Anonymous wrote:My brother is a tenured history professor and has always struggled with spelling. He spellchecks and and edits nearly obsessively but mistakes still occur.

We also have always teased him about the slightest grammatical errors he (rarely) makes when speaking and then repeat it back to him with an even worse example. We are a family with a dry, sarcastic sense of humor.

Your brother must have a thick skin!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It would bother me, but I wanted to note that correct spelling isn't a sign of an English teacher's expertise in their subject matter. Spelling is for everyone, not just people who teach/study literature. Do you think these are typos, the product of rushed work or a lack of knowledge?

Anyway, it would bother me, but I've put my share of typos in comments to students when I have a huge grading pile, so I'd try to let it go.

--English teacher who's never been a great speller

An English teacher who can’t spell is like a math teacher who can’t add numbers. It’s not a “sign of expertise” to be able to do it correctly, it’s a completely necessary and basic part of the job that other things build on.

This is just false. Nothing about what I teach as a middle and high school English teacher builds on spelling.

Exactly. Everyone needs to spell well to communicate effectively. You need accurate spelling in History and Science as well as English. Don't judge an English teacher more harshly than others over spelling.

A history teacher is supposed to have a wealth of subject matter knowledge in addition to being able to spell and write. English teachers don’t do much except try to teach kids to communicate effectively. They can’t do that if they’re teaching kids to misspell words. And yes, when you consistently misspell words, you’re teaching the kids to misspell them too. The fact that some of the kids are smarter than you and know that you’re wrong and so resist this lesson should be embarrassing, not an excuse to continue.

Examples please, OP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It would bother me, but I wanted to note that correct spelling isn't a sign of an English teacher's expertise in their subject matter. Spelling is for everyone, not just people who teach/study literature. Do you think these are typos, the product of rushed work or a lack of knowledge?

Anyway, it would bother me, but I've put my share of typos in comments to students when I have a huge grading pile, so I'd try to let it go.

--English teacher who's never been a great speller

An English teacher who can’t spell is like a math teacher who can’t add numbers. It’s not a “sign of expertise” to be able to do it correctly, it’s a completely necessary and basic part of the job that other things build on.

This is just false. Nothing about what I teach as a middle and high school English teacher builds on spelling.

Exactly. Everyone needs to spell well to communicate effectively. You need accurate spelling in History and Science as well as English. Don't judge an English teacher more harshly than others over spelling.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It would bother me, but I wanted to note that correct spelling isn't a sign of an English teacher's expertise in their subject matter. Spelling is for everyone, not just people who teach/study literature. Do you think these are typos, the product of rushed work or a lack of knowledge?

Anyway, it would bother me, but I've put my share of typos in comments to students when I have a huge grading pile, so I'd try to let it go.

--English teacher who's never been a great speller

An English teacher who can’t spell is like a math teacher who can’t add numbers. It’s not a “sign of expertise” to be able to do it correctly, it’s a completely necessary and basic part of the job that other things build on.

This is just false. Nothing about what I teach as a middle and high school English teacher builds on spelling.

Parents don’t realize this because they Ave no idea what the standards and curricula are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It would bother me, but I wanted to note that correct spelling isn't a sign of an English teacher's expertise in their subject matter. Spelling is for everyone, not just people who teach/study literature. Do you think these are typos, the product of rushed work or a lack of knowledge?

Anyway, it would bother me, but I've put my share of typos in comments to students when I have a huge grading pile, so I'd try to let it go.

--English teacher who's never been a great speller

An English teacher who can’t spell is like a math teacher who can’t add numbers. It’s not a “sign of expertise” to be able to do it correctly, it’s a completely necessary and basic part of the job that other things build on.

This is just false. Nothing about what I teach as a middle and high school English teacher builds on spelling.

My brother is a tenured history professor and has always struggled with spelling. He spellchecks and and edits nearly obsessively but mistakes still occur.

We also have always teased him about the slightest grammatical errors he (rarely) makes when speaking and then repeat it back to him with an even worse example. We are a family with a dry, sarcastic sense of humor.

Ha! PP noting the omission of the word “to” above. Mistakes happen.

Teacher here. Mistakes happen sometimes. Personally I am mortified when they do as I think it’s a professional standard spell correctly. So, an occasional error wouldn’t bother me. Bust consistently misspelled words would.

It would bother me a lot.

Anonymous wrote:It would bother me, but I wanted to note that correct spelling isn't a sign of an English teacher's expertise in their subject matter. Spelling is for everyone, not just people who teach/study literature. Do you think these are typos, the product of rushed work or a lack of knowledge?

Anyway, it would bother me, but I've put my share of typos in comments to students when I have a huge grading pile, so I'd try to let it go.

--English teacher who's never been a great speller

An English teacher who can’t spell is like a math teacher who can’t add numbers. It’s not a “sign of expertise” to be able to do it correctly, it’s a completely necessary and basic part of the job that other things build on.

Anonymous wrote:I am an English teacher who is generally a very good speller, but I occasionally make errors, as well. For example, a few days ago, I was asking students to give me indicators of setting or theme associated with a character in a book we are reading. I was writing them all on the board quickly, and I misspelled "institute" as "institutute," not catching my error for over an hour. I certainly know how to spell that word; I was just writing too quickly. I don't think that makes me a bad English teacher.

I would call that a typo and I really don’t think that’s what the OP was talking about.

I am an English teacher who is generally a very good speller, but I occasionally make errors, as well. For example, a few days ago, I was asking students to give me indicators of setting or theme associated with a character in a book we are reading. I was writing them all on the board quickly, and I misspelled "institute" as "institutute," not catching my error for over an hour. I certainly know how to spell that word; I was just writing too quickly. I don't think that makes me a bad English teacher.

It would bother me, but I wanted to note that correct spelling isn't a sign of an English teacher's expertise in their subject matter. Spelling is for everyone, not just people who teach/study literature. Do you think these are typos, the product of rushed work or a lack of knowledge?

Anyway, it would bother me, but I've put my share of typos in comments to students when I have a huge grading pile, so I'd try to let it go.

--English teacher who's never been a great speller

You’re DC should of went to a different school. Alot depends upon the teachers pedagog style and if the teacher’s cannot spell right than it’s conveyaying that rite to the student’s.
Dose not matter if its alimentary or middle or high school.
How confusing for this students.