Thursday, December 08, 2005

Where I Take My Chances And Grovel A Bit

I have exciting news. I am finally applying for a graduate program! There's a grant from a local university to pay for an MEd with an emphasis in English Language Learning. Besides the obvious need for me to be trained in this area, it's free. Stinking free. Did I think the Master's I would get would be an MEd? Nope, but I also thought I would have to pay for it. So there we are. I plan to become Ramblin' Educat, MEd.

The application process isn't hard, but it requires two letters of recommendation. One from an administrator and one from a colleague. My principal is new to my building, but I figure I don't need a novel of a letter, so I ask him to write one.

And he recommends the wrong teacher. His secretary mistyped the letter, thus recommending the wrong teacher.

My first name is common. Most white girls born in the late 60's and early 70's were named Ramblin'. It's perhaps an honest mistake that in his letter he describes my success in teaching ELL at my school. Except that the ELL teacher is a tiny young Latina and I am...well...I'm just not. So I have to swallow so much pride and draft an email.


Dear Sir,
I am not sure how to tell you this, but as I looked over the letter of
recommendation for the ELL Master's program, I noticed that you referred to my
success teaching ELL here.

I am afraid that I am not that Ramblin'. I am Ramblin' Educat, the tall
stocky silly teacher who does Debate and knits in meetings (qualities that will
identify me, but not worth mentioning in the letter).

Really, really, I understand that things like this happen. Can I please ask
for another letter? I teach English II, Communications, Debate and
Humanities.

Thank you!

Ramblin' Educat

Hopefully, this attempt at humor will endear me to him and not seal my fate as the lesser Ramblin' for the rest of his time at my school.

4 comments:

Jim Jannotti said...

Ramblin' might be common but doesn't everybody refer to you as Miss Educat? I didn't think that was so common. Am I wrong on this one?

educat said...

To friends and peers, I am Ramblin'. It's the only thing I have in common with the lovely petite Latina, so I have to think it's how the mix up happened.

Yes,Educat, not so common.

The Crib Chick said...

::Sigh::

And if you were a young, white girl born in the early 70s and somehow missed being named Ramblin'...you were named Crib.

Waaaaay many Cribs and Educats out there. That's where the pressure comes for us to be so individual.

"Ms. Cornelius" said...

Yeah, well, after serving on about five bajillion district committees, writing the seventh grade curriculum in both social studies and English as well as 11th grade US history, my superintendent addresses me as "Hey there, Guitar Chick, Still playing guitar?" since he played with me in a band at the beginning of the year skit.

(Point of order: I've played guitar since I was five, so I don't think that being in a band with him would put me off of it for the rest of my life, but then again...)