So, I am continuing on to my grade spelling bee tomorrow.

What are your thoughts on spelling bees?

They are... interesting. Socially, they try to teach us that success is important, and that failure is embarrassing, I guess.

For example, I once was in a Spelling Bee. I dominated my class, and was basically the top speller in my grade outside of one other person. When we got to the school spelling bee, everyone in the school was assembled for something so pointless.

I spelled an easy word wrong near the end (I was in the top 8 or so?) and was ridiculed for a couple weeks. Stuff happens.

I think spelling bees would be more appropriate without there being a ton of people watching it.

legacyme3 : Well, in my school, no one watches except for parents.

BTW, I got out on an easy word too. (century)

I was always okay at spelling and I was always one of the shy, nerdy kids when I was 10 or so. (still shy but in high school I just stopped caring)

My teacher convinced me (looking back at it she probably kind of forced me but w/e) to participate and I got like my second word wrong. I hate going on stages and to have people look at me while I'm trying to remember what to do or say. I was so stressed that I'm surprised I got like the first half right. Next year I faked being sick so I didn't have to participate (first time I ever skipped school I believe).


I agree fully with what leggy said. I'd prefer it to take place in a private room without a crowd of parents watching you. Kind of like how exams are done.

I haven't been a part of a spelling bee since the 6th grade. Nonetheless though, I won the spelling bee since I was one of the last two competitors. My opponent misspelled the word "encore" so I spelled it correctly and ended up winning by spelling the word "scruple" to secure the win. I remember the qualifying round before the finals when the teacher went around the classroom asking students to spell easy words like "treasure," "piano," and "beautiful." Oddly enough, most of my classmates spelled them wrong (one guy spelled piano as pyano...pretty awful, then again he probably saw it as a waste of time and messed up on purpose just to get out of it early on.)

Altogether, just the mention of spelling bee instantly transports me to my middle school days. I thought spelling bees were fairly easy and fun, then again, I never had to go in front of a stage of people to spell a word...I hate anything that has to do with performing in front of large crowds...what is the purpose in everyone seeing and hearing you mess up the spelling of a word? Ridicule and humiliation? No thanks. I prefer spelling in the classroom filled with kids that can barely spell anyone, not a crowd full of parents. 

Well,they can be helpful with spelling and language skills. Considering a lot of kids and adults use autocorrect or can't spell to save their lives,it is handy to be able to spell things and know other words.

Spelling Bees? oO;; Now that brings back memories… Oh, the angst, the sleepless nights of seeing the mistakes printed in the newspapers behind closed eyelids DX-  Oh wait, sorry. Wrong competitions. lol

I used to care so much about spelling... rofl

... ...

Okay, maybe I still do somewhat care sometimes. T_T After all, those competitions ate up so much of my time for several years every time the School, County, District, etc. Bees came around. I'd like to think it wasn't all just wasted time or effort though.

One of the first words I came across in that little booklet I got was "Otorhinolaryngology." As kids, we had a hard time believing that adults actually used any words like that. Well, now that I'm older, I can confirm that indeed, they do. oO;; I just saw it on a sign the other day.

As for how I feel about spelling after so many years…

Nah, life isn't about spelling things correctly, right~? XD

(Go ahead and try to find any spelling errors I made in any of my posts up to this point. I'll give you 10k Viz per error. For real.)

Oh, and having an audience is nice but only if you can somehow manage to win.

Spelling bee's are soo early 2000's! Now it's spelling wasps that are popular. Unlike spelling bees, these last a long time (Similar to a wasp when it's stinging you) and you don't know when it's gonna end either. Spelling bees have run there course and are old news. I suspect within the next ten years or so that spelling hornets may become popular.

I don't remember doing any of those.....I think there was some in the UK, but not as much as ones that goes on in the USA really. I think this happens more in the US than in other places. '-'