-so you research that, instead of waiting your time on other things.

THEN you should make a thesis based on that, THEN an outline, THEN make note cards to support that outline......

My teacher assigned us to take tons of information taken at random, and combine it.....the result is COMPLETE crap.

Many people in the class are smarter then the teacher in these manners.....

Yes you may think my opinions are bad, but most of the people on this board, I think(I hope) will admit I know how to write well, express my thoughts in a coherent manner, and support those thoughts.

(On a side note I should make a t-shirt or a poster: "Everything I learned about debating I learned on forums")

What did the smart people in my class do?

We spent 2 or 3 days writing the term paper the way we wanted to do it, and now we are spending weeks filling the teachers artificial requirements.

These "helping assignment" from the teacher are of no help, and that will be proven when I get a 100% on my term paper, having done her "help" after I already wrote my paper.....

I have a stack of books up to my keyboard next to my computer, and haven’t gotten out of this chair in over 8 hours, if I dont finish this I fail, but my will to do finish this(hell my will to live) is quickly fading away.........can anyone give any words of encouragement, as corny as it sounds it might just help-as I’m desperate at this point, and rapidly descending into a state of neurosis. ((If my somewhat rambling/piecemeal/constantly going off on a tangent post didn’t already clue you in)

sounds like the teacher is doing a good job

you don't see that much anymore...

Jon Miller

The Mad Monk · January 15, 2003, 01:02

Your English teacher is taking your will to complete thread titles?

finkian · January 15, 2003, 01:05

Timexwatch · January 15, 2003, 01:16

What grade are you in? I stopped doing that crap in 7th grade (index cards). At least you think he'd have the decency to supply some literary criticisms or some names...

orange · January 15, 2003, 01:17

spark

orange · January 15, 2003, 01:18

notes

orange · January 15, 2003, 01:18

dot com

Jon Miller · January 15, 2003, 02:28

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Jon Miller · January 15, 2003, 02:28

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Jon Miller · January 15, 2003, 02:29

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Jon Miller · January 15, 2003, 02:30

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Vesayen · January 15, 2003, 07:28

Quote:

Originally posted by Timexwatch
What grade are you in? I stopped doing that crap in 7th grade (index cards). At least you think he'd have the decency to supply some literary criticisms or some names...

Im a high school senior......

Vesayen · January 15, 2003, 07:37

Quote:

Originally posted by Timexwatch
What grade are you in? I stopped doing that crap in 7th grade (index cards). At least you think he'd have the decency to supply some literary criticisms or some names...

Im a high school senior......and in the highest ranking english class.

FrustratedPoet · January 15, 2003, 07:41

Being forced to make 'cards' of your quotes and bibliography seems like a waste of your time. What is the point of this?

Vesayen · January 15, 2003, 07:53

Quote:

Originally posted by FrustratedPoet
Being forced to make 'cards' of your quotes and bibliography seems like a waste of your time. What is the point of this?

Apparently when I get to college, and have lots of deadlines(and sooner) on more, and harder work, I will want to make as much EXTRA work as possible for myself.....

My english teacher is CONVINCED that in college this is the format her students will use.

Every prson with half a brain in the class wrote the termpaper(8 pages min) in the first month of the assignment(been going on for 4 months) and has spent the last 3 months doing her BS "helpers" which are of course, not helping.

aahz_capone · January 15, 2003, 08:02

Write a formal letter to the principal about the teachers bad teaching methods, offer and alternative. complain higher up. This stuff is useless what you are getting

Vesayen · January 15, 2003, 08:14

Quote:

Originally posted by aahz_capone
Write a formal letter to the principal about the teachers bad teaching methods, offer and alternative. complain higher up. This stuff is useless what you are getting

School policy, every english class does the same (!#&(.

General Ludd · January 15, 2003, 08:20

I never understood why people wasted their time doing all those pain-in-the-arse assignments. I would always just not bother handing in anything, or whatever I was able to do while half asleep and waiting for classes to start - usually some pathetic half-page that's poorly written and hasn't been proof read.

I think that in this case, I would of done nothing. That is an ungodly amount of pointless work.

Vesayen · January 15, 2003, 08:21

It counts as a full marking period grade, and if we dont do it, we dont graduate.

MikeH · January 15, 2003, 08:23

Maybe if you'd done the helper assignments first and then the term paper you'd have found out they actually helped.

Vesayen · January 15, 2003, 08:27

Doing the "helper" assignment I can see that it is thoroughly useless.