Linda,

Ed's right.  But it's not only ATEG that needs to listen but school
administrators, English department heads, teacher education faculty,
state departments of education and their language arts people, etc.  Our
discussions here a frequently not appropriate to K12 teaching, which
doesn't mean they're not worthwhile in themselves, but we have the
beginnings, through workshops like Craig's and work that Martha's done,
to set up a working group of people who know the content of grammar,
what's relevant to reading and writing as well as to other language arts
areas, how to teach this stuff, and so on.  But somehow this group also
has to get the sanction of an organization like NCTE or of some state
departments or some big foundation if it's going to have clout.  The UK
did this top down, but that's not often an option in US education.
However, the role of government authority can be just as powerful here.
So, do we organize such a working group, growing out of prior ATEG
efforts? Do we seek external funding? Do we seek the involvement of
state offices? Do we invite teacher-ed faculty in?

Herb

 

________________________________

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Edward Vavra
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2005 12:48 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Who will teach teachers?

 

Linda,

    Thank you. If more people in your situation speak up, ATEG may
listen.

Ed

>>> [log in to unmask] 10/1/2005 10:08:19 AM >>>

To all Reading this Stream:

  A thought from a 7th-8th Grade English Teacher in the trenches.

 

  There are many different arguements presented:  Enlgish teachers who
hate grammar - why?, how writing composiiton does or does not affect
grammar knowledge and vice versa, what grammatcial knowledge is
important, how to teach, what to teach....

 

 

 

Very plainly:

  I teach in New York and must have my students meet the standards that
the state has put forward. 

 

  I have always valued grammar as a structure that helps my students to
understand what they read and to state their written messages more
clearly.  

  I teach myself grammar through the instruction that I provide my
students.  I use old and new text books and DOL (Daily Oral Language)
exercies to help me in my endeavors.  My students begin every day with a
discussion of grammar, correcting mistakes and explaining why.

  I do not have time for theoretical discussions that the linguists
enjoy simply because I am using my students innate knowledge of grammar
from their native language to promote understanding.

 

 How do you help the teachers, like myself, that do promote grammar for
daily usage?  How do we simplify the language used teaching grammar so
that there is consistency on ALL levels.  Do we recognize that the eight
parts of speech and their BASIC usage in a sentecne is probably more
that my seventh graders can handle as there is no thread for grammar
from the elementary schools???  

 

Here is the light at the end of the tunnel.  As the states implement
some sort of grammar test on their NCLB testing, the individual school
districts will examine some kind of grammar program.  My question is who
will be in the lead of the implementation movement????  THe text book
companies to who the schools turn for some kind of immediate
implementation, or the ATEG???

 

Just food for thought.

Linda

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