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Teacherspeak

Teacher Talk - an art work by T Newfields
What teachers generally tell students –
This essay isn't typed correctly.
Those letters should be capitalized.
This paragraph needs development.
Ha, parts of this are plagiarized!

Things we probably ought to say –
Keep exploring these ideas – wrestle with them patiently.
Surface mechanics can be handled later – focus more on content now.
Read about this more; it will help you compare your ideas.
Revise fearlessly: gradually your words will shine.
Writing is a journey, not a destination – so keep at it.

Tim: (stammering ineptly) Can teachers say anything meaningful to most students?
Liao: Probably not. Most of the time students aren't even listening. Besides, repeating the same stuff over and over gets frustrating.
Satoru: I suspect most folks don't want to hear the truth about their writing. If we were fully honest, I'm afraid most people would stop writing entirely since over 95% of our words are essentially trash.
Melissa: (harshly) Be careful about comments like that. It's arrogant to claim to know what is "the Truth" or merely "trash." All interpretations are highly subjective.