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Australian Teachers Told Marking In Red Damages Students
Teachers who mark homework with a red pen could be inflicting psychological damage on their students, according to new Australian guidelines. Teachers are being urged to use less aggressive colors, like the-real-world-is-going-to-eat-you-alive green, and setting-you-up-for-failure blue. Stephen Robertson, the Queensland health minister, defended the new rules, saying that youth suicide was a serious issue. "If mental health professionals determine that as one of a number of strategies teachers should consider, then I'll support them every day of the week," he said. "This is not a matter for ridicule, this is serious."
Seriously, I had an Literature teacher in high school that felt red was getting a bad rap, so he used green for negative marks and red for positive marks. It didn't bother me so much, but I think he drove a student with OCD completely mad.
Right, after getting my paper marked up with red ink to the point I am supposed to be psychologically damaged, I go home and kill people in grand theft auto for about 4 hours, then sleep and dream about my recent Gears of War victories, which involved killing more people and the use of a chainsaw.
The red ink is still far more damaging, though.
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