Thursday, October 16, 2008

A vile comment

Today I returned midterm essays in my morning class and afterward a student asked why I had written "vile" all over his essay.

"I didn't write 'vile' all over your essay," I said. "Do I strike you as the type of person who would write 'vile' all over a student's essay?"

He showed me the scribbles in question.

"That's 'nice,'" I said. "As in 'nice title' or 'nice thesis.'"

"Oh," he said, "now I get it!"

I really need to work on my handwriting!

2 comments:

Jessica said...

I wonder if bad handwriting is a progressive thing for professors. It's most likely due to the Dr. title you carry around ... your hands don't know you aren't physicians.

I never had any problem - that I can recall - reading your handwriting, but there were two of your colleagues who I would often ask to read their comments to me. One of them often wrote idiom in such a way that it looked like idiot!

Anonymous said...

I know the "vile!" comment he's referring to. I actually thought the same thing for a fleeting moment.

Then again, it took me two full semesters to realize that Dr. S wasn't drawing pentagrams on my papers, but in fact marking my thesis - so I may not be the best one to ask.

The young man should be thrilled that you covered his paper with vile : )