As I dashed across the room to seize the Mechanically Speaking text, it was not for my undying love of grammar that I stiff armed my colleagues aside and dove to ensure the text was mine. Oh no. I HATE grammar. Not really, I am just not very well versed or practiced in correct usage, but since in high school world these are signifiers of an hatred that burns brighter and deeper than a thousand suns, I guess I HATE grammar.
But, there is hope. I really loved our readings this week. The Bush article, in particular, gave me respite in understanding that grammar is a two way street composed of correct and incorrect usage. But, as noted, we often focus on the incorrect. This is probably why I had to restrain myself from bursting into tears at Crosswinds, while having flashbacks of Catholic nuns screaming at me what a hyperbole was and when to use an exclamation point! <---not correct. I am definitely a visual learner, and I think Bush also hits on one of my main developmental problems a young gramusketeer- we would drill and drill, but then leave what we had learned behind. I think one of the most valuable lessons I learned at Crosswinds was the benefit of having a word wall. Why not a grammar wall? The more we discuss language, the more I am finding that immersion is the key. I think being in the same room with large visual grammar definitions would be a big help for most students. And when they enter the revision process Harper discusses, they have both vocabulary and grammar resources starring them in the face, beginning for inclusion.
And why not make it fun? These are a few of my all time favorite grammar cartoons. I am a huge nerd, I know. NOTE: These are probably not appropriate (use your teacher discretion) for middle school.
The ALOT
How to use i.e. in a sentence
how to use an apostrophe
How to use a semicolon
This time I actually managed to post the links in the blog post.
ReplyDeleteAlots are known for their superior swimming capabilities!
ReplyDeleteAllison,
ReplyDeleteFun post! It got me thinking about a conversation I had with my cooperating teacher the other day about the value of teaching grammar in the high school English language arts classroom. At the time he was teaching eleventh graders about avoiding run-on sentences and fragments in their writing. He admitted that the students don’t even use run-on sentences and fragments at their age, but since their school purchased grammar books, the department feels obligated to teach from it. I then asked him if he let the students be more creative and experiment with run-on sentences and fragments in their creative writing to break rules. He remarked, though, that to break rules, students must first abide by them. Hmmm……
Best,
Jack