Analysis Of In Praise Of The F Word By Mary Sherry

814 Words2 Pages

The Failures of Education
The Failures of Education
The name of this essay is “In Praise of the F Word” by Mary Sherry. It’s about how the education system has failed. How it just pushes students through to graduation, without them actually learning the material. This is an argumentative essay. The purpose is for Mary to explain to her audience; of teachers, parents, and students, that “We must review the threat of flunking and see it as it really is- a positive teaching tool” (560). The context of this essay is “Tens of thousands of eighteen-year-olds will graduate this year and be handed meaningless diplomas” (559).This essay is a successful argumentative essay Because of her appeal to reason threw the examples form her sons’ story, her students’ stories, and how the education system fails in general. …show more content…

She explains how her son was just pushed through school. “Our youngest, a world-class charmer, did litter to develop his intellectual talent but always got by” (559). He got through school by being a good kid, he was quiet and didn’t get in trouble. This was how he made it to his senior year until Mrs. Stifter’s English class. Her son sat in the back of the room talking to his friends; and when Mary told her to just move him “believing the embarrassment would get him to settle down” (559) Mrs. Stifter just told her “I don’t move seniors I flunk them” (559). This opened Mary’s eyes that her son would have to actually apply himself to pass. He wouldn’t be handed a passing grade. After the meeting with her son teacher, she told her son if you don’t try you will fail, making him actually apply himself. This made Mary understand that Failure is a form of positive teaching tool. Only because her son had to work for it and, now he actually came out of high school with a form of

Show More
Related

  • The Other Wess Moore's The Other Wes Moore

    1717 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the high criminal neighborhood where the other Wes lived, people who live there need a positive role model or a mentor to lead them to a better future. Usually the older family members are the person they can look up to. The other Wes’s mother was not there when the other Wes felt perplexed about his future and needed her to support and give him advises. Even though the other Wes’s mother moved around and tried to keep the other Wes from bad influences in the neighborhood, still, the other Wes dropped out of school and ended up in the prison. While the author Wes went to the private school every day with his friend Justin; the other Wes tried to skip school with his friend Woody. Moore says, “Wes had no intention of going to school. He was supposed to meet Woody later – they were going to skip school with some friends, stay at Wes’s house, and have a cookout” (59). This example shows that at the time the other Wes was not interested in school. Because Mary was busy at work, trying to support her son’s education, she had no time and energy to look after the other Wes. For this reason, she did not know how the other Wes was doing at school and had no idea that he was escaping school. She missed the opportunities to intervene in her son’s life and put him on the right track. Moreover, when the author was in the military school, the other Wes was dealing drugs to people in the streets and was already the father of a child. The incident that made the other Wes drop out of school was when he had a conflict with a guy. The other Wes was dating with the girl without knowing that she had a boyfriend. One night, her boyfriend found out her relationship with the other Wes and had a fight with him. During the fight, the other Wes chased the guy and shot him. The guy was injured and the other Wes was arrested

    Read More

  • The Techniques of Persuasion in W.J. Reeves’ “College Isn’t For Everyone”

    1726 Words  | 4 Pages

    In an article originally published in May 2003 in USA Today called “College Isn’t For Everyone,” by W.J. Reeves combined these rhetorical devices to make a compelling argument that although colleges are easily accessible, higher education lacks students with the capabilities of academic success. To validate this claim, Reeves uses persuasive appeals to convey an effective argument by influencing the audience, however, he limits his reach because of the excessive pathos and condescending tone used to present his argument.

    Read More

  • Hidden Intellectualism Gerald Graff Summary

    1360 Words  | 3 Pages

    The author begins his argument by retelling the story of his youth to build his ethos but the results are poor as it presents more questions on how he is a credible source on this argument as his only evidence is his own story. However, through the same means his pathos is built as his anecdote conveys feelings in the audience, making them more willing to listen. Graff finally, gives a call to action to schools to use students’ interests to develop their skills in rhetoric and analysis, which reveals the logic behind his argument. The topic about how students are taught rhetoric and analysis brings interest but with an average argument only built on pathos, a low amount of logos, and questionable ethos it can fall on deaf

    Read More

  • Two Critiques

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many examples of strong argumentative writing in the second half of the book Everyday Arguments. Topics of writing examples include today’s college student, the internet, sports, earning your living, diet, and reading popular culture. Of the writings, two stood out as notable works to be critiqued; Who is a Teacher, and Thoughts on Facebook.

    Read More

  • Tisha: The Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaskan Wilderness

    1006 Words  | 3 Pages

    The school board tried to tell Anne the way things should be ran in the school, even when they were desperate for her to teach their kids in the secluded town they all found themselves in. The school board needed an educati...

    Read More

  • A Generation Of Slackers Are Not So Better By Catherine Rampell Summary

    895 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, such accusations such as laziness and entitlement, although common, have been prevalent amongst those of college age as proven in “A’s for Everyone.” Shepard had investigated the cause behind this and had put the blame on grade inflation in the years prior to entering college, the pressure to get superb grades due to high tuition costs, and most importantly the belief that “effort” constitutes a grade bonus. However, if one has entered the school system in America, one could see the relative ease in which one could improve their grades through inordinate amounts of extra credit. Multiple students have heard and even seen fellow students ask their parents to even come in for meetings of which equate to blaming their child’s poor grades on the teacher and harassing said teacher to allow their child, soon to be a hardworking, productive citizen of society, to get the “grade they

    Read More

  • The Great Person-Hole Cover Debate, By Lindsy Van Gelder

    1052 Words  | 3 Pages

    Persuasiveness is a vital skill all authors and essayists must master in order to effectively communicate their ideas. “The Great Person-Hole Cover Debate: A Modest Proposal for Anyone Who Thinks the Word “He” Is Just Plain Easier…” (Person-Hole Cover Debate) written by Lindsy Van Gelder is a poor example of how to construct a persuasive essay. This essay can be deconstructed into three key areas which are used to judge an essays persuasiveness. Failure to achieve effectiveness in these areas deem a persuasive essay ineffective. These areas include persuasive essay fundamentals, literary devices, and features. “Person-Hole Cover Debate” fails its goal of persuading the audience to comprehend and eventually agree with the thesis of the essay.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of George Orwell's Incompetent Language

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many people can relate to receiving an essay paper back in which they believe that the grading is unfair. Grammatical errors, style, and subject are areas that receive the most attention. However, it may not be the writers’ work that is ineffective, maybe it 's the English language itself that is lacking in quality. Similarly, George Orwell in " Politics and the English Language" convinces the audience that the causes of the decline in the English language are the vagueness and meaningless of prose that is receiving impact from political jargon. Orwell effectively persuades the readers by addressing opposing views, providing examples that offer support to sub-claims, and creating reader connections while simultaneously

    Read More

  • Eudora Welty's The Little Store

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...a was raised, she was learning life lessons. She learned of violence from inside The Little Store. She never considered Mr. Sessions and the woman in the store to have any kind of relationship because Eudora never saw them sit down together at the table. Then tragedy struck, and this was how she learned of violence. She never knew exactly what had happened, but knew it was not good. The family just disappeared. Every time she came home from the store, she was carrying with her a little of what she had learned along the way. She learned a lot about, ?pride and disgrace, and rumors and early news of people coming to hurt one another, while others practiced for joy?storing up a portion for [her]self of the human mystery? (82).

    Read More

  • The Turn Of The Screw Analysis

    1597 Words  | 4 Pages

    The next unclear situation is when the Governess learns of Miles’ expulsion. This is one of the main mysteries within this story. The question, “What does it mean? The child’s dismissed his school,” is the only question that the reader has throughout the conversation between the Governess and Mrs. Grose (165). Even though their conversation does inform the reader that the school has “absolutely decline[d]” Miles, it doesn’t clarify what exactly he has done to be expelled (165). The Governess comments, “That he’s an injury to the others” and “to corrupt” are her own opinions as to why Miles was expelled (165, 166). Nevertheless, her comment does not help the reader in any way because the remark in and of itself is unclear. Her first comment suggests that Miles might be causing physical harm to other students but her second ...

    Read More

  • Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here? Rhetorical Analysis

    1159 Words  | 3 Pages

    Studying a university degree is one of the biggest achievements of many individuals around the world. But, according to Mark Edmunson, a diploma in America does not mean necessarily studying and working hard. Getting a diploma in the United States implies managing with external factors that go in the opposite direction with the real purpose of education. The welcome speech that most of us listen to when we started college, is the initial prank used by the author to state the American education system is not converging in a well-shaped society. Relating events in a sarcastic way is the tone that the author uses to explain many of his arguments. Mark Edmunson uses emotional appeals to deliver an essay to the people that have attended College any time in their life or those who have been involved with the American education system.

    Read More

  • The Whiz Kid Analysis

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    The problem was that Mrs.Billups only assumed what the kids liked and didn’t like. She didn’t really try to understand them. And Melody just couldn’t take it anymore so she caused a racket. (Page 54 Then Maria, who is always inna good mood, started throwing crayons. Willy began to babble. And I bellowed…) Thankfully, her mom stepped in and tried to make Mrs.Billups understand. (Page 58 …”Well I think that’s what happened to Melody. She said herself, ‘If I have to go over those letters one more time, I’ll just scream.’ So she did…) This didn’t exactly (From Mrs.Billups point of view) solve the problem, but it ended peacefully because Mrs.Billups still didn’t fully understand and she eventually quit her job. Leaving Melody and her classmates very

    Read More

  • How Did Anne Moody Influence The Civil Rights Movement

    1353 Words  | 3 Pages

    At the very conservative Baptist College, she does not enjoy the basketball team or coach very much. When the coach decides to give her a worse punishment than she gives the other girls, Anne does not just take it in. Her personality shines in that she fights for better treatment, even between people of the same race. She gets the Dean involved, who then makes Miss Adams, the coach, treat them more fairly. Furthermore, at the college, Anne finds a job as a cook in the kitchen. In her second year, after she was fired, some students found maggots in their grits because Miss Harris failed to notify anyone that the showers were leaky and water was getting in the food. She then proceeds to start a boycott of the dining room food until the showers are fixed and Miss Harris is fired. She also conscious of and asserts to the Dean that she is only responsible for her actions and the willingness of other students to boycott alongside her. She is not afraid of pushing the limit and daring to fight for equality and what is

    Read More

  • Majoritarianism In The Crucible

    1446 Words  | 3 Pages

    The English honors class consists of all white students, and one black female student. However, none of her classmates anticipate her to be intelligent because of her race. Mr. Guilford is the teacher for the English honors class. In the movie, he explained how the school used to have all white students who wanted to learn and get an education. Now the school has become so diverse that the students don’t want to learn anymore and many of them end up dropping out. Yosso states that “Every day majoritarian narratives-embedded with racialized omissions, distortions, and stereotypes-perpetuate myths that darker skin and poverty correlate with bad neighborhoods and bad schools”(9). They are many students in this school who not intelligent because many them grew up in run-down neighborhoods and never had anyone motivate them to do well in school. Then, the name of the black girl in the English honors class is Victoria. However, Victoria’s classmates don’t think she belongs in the class due to stereotyping her race. Even, the teacher is racist against Victoria because during class time they were reading about black and white people and he distinctly asked Victoria the black person aspect. Moreover, she becomes very upset with him, saying that kind of stuff to her. Mr. Guilford expected her to know the black history behind it because she’s black. Victoria was very angry that her teacher would ask those kinds of

    Read More

  • Exemplification Essay: Jane's New Grading System

    752 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jane is a tenth grade Mathematics teacher at Littleton High School. Her student, Willie Lawrence, is a very bright kid; however, he has low confidence in math, and he does not believe he can excel in it. The previous year, she had him as a student and he was always right on the edge of a higher grade. She knew he was smart so she always gave him the benefit of the doubt to help boost his confidence and show him that he can do math.

    Read More

More about Analysis Of In Praise Of The F Word By Mary Sherry

Open Document