Their grammar stunk!

[Shea]

I subbed for the last month of the last school year, and was able to sub for one teacher on a Friday and the following Monday. She had assigned her students essays to write in class and I was able to take them home over the weekend. I was disgusted! These were supposed to be polished, well developed paragraphs and these kids (age 16-17) wrote in the vernacular, not to mention they didn't follow directions (even to the subject matter).

There was a lot more to that episode, but it gave me an idea for my first assignment. Please give me your feedback.

Before school begins I will have created a poster of a graveyard scene with tombstones bearing common grammatical errors. This is to signify that these errors should be dead, gone, buried, never seen again! (I'll have to do a lot of grammatical brushup myself) I'll leave plenty of room to add more errors as the year progresses. I'll post this somewhere where it's easily seen. My first assignment to the students is to have them write an essay about each class they've been assigned to for the year, telling me what they expect from them and why. I'll give them a scoring rubric that includes what I expect from them grammatically. If they make any mistakes that can be found on the poster, they get 3 points taken away. If they make other grammar mistakes, they get half a point taken and the mistake will be added to the poster. If they make the same mistake in subsequent papers, that 3 point rule will apply.

What I feel this plan would accomplish is that my students will get to know what kind of teacher I am (details count!), and I will get to know my students' interests and hopefully be able to plan my lesson to tap into those interests.

Any thoughts?

[ktd222]

This sounds like a good idea. Are you teaching a class based on how to use grammar? How about learning to use syntax through illustrations? For example: what would happen to the thought expressed in a sentence if a comma was present, or if a comma was absent? Learning how to use syntax is easier for me if I'm able to understand what affect it can have on the thoughts expressed in my sentences. What do people call this...active learning? Anyhow, I know poets use syntax as a major tool to express themselves...so how about teaching syntax through poems?

[Shea]

That's a good idea. As far as I know I'll be teaching standard high school English courses, so what I teach will depend upon the curriculum. I think that to start promoting a strong awareness of syntax, the poet E.E. Cummings comes to mind...

[Shannanigan]

How big a class is it? I didn't learn how to use syntax to my advantage until a small class of mine enabled the teacher to have use sit down weekly, read each other's papers, and let us students tell each other what effect the papers had on us. This allowed us to express what we MEANT to say, which allowed the students and teacher to show how the syntax could be adjusted to reach that effect.

I love the graveyard poster idea...I really hope it helps...please keep us posted and let us know!

[Shea]

I'll have to keep that in mind. Even if it is a large class, that exercise would work in small groups. I'll definately let you know how the graveyard works and anything else that does or dosen't work.

[Scheherazade]

Before school begins I will have created a poster of a graveyard scene with tombstones bearing common grammatical errors. This is to signify that these errors should be dead, gone, buried, never seen again!

Hi Shea,

I share your concerns over poor grammar knowledge and I really like your idea of Graveyard of Grammatical Errors poster. I teach mostly adults and even with them I get very poor grammar usage and ever-dreaded txt lng.

My first assignment to the students is to have them write an essay about each class they've been assigned to for the year, telling me what they expect from them and why.

It is a great idea to start your classs with an assignment of this sort because it will give you a chance to have an understanding of your students' knowledge and abilities. I have found out that 'Where do you see yourself in 10 years' time?' is also a favorite subject among younger students as well as 'X is the face of the 20th/21st century because...', which gives them to write about their favorite singers/actors etc.

I'll give them a scoring rubric that includes what I expect from them grammatically. If they make any mistakes that can be found on the poster, they get 3 points taken away. If they make other grammar mistakes, they get half a point taken and the mistake will be added to the poster. If they make the same mistake in subsequent papers, that 3 point rule will apply.

I am afraid I find this part of your plan a little ambitious. If you don't mind, I will suggest some changes in your Graveyard plan. Why don't you take the poster to the class with blank tombstones in the beginning of the term? Ask your students to write an essay on a subject you choose (or maybe give them two options to choose from?) without giving them a list of errors or scoring system. Once your students complete their initial assignment, you can make a list of the most common mistakes they make. For example:

1. Proper use of capital letters.
2. Full stop
3. Subject-verb agreement
4. Commas
5. Choosing the correct tense
6. Adjectives
7. Adverbs.

Then maybe you can introduce a 15 minutes 'Grammar' session every week and concentrate on one of these point. Once you covered the point and have done some exercises on them, you can 'bury' the mistake and put them up on your poster.

Your students might be daunted by a long list of these mistakes if they are confronted by them as soon as the term starts and especially if they are expected to overcome them on their own (like assignment task you suggest and the scoring rubic - I am not sure how they would take it if you start the year by saying 'I expect you will make these mistakes and if you do, you will be 'punished'). It is always a good idea to show the students the correct usage before asking them to correct their mistakes.

I know concentrating on one mistake a week sounds like a painfully slow process. However, considering that these are probably life-time habits for them, it is better to move on slowly -only after making sure that they have mastered one point. This way, the new and correct forms they have learnt are more like to be remembered.

At the end of the term/year, you can return their initial assignments and maybe ask them to rewrite them with their new grammatical knowledge and correcting their own mistakes. It is always fun to realise what a long way one has come!

[Shea]

I am afraid I find this part of your plan a little ambitious. If you don't mind, I will suggest some changes in your Graveyard plan. Why don't you take the poster to the class with blank tombstones in the beginning of the term? Ask your students to write an essay on a subject you choose (or maybe give them two options to choose from?) without giving them a list of errors or scoring system. Once your students complete their initial assignment, you can make a list of the most common mistakes they make. For example:

1. Proper use of capital letters.
2. Full stop
3. Subject-verb agreement
4. Commas
5. Choosing the correct tense
6. Adjectives
7. Adverbs.

Then maybe you can introduce a 15 minutes 'Grammar' session every week and concentrate on one of these point. Once you covered the point and have done some exercises on them, you can 'bury' the mistake and put them up on your poster.

Your students might be daunted by a long list of these mistakes if they are confronted by them as soon as the term starts and especially if they are expected to overcome them on their own (like assignment task you suggest and the scoring rubic - I am not sure how they would take it if you start the year by saying 'I expect you will make these mistakes and if you do, you will be 'punished'). It is always a good idea to show the students the correct usage before asking them to correct their mistakes.

I know concentrating on one mistake a week sounds like a painfully slow process. However, considering that these are probably life-time habits for them, it is better to move on slowly -only after making sure that they have mastered one point. This way, the new and correct forms they have learnt are more like to be remembered.

At the end of the term/year, you can return their initial assignments and maybe ask them to rewrite them with their new grammatical knowledge and correcting their own mistakes. It is always fun to realise what a long way one has come!

I think that's an excellent improvement! Thank you Scher. I do tend to get overly ambitious. I think of things that would be fun for me to do with my students and sometimes forget to remember to analyze every aspect to make it best for the students instead.

[Matsiah]

A sweet request of discretion from the mind of matsiah's obsession:
Perhaps one could post specific instructions for the use of dashes; of which I'm still a bit hazy. Moreover, I'd appreciate a simple definition of clauses and perhaps an example of merging the two; a sort of example, when the two collaborate naturally within writing. I don't know if you two are willing, however, I'd be truly greatful. Oh wait, might this be a teach sheet rather than cheat sheet? By using cheat sheet hear I'm basically referring to instructions; I figured I'd make it known because I'm an aspiring novelist who's writing in front of actual teachers. I suppose the potential criticism and identification of my errors could be potentially beneficial... Anyway, my query stands. I shall check back for updates of responses.

[kelby_lake]

A dash is used as a quick sudden thought- something which you think of automatically:
she went to have her operation- i bet it hurt.
you can use two to insert a random thought or an explanation into the sentence:
she went to have her operation- a heart bypass- and didn't know what would happen next.

[schadenfreude]

That's a good idea! I tend to base my grammar on how the sentence would sound if it was spoken aloud, so perhaps reading out sentences would assist your students, although I am unsure about the merits of that method. It would also be good to instruct students on how to use the semicolon ;. I wasn't taught that until a five-minute grammar session I had when I was fifteen, and I am still unsure about how to use that pesky little thing.

[Kent Edwins]

Have them write, read, and edits each other's papers every single week if you can. I'd have them write two page papers every week- on whatever. Writing, reading, and revising is the only way they are going to learn and not forget.

[Emil Miller]

I hesitate to be pedantic, but given that you are obviously concerned with your students' grammar, shouldn't your heading for this thread read:

'Their Grammar Stank!'

[qimissung]

Another thing you might try is giving them a great sentence by a great writer and let them examine it and, with a little direction by you, see what they get out of it. I went to a seminar where this was suggested, and the speaker pointed out that when bankers learn out to identify counterfeit money they closely examined and learned in detail what actual bills looked like. In this way they learned to identify what was wrong with the fake ones. He tried this in his classes to great effect. I'm getting ready to try this; I'll let you know how it turns out, if you are interested.

[LostPrincess13]

Great idea! It's very creative indeed. Although, I'd like to put in a little thought. Psychological studies show that people respond more to positive reinforcement than to punishment. How about rewarding your students whenever they get something right? I think it'll be a lot better for their self-esteem.

[librarius_qui]

Any thoughts?

Yes.

You're very concious of what you're doing, and this is very good, because it'll give you more experience.

As well as you're going to give them what you know. Most times correct them. You're doing your part with excelency.

Better than that will be to think where the mistakes come from. You won't be able to hold this, but it's useful to (try to) find out. I mean, why do they commit so many mistakes? Does it come from home? Don't they read at home? (Does it come from relapsed teachers before you? ... Hope not, but it's a possibility.) By doing this, you'll not only be helping your students, but your city ("society") as well.

These are my thoughts.


Libri#