Paul Donniger's remarks ring very true:

>The problem doesn't lie so much with what is available in teaching
>resources (though there is always room for more), but rather with
>the lack of implementation in primary and secondary education.
>Asking "any K-12 teacher" to implement a program is like asking
>someone to breath in a vacuum. It is practically useless for a
>single teacher to develop or use a curriculum and write lesson
>plans if the work is not continued in some sort of logical and
>sequential manner in the years that follow.

We hosted a conference of an association that represents all
English, or Language Arts, teachers in the public system in the
whole province.  Because our department was hosting, this
association committed to one or two of us doing a session, and I
did "Topics in the Grammar Wars: The Place of Grammar in the
L.A. Curriculum."  I know that without the hosting relationship my
session would never have been accepted.

Well, my little paper was quite a blemish.  My group looked pretty
sad and demoralized.  I heard at least one actual sneer from the
crowd streaming by to the other sessions.  I was introduced as
"courageous," and we were cautioned to "keep an open mind"
about what we were about to hear.  The president of the
association came to heckle me in the questions, and later e-mailed
me some titles including one "Let's Trash the Tradition."  The
promise to publish my paper in the association journal disappeared
after the hosting relationship was ended.

However, we all soon cheered up and a very enjoyable 75 minutes
together.  The group did at least as much work as I did, discussing
grammar in the classroom.  The ATEG figured prominently in my
talk (but I now profoundly regret not being more decisive about
collecting names and e-mail addresses of people at my session).

All this is to say how much I agree with Paul Donninger -- the
environment is hostile; the teacher who turns to, for example, Ed's
curriculum, is working alone.  All of the teachers at my session,
and most of us in the ATEG, are working alone.  We are trying to
find truncated ways to fit in grammar concepts.

But our efforts are always appreciated.

Students thank us.  They complain bitterly about being deprived of
this type of education.  Society begs us to keep doing what we are
doing.  The education establishment is under stress from many
quarters; we grammar teachers are not their only worry these days.

Anyone who wants to can turn to Ed's curriculum and get some
ideas to get started.  And more and more people are wanting to.

P.S.  Since the offer was retracted, I placed the write up on the
web:http://www.artsci.gmcc.ab.ca/people/einarssonb/elac.htm

R.E.