Sunday, September 6, 2009

noun: a person, place or thing

Dear MQ's Second Grade Teacher,

I certainly hope you aren't angry at me, but I really felt like I couldn't let it slide. The vocabulary list that you sent home last week gave the definition of a NOUN for a word that was a VERB. The definition even began "something that..." Some THING. A noun, of course, being a "person, place or THING." I hope that I pointed it out kindly to you, asking whether I needed to change the definition or change the word from "collect" to "collection," which is what the definition, well, DEFINED. Even though you admitted your mistake, I noticed you did not take me up on my suggestion to send a revised list home with all the students. Maybe you're assuming that the parents of the other 19 children in the May Queen's class didn't notice, if they bothered to look at the definitions at all. But now you know there's at least one set of parents on their toes.

Sincerely,

Painted Maypole

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This post has been a Monday Mission. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write a post in the style of a letter to the teacher. If you DO play along, please put a link to your post in the widget below.



Join us next week, when your mission will be to write a post in the form of a facebook status (or several... with or without comments... be creative!)


11 comments:

Jen said...

Is this a very young teacher? I just wonder if she feels she made a mistake that will mark her for the rest of the year.

I had a stupidly misspelled word in my first letter home one of my first years, and I was *so* embarrassed. I did, however, correct it immediately to everyone and credit the parent who brought it to my attention. I used it with the students to say that everyone makes mistakes some times.

I hope it ends up being a good year anyway. ;-)

painted maypole said...

She's not terribly young, but we do really like her and MQ is very much enjoying school, so I truly do expect this will be just a tiny blip in the radar. The teacher and I went on to e-mail about other things, and I was sure to compliment her on the things I feel she is doing well. I don't want to be perceived as the nagging parent, but there is NO WAY I am going to let her teach my child an incorrect definition. And yes, we do all make mistakes. I was sure to say that as well. ;)

MARY G said...

In the Anglican Church services there is a reading that is called 'The Collect' of the day. I do not know the provenance of the word in that context.
And, yes indeed, I feel your pain. Good for you.
My letter is up.

kayerj said...

I'm glad to see you on your toes! A kid needs a parent in their corner. Have a nice Monday :)

Mary Beth said...

My parents were the ones that returned school letters with grammar and spelling in red ink.

11111111 said...

A noun's a special kind of word--it's any name you've ever heard. I find it quite interesting: a noun's a person, place, or thing.

Christine said...

yikes--that is a kind of a BIG mistake.

Furrow said...

Dear Mrs. Painted Maypole,

I wrote my Monday Mission this week, as I do every week, but my dog ate it, as he does every week. Seriously, my dog eats everything. I have the vet bills to prove it. I'm sorry to disappoint you yet again.

Sincerely,

Furrow

Cold Spaghetti said...

Oh, my.

Emily said...

Good for you calling the teacher on the mistake, though I wonder at Mary's definition of Collect. I must go google. I love when words do that, turn themselves upside down and evoke a meaning, a feeling you never expected. I'm a word nerd.

Also, the photo in 20/30 at my place is NOT the view from my window. I've taken to waking up even earlier and walking around the neighborhood, looking for my morning photo. This morning, it was the mesa at sunrise. Breath taking.

Louise said...

My guess is that the other 19 parents did NOT notice!