Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2014 18:08:21 GMT -5
Being homeschooled, my kids have less interaction with instructors/guidance counselors, etc.
Son needs letters of recommendation for a dual enrollment camp he wants to do this summer. I asked his evaluator and guitar and art instructors. So it really wouldn't be no letter at all... I have his evaluator's back already, so i do have one...
His art instructor is a great guy. But he isn't very literary minded... he has an artistic/creative brain rather than a left/linguistic brain. I mean, i'm the queen of bad typing and insufficient grammar, but even i can't help taking note when he sends out an email... but that's email.
He wrote a letter that has terrific content... and its art related which is a component of the camp... but, the letter format is wonky, and there are issue. your instead of you're... patients instead of patience...
Do i just not use it? How could i approach this? i would not want to offend the man at all... I've already met my quota on offending people this week... and my kids love his class.
To the broader topic, i once requested a letter of recommendation from a fellow teacher whom i'd served as mentor too that I couldn't use the letter when I got it... it was so poorly written. Anyone else every have this problem?
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Apr 16, 2014 18:21:53 GMT -5
More and more. If anyone even bothers to write a letter, it looks like a 3 year old spelled and wrote it.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2014 20:07:06 GMT -5
I remember back in college, so many moons ago, a friend of mine wrote to me and you have no idea how much willpower it took not to red ink the living crap out of it and send it back.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2014 20:11:04 GMT -5
Being homeschooled, my kids have less interaction with instructors/guidance counselors, etc. Son needs letters of recommendation for a dual enrollment camp he wants to do this summer. I asked his evaluator and guitar and art instructors. So it really wouldn't be no letter at all... I have his evaluator's back already, so i do have one... His art instructor is a great guy. But he isn't very literary minded... he has an artistic/creative brain rather than a left/linguistic brain. I mean, i'm the queen of bad typing and insufficient grammar, but even i can't help taking note when he sends out an email... but that's email. He wrote a letter that has terrific content... and its art related which is a component of the camp... but, the letter format is wonky, and there are issue. your instead of you're... patients instead of patience... Do i just not use it? How could i approach this? i would not want to offend the man at all... I've already met my quota on offending people this week... and my kids love his class. To the broader topic, i once requested a letter of recommendation from a fellow teacher whom i'd served as mentor too that I couldn't use the letter when I got it... it was so poorly written. Anyone else every have this problem? On the serious side, maybe ask him if the spellcheck is not functioning correctly on his computer or something? Any way you could maybe retype it for him and ask him to sign it as a verification measure or something? Not an out and out you suck at grammar and spellng so here's what you wrote kind of thing but a gentle, I printed this out but they would like a signature so would you sign it without reading it kind of thing? |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2014 21:41:14 GMT -5
I don't judge him. He's great at teaching right brained things! I like the idea of printing it out and just making those minor corrections... I bet he wouldn't even recognize!
That at or I'll just get 2 formal letters, which was asked for, and forward the email as an additional 'informal' support ...
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tractor
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Post by tractor on Apr 17, 2014 7:14:19 GMT -5
I would use it. The content is a reflection of your son, the quality if the writing is a reflection of the author. The reviewers won't judge your son because the writer is lacking grammatical skills.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Apr 17, 2014 7:54:58 GMT -5
Maybe, maybe not. I'd wonder if you bothered to even read it and then I'd wonder if you were so clueless yourself that you didn't notice the errors. I think it reflects on you and your son.
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The Captain
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Post by The Captain on Apr 17, 2014 8:00:32 GMT -5
Usually I'm pretty hardass on things. However, after working with a lot of folks for whom English is not their mother language, I've learned to focus more on the content rather than the correct structure of their writing.
Personally, I would hope that someone reading a letter of recommendation from someone who's focused on the arts would not nitpick on proper grammar.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Apr 17, 2014 8:46:10 GMT -5
I think they'll focus more on the content of the letter, rather than spelling or proper usage.
DD had a neighbor write a letter of recommendation for entry into the National Honor Society, and English is not this neighbor's first language. Obviously, her grammar wasn't perfect, but she got her point across. And, DD DID get into the NHS.  |
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tloonya
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Post by tloonya on Apr 17, 2014 13:00:07 GMT -5
I'm sure you don't.  Listen all, with all this spell checking and I am sure 'writing enhancement' is coming soon...why do we even need to be worry about all this grammar and punctuation. If you are a good hearted person and had not broke any of the 10 testaments - who cares if you can write recommendation letter or not? |
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greeniis10
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Post by greeniis10 on Apr 17, 2014 14:17:24 GMT -5
Since you mentioned that his format was wonky, could you possibly retype it, tell him they required this exact format, didn't want to bother him with it, but ask him if he could just re-sign?
In theory, I agree that the reviewers shouldn't judge your son on the grammar and language in the letter, but some people (as a few of us here have even confessed on occasional threads) cannot overlook those types of errors. On the other hand, there's a good chance the reviewers won't even notice the errors.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 14:18:20 GMT -5
That's a great idea!
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Bob Ross
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Post by Bob Ross on Apr 17, 2014 15:40:07 GMT -5
Is this a new thing, where kids need letters of recommendation for camp?
Back in my day, any kid who was fat enough could go. |
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lexxy703
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Post by lexxy703 on Apr 17, 2014 15:45:44 GMT -5
Bob Ross
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 15:58:09 GMT -5
I'm assuming the letter was handwritten. Could you tell him it need to be typed, and type it out with correct spelling, and ask him to sign it? Dunno, just a thought. I would not feel comfortable sending a letter that had major "issues", I would feel that whatever deciding body would see the letter could not help but judge my son accordingly. If it's a reference letter for your son, I disagree that it would reflect only on the letter-writer and not the subject of the letter. If nothing else, they might be wondering why you don't know anybody who can write / spell properly to recommend your son. Or, if you feel comfortable enough to address the issues, I'd invite the guy to lunch / dinner and offer to rewrite the letter together with him, typed. Tell him the deciding body is a royal PITA and if he doesn't mind, could you please rewrite it together, using your spell-check? You could always point out that you struggle with that issue too.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 16:22:14 GMT -5
He sent it to me in an email. So it isn't signed, but it is typed. I'm going to reformat and make those word changes... i'm thinking he won't even notice them... and print it out and say it needs to be signed if thats ok with him. We have class Saturday, i'll let you know how it goes...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 16:49:38 GMT -5
Oped, I think that's the "least worst" solution ... typed in an email isn't really typed, it needs to be formatted. ;-)
I'd do it either before or after class or even DURING class (sorry for interrupting!) when he's really busy. I agree, he probably won't even notice.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2014 9:31:18 GMT -5
Just FYI, it went great. I formatted it like a letter, added to whom it may concern, fixed the words. I asked if he would sign it, in case it needed to be signed, and said I added to whom it may concern, if that was ok, but the rest were his words...( As they were the words he intended) and he said outright... Oh, I figured you'd edit for me... And just signed it no problem...
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Apr 21, 2014 9:35:24 GMT -5
Whew! Isn't it fun y how we all get worked up for nothing?
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