# Stop me before I do something stupid. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 16, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237 "2010-01-16T20:55:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/1 "2010-01-16T20:55:11Z")
Anyone can respond to this post (of course!) but I’d especially be interested in hearing from those who are in Middle School or High School education. I’d be even more especially interested in hearing from faculty or staff at whatever it is that gets called a “high-need” school. I’m applying to teach using an emergency certification program here in Indianapolis. Part of the application process involves writing 200-400 word responses to three questions. Below I copy the questions, and my responses to them. I don’t really know the education world, so I haven’t been able to shape my responses in away that would accord with any such knowledge. I’ve just tried to answer as honestly and persuasively as possible. But please tell me if you think there is (or are) some point (or points) at which I am shooting myself in the foot with these responses. Are they plausible, making it look like I can do the job, or rather, do they somehow indicate that there’s something wrong with the idea of me entering into an emergency teaching certification program or teaching in public schools? (Note: The only subject I would qualify to teach, based on my credit hours from my bachelor’s degree, is English. Actually, I’d also qualify to teach history/social studies/etc, which I might actually prefer to teach, but unfortunately they’re not currently looking for teachers in that subject. Anyway, I’m telling this so you’ll know I’m applying specifically to be an English teacher. I’d _love_ to teach math but I just don’t have the credit hours for it.) Thanks for any and all feedback! > [@The Responses](#): > > \*\*Question 1: Nearly all Fellows are hired to teach in ‘high-need’ schools that are located in low-income communities. Why do you want to teach in a high-need school, and what experiences have prepared you for the challenges of teaching in a high-need school? \*\* > > ``` > In a way, the students at high-need schools are the ones with the most potential. For on average, students at high-need schools are more likely to have potential that is yet untapped, due to the social and economic factors that mark their schools as “high-need”. For this reason, the prospect of teaching at a high-need school that gives me the greatest sense of potential contribution. > > I have taught both gifted students and troubled students. (Not that these two categories don’t sometimes overlap!) There was certainly a sense of satisfaction to be found in teaching the gifted kids. For the student to anticipate my questions and come up with smart, creative responses that manage even to engage me, the teacher, intellectually—this is a pretty fun experience. Yet it was when teaching the troubled students—the ones who believed they hate to read and who saw education as a pointless and discouraging process—that I came to really know what it means to accomplish something when teaching. One of my students began classes with me believing he had no hope of understanding what people wanted from him when it came to reading a book and discussing it in class. But by the end of our time together, this student was sheepishly admitting to me that he’d “read ahead” and that he really enjoyed our text (Of Mice and Men). He was independently coming up with great, creative and plausible answers to our discussion questions. He was able to take my criticisms of his essays in stride and think about them constructively, improving his writing as a result. Teaching this troubled student gave me a true sense of accomplishment. Something changed in that student, for the better, and I had something to do with that. > > Of course there are many kinds of students at every school. But I do expect to encounter a large proportion of frustrated, discouraged, or otherwise troubled students at a high-need school. And I am excited about the teaching opportunities this presents. Realistically, I understand that I will not always see for myself an ending to their stories as happy as the one I just summarized. But I also know that I do not necessarily need to see the results every time. The sewing of seeds is as valuable as—perhaps more valuable than—the later harvest. > > ``` > > \*\*Question 2: The most important responsibility of a teacher is to ensure high academic achievement for all students. Explain how a skill or ability that you possess will help you ensure high academic achievement for all students and provide an example of how you have effectively demonstrated this skill or ability in the past. \*\* > Teaching writing is one of the most important things an English teacher has to offer to his students. The ability to write clearly and thoughtfully is a skill that will serve a student in all of her other academic endeavors, and moreover in almost any post-academic vocation the student may choose. > > ``` > Providing effective constructive feedback to written work—feedback that helps the student learn how to examine and improve her own writing—is key to the teaching of writing. And over the years, as I’ve worked as an English teacher, a Philosophy instructor, and a Writing tutor, my skills for writing feedback have grown, and indeed I have developed some techniques based on them. For example, I divide my critiques into four categories—mechanics, phraseology, organization, and logic—and I color-code my comments to make the distinction between these categories clear. This is a simple idea, but it is very effective in helping the student organize his own understanding of the criticisms. Instead of being overwhelmed, the student can clearly see a way to broadly divide up the criticisms and fit them easily into the overall project of understanding how the paper could be improved. Invariably, students report a very positive experience with this system, and teachers who have seen my system at work for their students have even recommended that other students come to see me for feedback on their papers. > > In my feedback, I focus on asking the students questions about what they’ve written, helping them to discover in themselves the ability to ask their own questions about why they write what they do. This helps them learn to write thoughtfully and clearly, whether the format is that of a long paper, or of a shorter paragraph response to a prompt or quiz question. In turn, developing this ability for self-assessment will help them to achieve academic excellence not only in my English class, but in almost all of their other academic endeavors as well. > > ``` > > **Question 3: Briefly describe a time when you achieved a goal in the face of challenges or while balancing multiple responsibilities. What steps did you take to ensure you would meet your goal, and how will that experience contribute to your ability to be successful with your students?** > > ``` > At the end of the summer of 2009, I was faced with the challenge of finding employment for the winter and spring of 2010. In addition to finding employment, I also needed to organize a move from Texas to Indiana, and make arrangements for my children’s schooling, day care and health care. Moreover, due to my wife’s new work hours, general household maintenance—for example, cooking, cleaning, getting kids ready in the morning and putting them to bed at night—fell to me as well! > > I did things I’d never done before. I made to-do lists. I set down deadlines for myself on calendars in a disciplined, conscientious way. I organized paperwork using folders. I hadn’t realized before this to just what extent I’d managed to “float” through life. Indeed, I had always thought of myself as responsible and punctual. But that self-conception was being tested. > > The good news is, it worked. I developed the right habits for myself. And because I was able to organize my work effectively, my job search went well. This semester I am teaching four University level courses, and successfully freelancing as a grant proposal writer. The academic job market is extremely difficult right now. But through organization and discipline I was able to overcome that difficulty. > > Of course anyone should have these kinds of organizational skills, and I’m not telling you something particularly great about myself when I reveal that it is only recently that I actively tested my abilities in this area. But what is good about this is that, perhaps, if I’d applied to be a Teaching Fellow last year, before my organizational skills underwent this overhaul, I might have collapsed under the weight of multiple responsibilities that come with undergoing a program that includes both the teaching of multiple classes and earning teaching certification through various classes and workshops at the same time. But now, having gone through my Autumn of Heavy Responsibility and come out not just surviving but doing very well, I know I am ready for such a deadline-heavy and work-intensive environment. I will be able to stick to my curricula, and this in turn will contribute directly to my success with students. For a teacher who fails to provide an organized learning environment for his students has practically failed at education already. > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/2 "2010-01-16T21:20:48Z")
Looking at the text as a whole, rather than word-by-word, there’s an awful lot of waffle in there, starting with the first three words. And the final paragraph is horrible. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/3 "2010-01-16T21:27:04Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Looking at the text as a whole, rather than word-by-word, there’s an awful lot of waffle in there, starting with the first three words. And the final paragraph is horrible. What is waffle? ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/4 "2010-01-16T21:28:04Z")
Good catch about the first three words. I promise that made more sense in a previous draft where that wasn’t the first sentence in the piece, but you’re right that it needs to be taken out! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bith_Shuffle)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/5 "2010-01-16T21:28:21Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > What is waffle? I believe that “waffle” means something along the lines of “pleasant-sounding language that doesn’t really mean anything in particular”. ie, verbal fluff. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/6 "2010-01-16T23:09:03Z")
“verbal fluff” is exactly what they are looking for. You come across as idealistic and hard-working, both traits they will appreciate. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/7 "2010-01-16T23:28:56Z")
There are some major typos in there! > [@](#): > > For this reason, the prospect of teaching at a high-need school \*\*that \*\*gives me the greatest sense of potential contribution. This sentence needs help. > [@](#): > > The sewing of seeds is as valuable as—perhaps more valuable than—the later harvest. Sowing. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/8 "2010-01-16T23:37:28Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > There are some major typos in there! > > This sentence needs help. Thanks for pointing these out. I’d caught this one already–it was supposed to be “it is… that…” The “it is” got accidentally deleted in some revision or other. In fact, though, I’m now just rewriting the whole sentence. > [@](#): > > Sowing. Doh! ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/9 "2010-01-17T00:50:53Z")
I forgot to say - I commend you for your application. Teaching high-need kids is something this country needs! Kudos to you for trying! Good luck. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/10 "2010-01-17T04:20:11Z")
Personally, I would edit the first paragraph, this way. “The students at high-need schools are often the ones with the most potential. Students at high-need schools are more likely to have potential that is yet untapped due to the socioeconomic factors that mark their schools as “high-need”. For this reason, the prospect of teaching at a high-need school gives me the greatest sense of contribution.” Don’t qualify the statements. Be bold. The people interviewing you know exactly what high need schools are like and what they need. Good luck and thanks for teaching! ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/11 "2010-01-17T16:46:27Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Thanks for pointing these out. I’d caught this one already–it was supposed to be “it is… that…” The “it is” got accidentally deleted in some revision or other. In fact, though, I’m now just rewriting the whole sentence! it is… which ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/12 "2010-01-18T00:11:15Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > What is waffle? Extraneous verbiage. The whole thing needs to be really tightened up and made punchier. You’ve written as if you’re talking to them, but this is a written, not verbal, submission. And where you state facts, you should give citations. For example, in the first paragraph, instead of ‘For on average …’ you should write ‘X’s study in (whenever) demonstrated that …’, but better would b to mix this with **Brassyphrase** ’s rewrite. And you can get rid of lots of words like ‘certainly’ and ‘realistically’. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/13 "2010-01-18T01:09:38Z")
Thanks for the feedback so far, everyone. Is there a general consensus that problems with the essays have to do with word choice and phraseology, and not so much with the ideas expressed? In other words, are the ideas expressed appropriate for the purpose of the essay, as far as you can tell, or are there points that I make and arguments that I advance that are likely to be the wrong points and arguments to make for this purpose for this audience? ---
**Author:** ![Manwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Manwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manwich)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/14 "2010-01-18T03:30:56Z")
I think the ideas you are expressing are fine - it sounds like you would be a good candidate for emergency certification (although I think it is crazy to send the newest teachers into the toughest schools). Your three responses are good. The first shows that you are focused on academic achievement, not just behavior management. It shows that you have a positive attitude and high expectations but you still seem realistic about the ability level of the students you will be teaching. The second response shows that you have already began to analyse and refine your teaching strategies. You obviously understand that teaching is more than just presenting a series of facts to be memorized. The final response was surprising to me at first but on reflection I think it is great. By nature I am forgetful and disorganized. When I started teaching I realized that I needed make a conscious effort to become more organized so I did a lot of the things you mentioned - started using a diary, I set up a proper filing system and planned all my lessons well in advance. So I think your point about organization being really important to teachers is fine. Every week I have to do an incredible number of small jobs, meet deadlines, and to arrive at every class and duty on time. IF I was not organized properly everything would fall apart. Of course, I am just a teacher so I don’t know exactly what the admissions people are looking for. But as a teacher I think that overall it sounds good. I would be very happy to work with you anyway. While I was at university I was placed in a high-need school for four weeks and the first thing one teacher told me was, “The great thing about this school is that it is a welfare school, so you don’t have to worry about the academic side too much.” A lot of teachers, young and old, were totally disillusioned and it was hard to get good advice from them or discuss ways to improve the school. We really need more patient and dedicated teachers in those schools. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![purple\_haze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@purple\_haze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purple_haze)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/15 "2010-01-18T17:23:28Z")
“Yet it was when teaching the troubled students—the ones who believed they hate to read and who saw education as a pointless and discouraging process—that I came to really know what it means to accomplish something when teaching.” Eliminate the word yet. “But by the end of our time together, this student was sheepishly admitting to me that he’d “read ahead” and that he really enjoyed our text (Of Mice and Men).” Change the word but at the beginning of the sentence to however (comma), or something similar. “Something changed in that student, for the better, and I had something to do with that.” Eliminate the comma between the words student and for. “and I had something to do with that.” could be replaced with and I am happy/proud to have contributed to his academic growth/progress. “But I do expect to encounter a large proportion of frustrated, discouraged, or otherwise troubled students at a high-need school.” Eliminate the word but at the beginning again. It’s not good to begin a sentence with the word ‘but’. “And I am excited about the teaching opportunities this presents.” Eliminate the word and (you should never begin a sentence with the word and), and you could put the word challenge between this and presents. The last paragraph in the first question is an excellent summary - well done. ---
**Author:** ![purple\_haze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@purple\_haze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purple_haze)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/16 "2010-01-18T17:59:20Z")
“Providing effective constructive feedback to written work—feedback that helps the student learn how to examine and improve her own writing—is key to the teaching of writing.” Instead of teaching of writing, how about ‘writing instruction’? “And over the years, as I’ve worked as an English teacher, a Philosophy instructor, and a Writing tutor, my skills for writing feedback have grown, and indeed I have developed some techniques based on them.” This sentence shouldn’t begin with the word and. The last sentence that says techniques bases on them… what is them? Did you mean to say ‘upon past experience’? “and I color-code my comments to make the distinction between these categories clear.” You may want to eliminate the word I, as it is superfluous. “This is a simple idea, but it is very effective in helping the student organize his own understanding of the criticisms. Instead of being overwhelmed, the student can clearly see a way to broadly divide up the criticisms and fit them easily into the overall project of understanding how the paper could be improved.” You can probably eliminate this section. The reader will comprehend what you are saying without belaboring the point. “This helps them learn to write thoughtfully and clearly, whether the format is that of a long paper, or of a shorter paragraph response to a prompt or quiz question.” Add the word process between this and helps. Instead of thoughtfully and clearly, how about clearly and succinctly? Instead of whether the format is that of a… how about whether the format consists of…? Instead of a long paper, do you like the sound of lengthy essay? Instead of ‘shorter paragraph’ you can put ‘brief’. ---
**Author:** ![purple\_haze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@purple\_haze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purple_haze)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/17 "2010-01-18T18:39:45Z")
“I did things I’d never done before. I made to-do lists. I set down deadlines for myself on calendars in a disciplined, conscientious way. I organized paperwork using folders. I hadn’t realized before this to just what extent I’d managed to “float” through life. Indeed, I had always thought of myself as responsible and punctual. But that self-conception was being tested.” This paragraph is a little choppy, especially the first four sentences. They all begin with ‘I’ and are too brief. Can you combine them in order to create a sentence or two that flows better? The sentence that begins with ‘but’ needs to be edited. “The good news is, it worked. I developed the right habits for myself. And because I was able to organize my work effectively, my job search went well. This semester I am teaching four University level courses, and successfully freelancing as a grant proposal writer. The academic job market is extremely difficult right now. But through organization and discipline I was able to overcome that difficulty.” The first two sentences are too short and are incomplete sentences. The third, you started with ‘and’ again. “The academic job market is extremely difficult right now. But through organization and discipline I was able to overcome that difficulty.” Eliminate the period between ‘now’ and ‘but’. and replace it with a comma. It flows better that way, and you shouldn’t begin a sentence with the word ‘but’. I’m not trying to pick on you, but am happy to help if at all possible. You’re a good writer. I like to have people critiques my work too, because often a fresh perspective is needed to show me what I’m doing wrong. I usually get too repetitive in my essays, but sometimes it helps when other people point that out to me as I don’t catch it myself. God luck! ---
**Author:** ![silk1976](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@silk1976](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silk1976)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-me-before-i-do-something-stupid/525237/18 "2010-01-18T19:09:53Z")
First - I like the overall content and the ideas of what is in there. Whether it’s applicable to what they are looking for - thats a different question, and something I’m generally terrible at judging. Was it just me, or did anyone else find many of the sentences unwiedly? Either broken up with comma’s, parenthesis, starting sentences with words like ‘and’ and ‘but’, etc? Frylock - I bet you are suffering from having so much exposure to the material at hand that, for lack of a better phrase, you are having trouble seeing the forest through the trees. When is this due? Is it possible to put it aside for a few days and review it later in the week when you’ve had a chance to let things decompress? In rereading, I guess this post seems harsh - I don’t really mean it to be that way. I think a lot of the content is solid, but I’m just thinking that you’ve gone over it so much that when you review it, you may be anticipating what is coming up - giving you an advantage in comprehension that someone else would not have. Thats all.