I came home from practice tonight to get a shock.
There sitting on our table was a copy of Building English Skills: Blue Level. I remember this book from when I was in high school! In fact, I stole a copy of the yellow level to help me learn grammar when I was in college. Funny, how I never learned it when I was in school (actually, I'm sold on the idea that teaching grammar in school is a waste - hence, the irony of my experience - I had the same text as KoKo - probably did the same exercises and worksheets - yet what did I have to show for it? I had to steal the yellow level and teach grammar to myself prior to teaching high school).
A quick look at the copyright date - 1977. Nothing like a 40 year old textbook. I wonder what it has to say about documentation. Probably footnotes.
The point - have students write. A lot. About things that really matter to them. Then the writing will take off. Focus on what students do really well. Then it's funny how quickly they will do more of that stuff and less of the stuff they are bad at (grammar). Then it's really funny how most of the basic errors will disippear. Yet, it's amazing how often that simple practice is not followed.
But it's easy to assign grammar and worksheets and sentence structure and to note run-ons and fragments and misplaced modifiers.
It ain't easy to teach voice or style. But - damn - that's the good stuff.
That's the stuff I not only push my students to develop. It's the stuff I actually recall from high school. After all I still have most of my ninth grade stories and essays and Mrs. Christianson's comments. I never look at the errors she marked. I just look at the praise.
It kind of made a difference. Didn't it?
2 comments:
Today, I assigned a journal assignment. My eighth graders pissed and moaned so much. Dang! I thought "They need more writing."
Mrs. Christianson was the first teacher fro L-A-F-A-Y-E-T-T-E who I remember believing in me and my writing. Thank God for Mrs. Christianson. I strive to be like Mrs. Christianson.
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