Friday, December 30, 2011

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History Worst School Subject

Worst School Subject: What was your worst or least favorite subject in school and why?
My worst subject was spelling and it still is.  I thank Heaven everyday for spell check.  I am not a good speller, I have to stop and think many times how a word is spelled.  I use my dictionary a lot because I can make up such wonderful spelling of words than spell check can’t even figure out how it should be spelled.  I would write with a higher vocabulary if I could remember how the words are spelled.  It really is annoying some times. 

To make matters worse I have been scarred for life by a couple of my teachers.  The first one was in second grade.  I did the unthinkable, well I guess it isn’t unthinkable as I did it so I must have thought it.  I cheated on a spelling test, first and last time.  I didn’t cheat off of someone else I just had the spelling words under my paper.  Like that is any less wrong.  I mixed up the words horse and house, so my teacher drags me from the back of the room to the front by my ear and made an example of me.  She guessed I cheated because no one who could really know how to spell those words would mix up horse and house.  Of course as soon as I was asked, “Did you cheat?” I confessed. 

The second incident was in 8th grade.   Another spelling test this time I did spell every word correctly but I received a zero for the grade, because, are you ready for this??  Because I made my i’s incorrectly, yes each word started with the letter i.  I made the small letter i without the initial curve into the letter, so each word was marked wrong.  It still upsets me to this day; I mean what difference does it make in the world or to life if I have the initial curve or not in a letter.  Absolutely none!!  But according that that teacher it was improper penmanship. Granted I did leave 11 years of Catholic school with good penmanship but wasn’t the importance lesson there to know if I could spell those words or not. I can still see those red circles on each word in my mind.
Improper penmanship

I am still a bit of a rebel with my penmanship and make many letters different than the Palmer method I learned.  
My Dad also was very upset with me one day for making the ends of my y’s on Mary different, I wasn’t making the full loop, I was doing a half curl like end.  He equated that with being allowed to eat only whip cream, that is how wrong it was to not make a full loop on your y.  Seriously, that is wrong.
No silly "y" allowed
So now you won't be surprised if you see some creative spelling.

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