She wasn’t the most charismatic or entertaining teacher at North Muskegon High School (NMHS) nor was she the most popular. She rarely smiled and she did it was with a closed mouth and upturned lips for about a second. However, every time I work on this blog I utilize what Mr. Hettle taught me.
Almost 20 years later, I can still see her red notes in the margins of my Five Paragraph Essays.
Don’t use there is or there are
Don’t use obviously, if it’s obvious you shouldn’t need to even write it
Find a more interesting word than because
Find a more interesting word than interesting.
Wrong spelling for whether
Don’t start a sentence with And
No contractions
Don’t use clichés
At the time I thought she was picky. I mean really as long as the content is strong why does it matter if I use a few there ares and state something as obvious regardless if it truly is. I am not using run on sentences and ending them in prepositions am I? In retrospect she was my writing coach and she wanted me to be do my best. She saw my talent and wanted me to excel. Her notes were like a Track Coach screaming “Faster.” She did not allow me to be a lazy writer.
Mrs. Hettle had an, at that time annoying, unwavering commitment to impeccability. She measured the margins of all her students papers to make sure they one inch all around as outlined by the Modern Language Association (MLA). She read them as well as the corresponding note cards to ensure that we had fully complied with all their rules. Though I didn’t know it at the time, she taught me about doing complete spotless work. As frustrating as, what then occurred as her obsession with, the rules were I rose to the occasion striving always for a coveted A or not having to perform rewrites.
She also praised my use of alliteration, repetition of sentences, word choice as well as my over all style. Because of her, I can write. Moreover, due to Dona Hettle, I can write well.
Mrs. Hettle, thanks to you I know the rules of writing and have the choice to break them. Which is way better than violating them in ignorance.
So, every time I sit at my computer to write my blog and type a “there is” or interesting her notes pop into my head. Almost, two decades later I still remember the lessons she taught me.
We did not have the Internet; in fact home computers were rare. However, whether (old habits die hard and I initially typed weather), she likes it or not she plays an integral role in this blog.
As I said she wasn’t the most charismatic, entertaining or popular teacher. She manages to inspire and impact me years later; therefore, I declare she got her job done.
I know that many of my fellow NMHS alums may disagree with me and I am curious to know how you remember her Senior English Class. Everyone else, what do you actually remember learning in high school that you use in your everyday life?
http://www.mla.org/
http://www.nmps.k12.mi.us/
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I think the whole class was so tramatic, I've blocked the entire thing out.
ReplyDeleteActually, in all seriousness, when I got to college, I remember being shocked by how many other freshmen didn't seem to know many of the things she taught us, drilled into us, the things that by then were completely automatic and second-nature in writing. At Hope we had to take a freshman writing course that was, frankly, an overly simplified version of North Muskegon 12th grade English.
It wasn't until I had a writing mentor/coach at my first job out of law school that I really felt I learned anything new and important about writing.
Of course some of my 300 level German courses at Hope were easier than Ms. Lucas' classes too, but that's another blog entry.
Oh the memories! I knew who u were talking about as soon as u mentioned the smile. She made it hard not to learn!
ReplyDeleteBecky says.....
ReplyDeleteI still have Hettle night sweats.........I think there is a way to inspire and teach sans the crazy.......
I still remember my parents coming home from a parent teacher conference amazed that she made a full REAL smile.
ReplyDeleteShe also told them for me not to take her English class when I went to MCC as it was exact same as what she taught us in Senior English.
@ Amy, it is weird because I don't really remember the class as much as the notes.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's remembering the notes too. The how you are supposed to do things/write things, not actually learning it. If that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteOf course after 2 years of writing nothing but posts to blog entries and status updates on Facebook. I've actually probably now forgotten it all!
I had her for 9th grade English. Not only did she teach me how to write, she taught me to enjoy Emerson and Thoreau. 9th grade!
ReplyDeleteOther Hettle rules:
No run-on sentences.
Do not use contractions. Spell it out.
And it took UC Berkeley to teach me to use the serial comma. But I bet she would have done so, too, if she went to Cal.
I told her when I graduated in '84 she was the best teacher I had. She sure smiled then.
Thank you for a great tribute to a great teacher. I'm glad I found it, and I'm chuffed to know there are others who appreciate how special she was.
Obviously, I remember Mrs. Hettle's Senior English class. Her one criticism of my writing was: "the sarcasm is not effective." Au contraire, Mrs. Hettle. Sarcasm in writing is frequently needed and is effective. That's what makes the writing of Mike Royko or Andy Rooney or Roger Ebert more readable than that of a high school English student. That's why I've tried to violate as many of her rules as possible in this comment.
ReplyDeleteDitto Eric! I really enjoyed her as a teacher as well.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, I applied and recieved the American Association of Unversity Women Scholarship. When I went to one of thier meetings to recieve the scholarship, Mrs Hettle and Maria Ladas were members and presented the scholarship to me. I was so shocked to see them! Nothing had changed, I was still humbled in Mrs Hettle's presence.
ReplyDelete