Grammar geek
I don't teach specific grammar lessons in my English 12 class. That is, I don't have pre-established grammar things to teach them. What I do do is to look through their papers that they write, and pull out common problems and then address those in class with the whole group. I spent our class periods today doing just that. I talked about the correct use of "lie" and "lay"; why it's "1970s" or "'70s" instead of "1970's"; the difference between "everyday" and "every day"; when to capitalize "Dad" but not "my dad" and a few other choice topics. As I was doing this, and afterwards while thinking about how it had gone, I realized that, oddly enough, I really love this stuff. Grammar can be fun, gosh darn it!
Just another reason and another way my students can see me as a big geek.
Just another reason and another way my students can see me as a big geek.
posted by Kootch | 5:11 PM
4 Comments:
Perhaps if more HS English teachers had your love of grammar, the profs at WSU wouldn't nave to spend class time teaching it to Freshmen!
One of my favorite profs there, Don Schied in the Philosophy Department, has a list of "too common mistakes". Mistakes in grammar and word usage that he hands out to every class on the first day of the semester. Any mistake from that list which shows up on a paper for that class during the semester automatically lowers the grade one-half point.
Ha!
Minus two points for me!
I meant grammer and speling.
I guess I should add "proofe reeding" to my list, eh?
Would that be a university that you are an alum of, Stix?
Post a Comment
<< Home