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Teenage Rowling was 'extremely intelligent' 
MAY 4, 2007 at 5:34 AM
Posted by CHEESER
Source: TwinCities.com
A Minnesota educator reminisces
about his days as a foreign student teacher in the UK, when 13-year-old Joanne Rowling herself was a pupil:
"I was contacted by the teachers in England who I had stayed with, and they told me that the Harry Potter author had gone to Wyedean at the same time I was there and perhaps I knew her," [Dale] Neuschwander said. "It had been a long time, but I went to the grade book that I kept from that time and when I saw the class that she was in and her grades, I remembered her."
It was easy for the teacher to remember his former pupil. Her writing shone.
"She got straight A's and A-pluses in creative writing," he said.
When Neuschwander wrote to Rowling in 2000 to congratulate her on publishing Harry Potter, the author wrote back and her handwritten letter (the contents of which are in the full article) now hangs on his wall.
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Wizard
Points: 799
Dr EraseR says:
Honestly people... she simply had to be, she wouldn't have given us such joy if she hadn't ... go Jo..... Toot Toot
Posted May 4, 2007 at 7:15 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1204
sapphire260 says:
Wow I wish I could do that good in school, my parents would be very pleased!
Posted May 4, 2007 at 7:37 PM EST
Squib
Points: 182
kidwitalife says:
Well that's no suprise. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series. The best books in the world!
Posted May 4, 2007 at 8:24 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2515
Mystique says:
Well, i thought she was... after all, her writing is brilliant.
if i'm ever lucky enough to make it as an author, i'll have to write my old English And Literature teacher. She was always encouraging me and telling the class how much she enjoyed my creative writing essays.
Posted May 4, 2007 at 8:58 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 314
Jorel says:
It dosnt take a genius to know that she was one because i mean like look at what shes created. duh.
Posted May 4, 2007 at 9:15 PM EST
Prof. of Cultural Literacy
Points: 4241
PowerGranger says:
We had some hints of this from JKR...she has said she was very like Hermione so I assumed she meant she did well in school. It's cool when teachers and students connect again later in life. I have written letters to teachers I remember thanking them for teaching me things I've actually used in "real life"! JKR was, herself, a teacher, so I'm sure she cares a lot about that kind of connection.
Posted May 4, 2007 at 9:18 PM EST
Head Girl
Points: 472
hedwig86 says:
Thats not shocking she is a brilliant author!! She has such an amazing imagination. It must be an honor for him to have taught her!
Posted May 4, 2007 at 10:21 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2762
H/HrShipper4Ever says:
Wow thats so cool. That teacher must feel so proud. It would be so cool to teach a person and then see them succeed soo greatly..
Posted May 4, 2007 at 11:16 PM EST
Sir Knight Padfoot
Points: 2409
gregofgriffin says:
Such an excellent article. More telling about how life's journeys take unexpected turns. A very neat thing in life to have past contacts return.
Posted May 4, 2007 at 11:16 PM EST
Seer
Points: 15207
Brittany Radcliffe says:
yeah I can see her getting straight A's and A pluses in writing for obvious reasons.
HELLO= Harry Potter!
I wish I could have been in school with her. how awesome would it be to say YEAH I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH JK ROWLING!
Posted May 4, 2007 at 11:34 PM EST
Witch
Points: 829
HPMommy says:
That is so cool...how weird it must have been for him to realize that he actually taught Harry Potter's author some of what she knows...that has got to make him feel so great about himself...especially because Jo is such a sensation.
Posted May 5, 2007 at 12:45 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 2nd Class
Points: 1720
Bright Eyes says:
It makes sense that she did well in writing - she said she'd written since she was very young.
Posted May 5, 2007 at 12:52 AM EST
Professor
Points: 1042
fire_cookie says:
Hmm, I thought she said teachers thought she was a really bad writer when she was younger...
Posted May 5, 2007 at 2:12 AM EST
Witch
Points: 633
snakeeyes says:
Intelligent and good at writing? Well, yeah, otherwise she couldn't have blended her story with classical mythology, classical references and british historical references so well that most people don't even notice them.
Posted May 5, 2007 at 2:48 AM EST
Delusional Army Soldier
Points: 4084
ILoveHP! says:
Wow. That incredibly awesome! You are brilliant J.K.!
Posted May 5, 2007 at 7:54 AM EST
Head Girl
Points: 453
sparkle_fairy92 says:
That's so cool! It's no suprise that she got A+'s in creative writing though. I bet he was shocked that he taught someone as famous as JK.
♥Kelly
Posted May 5, 2007 at 8:59 AM EST
Witch
Points: 595
master_HP_Mugwump says:
That is a really sweet story. I love hearing stories like this, of when author's were younger and what they were like. It's funny that it took him this long to realize that it was J.K. Rowling.
Posted May 5, 2007 at 9:45 AM EST
Head Boy
Points: 412
Ben_benny says:
I see no surprise in this..i mean,come on!she officially better than Dickens!!
Posted May 5, 2007 at 11:07 AM EST
Witch
Points: 844
~Silver Potion~ says:
Por supuesto. It's only fitting that the greatest living fantasy book author got excellent scores in writing. I think Jo even has something on her website about being dubbed "the smart child." Now only if I could match those scores!
Posted May 5, 2007 at 11:55 AM EST
Eternal Meatball Head
Points: 6168
harrysgurl201 says:
Well one would hope that she would be intelligent. But anyways, thats really cool to know that you taught a student who grew up to write one of the most read books of all time.
Posted May 5, 2007 at 12:00 PM EST
Witch
Points: 557
Amelia Black says:
Well of course she'd be smart. With all the work, time and effort she must put in her writing, clearly it shows.
Posted May 5, 2007 at 12:07 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2690
LoveMagic says:
She obviously has a great imagination, one I would love to have. And she has honed her writing skills and is just amazing so english/creative writing grades being so high does not surprise me in the slightest.
Posted May 5, 2007 at 12:16 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1945
Carrie Weasley says:
Not surprising! I remember her saying she shows herself through Hermione, so this makes a lot of sense. That would be so cool to be the one to have taught her, though!
Posted May 5, 2007 at 12:17 PM EST
Witch
Points: 697
Toph Rox!!! says:
I think that it's nice that jk wrote back to the teacher, and added words of encouragement to the students.
Posted May 5, 2007 at 12:57 PM EST
Professor
Points: 1194
-Alf- says:
That's incredible. I'm sure there are a lot of great writers out there just waiting for that big break. JK's talent is most definitely impressing.
Posted May 5, 2007 at 1:08 PM EST
The Dark Knight
Points: 5789
minister for magic says:
Wow that is a great story.
Well it's quite expected JKR would be a great writer at an earlier age due to her great success later in life.
Posted May 5, 2007 at 1:51 PM EST
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