Blogging Around: Hannah and Sydney

Hannah Schiller:

I commented on Hannah’s blog, “Semester One: A Perfectionist Can't Be A Great Writer.” This blog effectively addresses the issue of perfectionism, which plagues many students’ writing. She also discussed how she often spent hours trying to find “the perfect idea,” but to no avail.

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Hi Hannah!

I want to start by congratulating you on identifying and overcoming an issue that I face as well; we all feel the need to find “the perfect idea.” Just like you, I had a very hard time writing my poem with this mindset so engrained in my writing process. I believed that every single word that I wrote in my poem needed to be absolutely brilliant, and that as little revision as possible was ideal. It was not until I learned to “let go” of my worn-out language that my poem achieved its full potential.

You also identified that you often spent hours upon hours trying to think of the one idea that will slingshot you straight to a glorious paper, and in doing so you were actually limiting your writing and brainpower. I also had this problem in writing my Orlando essay during the first quarter. Rather than exploring the text, reaching deep into my mind for insight, and giving up on perfectionism, I proceeded to force ideas out, make inconclusive arguments, and basically write about a bunch of bologna (which is delicious by the way, but that is beside the point). If I had been insightful like you and made efforts to let go of my writing fears, I definitely would have turned in a more thorough and interesting paper.

Thanks again for addressing this issue; I too am taking steps to crush my perfectionism!

Sydney Schwartz:

I also commented on Sydney’s blog, “First Semester,” which focuses on her struggle with “getting over herself” and finally asking Mr. Allen for help with her Orlando essay. She also mentions how she was able to move past her perfectionist mindset this semester.

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Sydney, I totally agree with your shift; asking teachers for help is crucial to survival in high school. Just like you, I started sophomore year with the fear that my ideas would be criticized and destroyed if I “dared” to share in class. Although I am not shy at all (as you know, I’m a theatre nerd), I still worried that my thoughts were not “worthy” of an Academy classroom discussion. Just as you did with your Orlando essay, my King Lear test grade gave me the incentive to finally ask Mr. Allen for help.

When I received my grade on that assignment, I was devastated and enraged. After finally cooling down, I recognized that I made some serious mistakes on the test, and I decided to talk with him about the test. He gave me some great advice and really cheered me up. As you put it, I had finally “gotten over myself.” This mindset was extremely influential in my success as an English student this semester, just as it was for you.

I’m so glad we share the same views on asking teachers for advice. I know it will pay off in the future!