Educators who can't spell

[lizzywednesday]

...I can't figure out what is wrong with "on-sight Athletic Director".

{oh wait... as I typed the words, now I see it... it should be "on-site" rather than "on-sight"... right?}

Sure, someone on-site would be in your sight, but the role's ... on-site. "Site" is a place; "sight" is vision.

I am often tempted to correct "stationary" to "stationery" when the person means writing paper - I mean, it's definitely standing still (stationary), but can I write on it (stationery) ?

It's not about being intelligent; it's about knowing the difference and being able to catch it without relying on spellcheck.

[lizzywednesday]

Very timely! I recently saw a FB link to DGDs' school newsletter — the link mentioned that local "pubic radio" had a nice story about a school project The actual newsletter was fine but the FB post wasn’t...

That's one of the typos that always makes me giggle like a teenager.

[firstbaby]

OP, I am right there with you. DS has had multiple articles this year to answer comprehension questions about, close reading strategies, etc. The source texts have multiple proofreading mistakes and grammatical errors. When DH is able to identify them (yes, I mean my husband), it's bad, lol. There is also our neighborhood tutor who does a ton of business as an ex-teacher now SAHM that tutors to make extra money. In every single FB post she makes, there is a spelling or grammatical error. There, their and they're are not to be used interchangeably...sigh....

[ncat]

Ha - I couldn't either (so much for my ivy league degree!), but I figured it was the period outside of the quotes instead of inside... but I'm sure you're right about sight...

The period outside of the quotes was mine (I could bitch about that style rule as well). The problem was "sight" instead of "site".

[ncat]

I know this is a bitching post, so feel free to ignore. I wouldn’t judge this principal on this one, tiny mistake. Things happen. Last year, I posted about how I had used then/than incorrectly in an email to DD’s teacher. Even though I checked my email before I sent it, I didn’t catch it until she responded. I felt like an idiot and I would hate to think she thought I was bad example for DD or her classmates (I volunteered in the classroom) because of a simple mistake.

I would not judge a classroom volunteer about poor spelling or grammar in an email, even if it was sent to the whole class.

This was an announcement of an award that went from the principal to all of the parents. I think I am judging because it seems like the sort of thing that one would reasonably ask someone else to proofread before sending. The kids get graded on spelling, grammar, and attention to detail in their school work.

The principal had a more significant communication failure this summer, when she sent out instructions for how some materials would be distributed prior to the school year starting and neglected to indicate that parents needed to accompany their students. Many kids including my DD walked/biked/were dropped off at the school and were turned away within the first half hour of the distribution window. No clarification emails were sent out after the first students were turned away - this could have saved many students a fruitless trip.

[niccig]

I’d let it go. Cringe and move on. I do point out errors in signs to DS, but I’d never do it to something his principal wrote.

I work in a school and many days I don’t have time to pee or eat lunch. I do proofread, but I may miss something in a rush or autocorrect gets in the way. I’m always in an IEP meeting explaining my report and I see an error. I print and edit on paper, but some errors sneak by me. I’d love to have someone proofread for me, heck I’d love an assistant to make photocopies for me. Not happening, so I do my best and move on to next child I’m working with, hoping the parent understands I made a typing mistake.



Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains

[ncat]

OP, I am right there with you. DS has had multiple articles this year to answer comprehension questions about, close reading strategies, etc. The source texts have multiple proofreading mistakes and grammatical errors. When DH is able to identify them (yes, I mean my husband), it's bad, lol. There is also our neighborhood tutor who does a ton of business as an ex-teacher now SAHM that tutors to make extra money. In every single FB post she makes, there is a spelling or grammatical error. There, their and they're are not to be used interchangeably...sigh....

The neighborhood tutor would really irk me, though I am becoming more tolerant of that kind of grammatical error in Facebook posts, texts, etc., after being burned by autocorrect on my phone and/or by my own fat fingers.

[petesgirl]

I'd let it go too, unless it was happening all the time - then I would be tempted to say something. My sister's 4th grade teacher was consistently misspelling words in front of the class, on the chalkboard, and my sister would always raise her hand and correct the teacher.

[Green_Tea]

No good will come of mentioning this, to your child or to his principal. It will cause major embarrassment and won't make him a better speller. I guarantee that he will not forget the parent who called him out on a spelling error - and not in a good way.

I'm a teacher and take grammar, spelling, and mechanics very seriously. In spite of that, I have re-read emails I have sent and noticed errors after the fact. It's mortifying. My principal sends dozens of emails every day, and definitely doesn't have a proofreader at his disposal.

Cringe inwardly, then let it go.

[robinsmommy]

I had this with DD1's K teacher. Only it was worse, to me. At the open house, she had a slide show on the overhead projector, and there were noun/verb mismatches and multiple misspellings. The misspellings were underlined in red by the word processing program, and were not fixed. Which made her look stupid, lazy, and/or like she didn't give a sh!t.

This was the same teacher who told very bright DD1 to go sit quietly in the corner if she was done with her work, more than once. And fed her cheese spread (mostly whey) with "severe lactose intolerance" on her file. Used candy for rewards multiple times in as week. We only had her for a few months, or I would have lit a fire under the principal's behind for all the issues that came up in those few months. I still hate her on principle. With a "ple," not a "pal."

"On-sight" doesn't trigger in spell check. At least there is that. And the hyphen made it in, too. Partial credit.