Is the "F" Word Really That Bad?

The title alone is an attention getter in Mary Sherry’s “In Praise of the “F” Word”, myself and my classmate both said “Oh my!” when we first read the title. Her meaning of the “F” word is just about as bad as the other meaning, most people do not like or want to fail at anything. 

Sherry elaborates on how many of our school’s seniors graduate with the inability to read and write at levels, which will give them the foundation to succeed in their adult life. Then the graduates find this out for themselves, when they are unable to continue their education or succeed in their career choice. “Eventually a fortunate few will find their way into educational repair shops—adult-literacy programs, such as the one where I teach basic grammar and writing” (Sherry p. 160).

In her own life’s experience, Sherry finds that the possibility of failure helped her youngest son. She tells how her son’s senior English teacher, Mrs. Stifter’s style of teaching certainly gained  her son’s attention with just a few words “She is going to flunk you” (Sherry p. 161). Sherry agrees this will not inspire every student to achieve better grades. 

Being a teacher herself, Sherry blames the teachers for passing along students instead of failing them like they deserve. Her belief is to use the threat of failure as “….a positive teaching tool” (Sherry p. 162). Yet, for this teaching tool to work, the teacher must be ready to give the “F” when the student does not improve his or her grades. Sherry also states the parents have to understand this for the best and totally support the teacher. 

Sherry truly believes this teaching tool gave her son the choice; he could continue the path he was on and fail or realize the “F” word was serious and change his course to succeed. The “F” word should not be shunned as a bad word, but embraced as a teaching tool for our young students to have a successful future. 

Work Cited

Sherry, Mary. “In Praise of the “F” Word.” Connections: Reading for First-Year Writing.     Clayton State University, 2011. 160-162.