On Learning and Teaching

Our readings and presentations have focused on different techniques that add life to students' writing.  We have discussed and practiced effective uses of these techniques, from the five brushstrokes to colorful verbs.  However, teaching writing will not just be providing students with these tools.  I will need to teach them how to use these tools.

The reading this week really hit this home for me.  Anyone can throw a list of adjectives and adverbs into a sentence, but the real power and magic comes when the student is in control of these words.  I suppose this will be my greatest struggle in the classroom: Teaching students how to be effective with these grammar tools.

I appreciate the structure of this course because it has provided a lot of practical experience with teaching grammar.  I have been the subject of a number of really great model lessons.  (For example, I am definitely going to do something similar to Rebecca's match-the-head-to-the-person activity.)  I also have the opportunity to test out different ways of teaching grammar, and there is definitely encouragement to be creative.

I relish the faces that people make in response to my telling them that my Thursday night class is "History and Structure of the English Language."  They are the same kinds of faces that I made when I first read the course name on the major outline.   It does sound intimidating and dull.  However, I am really enjoying it.

I did not expect to pick up on the grammatical concepts so quickly.  Part of this may be because I have naturally incorporated these strategies into my writing without knowing it.  However, I attribute most of this understanding to the fact that, for the first time, grammar is being presented in a clear and beneficial manner.  I am not just filling out worksheets or correcting sentences, but engaging with grammar in a variety of reading and writing activities.

Therefore, I have hope for teaching grammar in my future classroom!  I am looking forward to empowering my students with the same tools that have empowered me.