My school does not approve of the club I wanted to make

snowfoxofdeath

It's a literary circle thing, in contrast to the other writing club we have, which is contest-based and publishes a magazine. We would anonymously give critiques and then have face-to-face talks with the reviewer because I find that giving people critiques online sometimes leads to misunderstandings. Not always, but enough times to bug me. My friend likes to write, so I wanted to ask if she wanted to join.

"The school isn't going to let you make that," she said.

"lolwut?"

"Just go ask."

I went and asked my counselor, who said, "Oh, no. Criticism creates a negative atmosphere."

"But teachers do it all the time."

"Not on a personal level, no."

"How is reviewing someone's writing negative on a personal level?"

"That person put so much work into it! Saying that it's bad will make them feel worthless," said the counselor, shaking her head. "At this school, our goal is to create a positive environment where our students can grow."

wut

Longfellow

IJBM: the assumption that "critique" = "negative".

All Nines

It's because nowadays, school officials/parents don't seem to want to allow anything that might damage self-esteem (or so the theory goes), never mind that teachers do it all the time simply by grading poorly-done work. She's also missing the point of criticism and failing to realize that students can grow by acknowledging their faults.

It's an understandable reaction, but not one that I agree with, myself.

Bob

I'm agreeing with Longfellow. Besides, you wouldn't be offering the critique in the first place if you didn't think whatever you were critiquing had any hope of getting better anyway.

Sammy

But snowfox, surely you've hung around on the forums long enough to realize that negativity serves no purpose >:[

glennmagusharvey

Get your parents to talk to the school about it.

If that doesn't work, get other students' parents to talk to the school about it.

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I knew who made this thread before I eve-

wait wheres chagen

"failing to realize that students can grow by acknowledging their faults."

They sure can grow better that way, but it's harder to do, especially when you have to put up with the burden of trying to guide so many people.

All Nines

^ How so? I'd probably understand you better if you were more specific.

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Getting them to acknowledge things like that is harder to do than just trying to let them go with an easier mindset.

Not that they're particularly good at it most of the time though, given how many bullies exist.

All Nines

Eh. Probably. But the way I see it, they're going to have to learn to prevent potential mistakes anyway, right? Less so if they're not in a critiquing club, but still.

glennmagusharvey

Also, say it's not about criticism but about critiquing.

Gelzo

This is hilarious.

Hatter

Esteem-focused theory needs to die.

Preferably by dragging those armchair sociologists in front of a stage of howling teenagers and shrieking "WRONG WRONG WRONG" in their fat ugly faces until they shriek like the babies they are.

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I'd rather you punch them at that point.

Hatter

BUT VIOLENCE IS WRONG.

Speaking of which, imperative pacifism needs to be dragged out in the back and shot.

FrodoGoofballCoTV

Schools might as well be state brainwashing as far as I'm concerned.  Just pay them lip service and pursue your hobbies outside as much as possible.