Rebecca writes:

 

Children need direct instruction.  Using code-switching and anything else
that is meaningful is so desperately needed.  But the students studying to
be teachers need to be taught this stuff so that they can squeeze it in to a
jam-packed day.  AND we need to have teachers that know how to speak
standard english.

 

Sorry to be so frustrated.  It seems hopeless.  

 

Rebecca Watson

 

 

I am also feeling pretty frustrated - and I'm not even done with my graduate
work yet!

 

What I'm seeing is a circular argument.  We need to teach grammar more
effectively (there is a lot of disagreement on how, but we seem to agree
here).  We also need to include societal awareness of language variation,
class issues, etc.  There do not seem to be effective books which cover
these issues (yet!), which means we are "handicapped" when it comes to
teaching grammar more effectively.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

Unfortunately, I have no specific answers to my own concerns.  I keep hoping
the discussions here will bear some fruit - right now there's a lot of
dissent, which is healthy, but not a lot of practical application.  I'm
here, and I'm hanging in, because I learn a great deal from the majority of
these posts.  My hope is that this, along with my studies, will help me
become a better instructor in the long run.

 

Still - it can be very frustrating.

 

-patty

 

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