Hellobee Boards

It is fairly shocking to me that a teacher told a student that something they've worked hard on is not worthy of her time. (Unless maybe it wasn't even close to the parameters of the assignment or clearly not a good effort and she expressed her disappointment poorly...but this woman is a writing teacher, so perhaps she should be held to a slightly higher than average standard about her choice of words.) In any event, that's not constructive criticism designed to help the student improve.

Is this a creative writing class? Were there parameters about what kinds of stories you could write that excluded "tender, domestic" stuff?

I think the teacher's comment that your piece "wasn't worth her time" is incredibly inappropriate. Incredibly! Rude as hell too.

That said, I don't see those comments necessarily reducing you to "just a mom". You sound like you have a lot going on, so are obviously not "just a mom" (and is anyone, really?!)

@bubblegum: I would honestly not be concerned about about being "just a mom." How can you use the word "just" to describe one of the most significant roles you will ever play in your life?
I am much more concerned about this writing class. My undergrad degree was in fiction writing and I was never once told WHAT to write or not write about. I was given criticism for technique, diction, etc but never the subject matter...because it's ART! In one class, we would have romance, sci-fi, suspense, drama...and everything in between! I am honestly astounded by this. Your teacher sounds like neither a professional nor a very good teacher. I would honestly sit down with her and inquire as to why you are not being supported to write what moves you (in terms of subject matter.) I would explain that I felt pressure to write what she wanted to read rather than what I was inspired to write.
I disagree that your teacher was trying to help you become a better writer. Helping you develop your craft has very little to do with criticizing your subject matter. The more I think about this...the more pissed I am.

I once heard someone (in power) talk about how 'all jobs are equally important even if you are JUST a toilet cleaner'. Though they meant well, that word -JUST- just rubs me wrong.
Your teacher's comment about not being worth her time was totally inappropriate.I had an art teacher in college who said something about it being a waste of time to look at the class' homework, spread it on the table and gave it all back to us to redo. She was criticizing the whole class as an 'example' of what NOT to do. Terrible teaching strategy. Don't elevate your teacher to a status who doesn't deserve it. Someone who has poor judgement like that shrinks to a grain of salt in my opinion.

Just a thought, would you want to write about your stance of a mom being a rockstar?! Or somehow work your passionate view into a future paper to enlighten your teacher?! Perhaps that would be more compelling!

@bubblegum: have you ever heard the phrase "happiness writes white?". I think that's maybe what she meant? I mean, I haven't read the work but I have taken creative writing classes and I can see how an instructor might try to force you to write something with more struggle, more challenging characters than a mother/daughter piece. I'm saying this as someone who is a SAHM who also completed a degree with a writing focus last year. I definitely bring my parenting to my academic life but I try to understand that it isn't nearly as important to anyone else in the room as it is to me. It is very difficult to find a new thing to say about motherhood. The market for that sort of writing is saturated. Is it possible that your teacher truly thinks of you as someone who wants to pursue writing professionally and therefore feels obligated to tell you that this sort of market is not there? If you are simply taking the course for enjoyment and pick up some credit hours maybe you can tell her that so she knows what sort of feedback to offer you.

I think there is definitely a difference between formative feedback and judging someone's efforts as a waste of time. If the teacher has no constructive, effective, specific feedback then there is nothing to learn from there except that he/she didn't like it. A (creative writing) teacher is supposed to teach/develop/model/inspire...not judge, discourage and/or reject budding authors. I liked my creative writing college class and it stretched me. Mostly the professor hung back and let us critique (not criticize) each other. I would expect the same productive feedback, if not better, from a teacher.

@808love: I'm with you.