Today, my new creative writing teacher informed the class that we should consult him before writing anything "dark or disturbing." I only took the class because my therapist recommended that I join the class so I could freely express my darker thoughts without her help or a fear of being judged. FML
Collection
Fall
Dead leaves, the first cold of the season and an umbrella flipped inside out: fall, the season of grace.
Today, my teacher read my story about a haunted house for a class assignment. She liked it very much and turned it in to the office to be sent into a state writing competition. An hour later, I was called to the office where the guidance counselor called my work "disturbing" and said I "need help". FML
Today, I forbade a student in the writing seminar I instructed from continuing to present his disturbing poems about demons. He responded to this by convincing nearly every other student in the seminar to write and read out loud several of his poems. FML
Today, in my psychology class, the professor had us write down our name and birthday on one side of the paper and on the other side put down a mental disorder we would like to know more about. I was going to write 'Social anxiety disorder' but I was too worried about what people would think. FML
Today, my therapist asked me if I’d been journaling as he suggested. I had to tell him that I don’t trust writing down my innermost thoughts anymore, because when I was younger my mom read by diary multiple times and beat me for what I wrote. So did my ex-boyfriend. FML
Today, I lectured my second-grade class to be more descriptive in their writing. I gave them an assignment to describe something in the classroom. I was grading their work later, and one student wrote, "My class is taught by a fat teacher with gray hair." FML
Today, I woke up to a bloody nose. Instead of rushing to the bathroom, I creatively dripped the blood over a knife for photography class because the assignment was to show emotion. So many of the students and faculty were disturbed that I'm now forced to talk to the school psychologist. FML
Today, I gathered the courage to participate in a class discussion. My professor laughed at me. FML
Today, my university professor asked us to submit anonymous course feedback. I wrote three paragraphs criticizing his lectures. Ten minutes later, I realized I'd left my full name at the bottom of the page. FML
Today, after complaining that I had nothing to write about in my weekly journal for college, my professor suggested in front of everyone that I should get a girlfriend. FML
Today, I got up the courage to go to my very first voice lesson. I thought I did alright, but at the end my teacher told me, "Now don't worry about grades in this class, I grade on effort, not on talent." FML
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Top comments
Palirose 22
Write what you want anyways. Don't let some teacher stifle what you have to express!
davincidasecond 24
You can always start your own blog and write your own stuff.
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Comments (94)
InfernoVivo 12
That's unethical for your teacher. You should be able to express yourself freely
TheDrifter 24
A teacher asking students to talk to him about how they're doing an assignment is unethical now? No wonder the educational system is in the shitter.
InfernoVivo 12
It's a creative writing class. He can't judge judge students
blackonblight 33
He can't judge students? How the **** is he supposed to grade then? Roll dice?
tatertot1985 14
It's called creative writing for a reason sorry op that's some bull
Ziggy122 15
Well, that sort of defeats the purpose of creative writing.
blackonblight 33
What, the instructor asking to be spoken to before material that could have a seriously negative impact on a member of the class is introduced? There might be someone who is taking the course who requires special consideration, or it may be just general policy.
CaitiieBuggs 23
Who's to say anyone else in the class will even see OP's writing? I've had many writing classes where only the instructor saw my writing. I've also had many writing classes where others would see my work, unless requested otherwise. OP could always ask to have their work be anonymous or simply not shared.
crazytrainer 5
Sorry, OP, taking a class & hoping not to get judged is like taking a shower & hoping not to get wet.
HeyHeyFishFillet 34
Sorry but that's a terrible analogy.
starile 20
You know, the relentless Shower of Judgement.
blackonblight 33
Taking a class where you are being graded and expecting not to be judged? The analogy kinda works. Not perfect, but I get the idea.
DriAA7 17
That's exactly what I was thinking! If your writing is being graded, then it's being judged. Maybe if you're lucky the teacher will only grade the grammar and syntax of your writing and still let you write your dark thoughts.
Obey_StudBoii 23
Write what you want to write. Whether it be dark or not who cares. Creativity is creativity. Don't let some misguided judgmental ass tell you otherwise.
TheLittleBear 19
Tell him. I'm sure that the reason he wants to be consulted is nothing to do with stopping you writing what you like. Teachers aren't there to stifle you in any way, they're there so you can express yourself more effectively.
cmayer 20
I can see what the teacher means... He doesn't want to have students writing these things and think that it's nothing when it turns out to be something (suicide, shootings, drugs, etc.). Just explain to him what you want out of the class and he will more than likely let you write freely. Especially if he knows that your therapist suggested it for you, if you're willing to share that information with him.
blackonblight 33
Why? He said to 'consult before' writing such things, not to not write them at all. They aren't banned, it's just another set of eyes to make sure that the content is appropriate for the audience.
bosox29 14
Write whatever who says he has to read it? You will always have some judgmental asshole telling you what you can and can't do for the rest of your life. Go for it OP!!
Ceruleanst 5
It's possible this is a regular go-to solution for this therapist, or even a popular idea among the profession. Poor guy wanted to teach aspiring writers the art of storytelling, and he didn't know he was volunteering to stare down the personal demons of every tortured soul the local shrink feels like dumping into his care.
bosox29 14
Like I said judgmental assholes... It's ok though I was prepared for down votes because half of you people can't stand to hear the thruth. So sad. Because "everyone's a winner" writing or should I say "creative" writing is the same thing. I'm sorry but if you have to have someone tell you what to write to become a writer than it's not very "creative" now is it?!? Hmmm
TheDrifter 24
"Who says he has to read it"? Are you mentally disabled? It's the ******* teacher, of course he has to read it, he's the one grading it for chrissakes. Please crawl back into whatever hipster pool of idiocy you came from.
Enslaved 38
I wonder if that teacher read so many messed up/disturbing things in the past and now just wants a head's up warning. :P