I tell them they are not Uncle Sam.
I tell them to find a title; to use "students", "citizens", "workers", "alcoholics". Anything but you.
I just got done planning my 033 class for next week, and guess what? They're writing a process paragraph which encourages, advocates on behalf of, and even glorifies the use of "you." Why would a writing text do that? I'll just beat "understood you" into them. Maybe that will help.
I like the understood you. It gets me, man. Because I'm a little bossy. And I like me some rules.
On a completely unrelated note, I am making homemade pizza tonight.
6 comments:
If I did have facebook my status would read:
B is excited for homemade pizza and you should be too! =)
GET FACEBOOK, B!
Here is how I go about getting the point of avoiding you across to my students. I explain to them that anytime the writer uses the second person pronoun "you" it causes the sentence to speak directly to the reader. Thus, if the writer is writing about breastfeeding and says something like: "You should give breastfeeding a try when you have a baby" the writer is speaking directly to me as the reader. Being a male, I will never "have" a baby, nor will I ever breastfeed. Therefore, the writer will loose my interest and engagement with the material, because I am clearly not the intended audience.
It seems wacky, and clearly would not work for you (yes, you) given biological facts and all, but the idea I had when coming up with this example was to give them something that was just absurd enough to stick in their heads even when I am not there trying to drill it into them. Thus far? It seems to be working quite well.
Someday, if you (yes, you) are lucky, I will tell you all about how every quotation is a sandwich.
Often I decide I should catch up on your blog after not reading it for a week or so...as I find myself laughing out loud (at work) I wonder to myself why I don't read your blog more often....I think it is because I'm too impatient for the next installment. It is very satisfying to read one after another...3 blogs I hadn't read today. Seriously, you're hilarious and I should read your blog more often.
You are so much nicer than me. I just write "No you" on their papers. It's coarse but it gets the point across.
P Block, I used the breastfeeding analogy and it worked like a freakin' charm!!
THANK YOU! You are a genius, my friend!
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