There were a few things I did like about working on the copy desk. Most of all I enjoyed the egoism of the job. I got to correct people. I got to say, "I am right. You are wrong." But beyond that I hated the job. I was good at it, but I hated it
The worst thing was that none of the reporters ever thanked me for fixing their work. I also don't remember any of them coming me to ask me why I made certain changes and how they could do better in the future. Sometimes I was unsure whether they even read their stories once they were in print or even noticed the changes made by the copy desk. The same reporters made the same mistakes over and over again, and they never bothered to improve.
When I decided to go back to college in 2009 to become a teacher, I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing. Now I know I did. The great thing about teaching journalism is that I still get to work with lots and lots of words, but producing a publication is a secondary goal to helping kids become better writers. When my students thank me for helping them fix their stories, it makes it all worth it.
Elaine Broussard
Belle Chasse High School
Belle Chasse, La.
Hi Dr. Cubey,
ReplyDeleteThe writers, probably me included, are so self-absorbed that if you did your job right, they didn't even know that you rewrote their work. In a way, the best thanks is no thanks ....
-- Steve
Thanks, Elaine. I have felt the same way about my students who keep making the same mistakes. After editing their final copy, I made them look like better writers than they are. I need to work in more one-on-one time with the writers to help them learn to prevent making the same mistakes.
ReplyDeleteDonna Owen
And the good thing about it is that we still get to say, "I'm right and you're wrong." The big difference is the teaching, though. These kids value us and want to know how to improve. How many professional writers think that about their copy editors?
ReplyDeleteRyan Peacock
Tooele High School
Tooele, Utah
You are so crucial in your field in your state. When the children of Louisiana entered the education system in Houston after Katrina, I cannot tell you how many times we heard the teachers in HISD say that the LA children told them that they had never had a textbook before. The state of LA is not broke, it is broken and in need of a strong watchdog. You will be a great journalism teacher, able to teach your students how to find and report the truth.
ReplyDeleteElaine,
ReplyDeleteEach time you help someone become a better writer, you help improve writing for more than the writer. You have helped put good writing out into the world. Somebody will read it, and something they read will echo in their own writing. Improving the writing and logical structure of students could not be more noble. We all know there are too few writers out there making sense, journalist or not. I'm so glad you teach.
Rhonda Dickens
Chisholm Trail High School
Fort Worth, Texas