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High School English Teachers Chatboard

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by Kim Rauser

Jun 18, 2013

I am in my 4th year teaching, and I know that I should already know this, but I don't. And, I really struggle with it. How do other English teachers incorporate grammar/usage/mechanics, reading literature, and writing. Do you do it individually in units? Have certain days you focus on certain topics? I just can't seem to find what works.

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Novel On 6/18/13, Kim Rauser wrote: > I am in my 4th year teaching, and I know that I should > already know this, but I don't. And, I really struggle with > it. How do other English teachers incorporate > grammar/usage/mechanics, reading literature, and writing. > Do you do it individually in units? Have certain days you > focus on cert...See More

Jun 21, 2013

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marjoryt I'm a lead instructor for Intermediate and Comp. 1 at a community college. This morning we were in a work session reviewing new software with our next textbooks; our classes begin Aug. 12. This software is going to focus on grammar instruction, basics of the essay, and conducting research.

At least 4 adjunct instructors asked me the exact ...See MoreI'm a lead instructor for Intermediate and Comp. 1 at a community college. This morning we were in a work session reviewing new software with our next textbooks; our classes begin Aug. 12. This software is going to focus on grammar instruction, basics of the essay, and conducting research.

At least 4 adjunct instructors asked me the exact question you posted - what's the balance, and how do we cover it all?

For me, the secret is knowing where the students will experience problems. I use a combination of experience and diagnostics. The software provides 6 diagnostic sets, and the trainer recommended we complete a diagnostic/training/evaluation set every 2 weeks. That won't work for me - I need to know immediately where the problems will be, so that I can possibly skip sections or increase coverage. So, my students will have about 2 weeks to complete the complete diagnostic package (combination of classroom and homework). They'll get some points for diagnostic completion, but I'll be monitoring the results and matching to what I've seen before. Our local students all have strong Southern accents - that means they don't hear or use tense, plurals, possessives, and adverb endings. I know I'll have to reinforce that. They will be weak on commas, especially for setting off dependent clauses and appositives. The diagnostics will hopefully reaffirm that. I've had some semesters when the students didn't understand pronouns, or relied upon double negatives.

To specifically answer your question, try to use a 3 pronged approach, hitting grammar/proofreading, reading comprehension/writing, and critical thinking skills/research every week. Like other posters, I use the reading assignments as inspiration for the writing assignments. Over the past 6 months, I've decided to focus almost exclusively on analysis and argumentative essays - students struggle with them the most and these are the most common college assignments. Over the years, I've included specific grammar components as part of the composition rubric.

Jul 12, 2013

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Sara On 7/12/13, marjoryt wrote:

I've read your posts for happy years and am always impressed. Here are some musing questions - theoretical of course. I gather from this post and from my own experience that as CC instructors we're told our job is to prepare our CC students for their next two years - and if any of what we teach them is also use...See MoreOn 7/12/13, marjoryt wrote:

I've read your posts for happy years and am always impressed. Here are some musing questions - theoretical of course. I gather from this post and from my own experience that as CC instructors we're told our job is to prepare our CC students for their next two years - and if any of what we teach them is also useful in their work and lives - wonderful.

What if you could just... teach. As a writing instructor, if you were free to teach as your own experience and common sense would dictate, what/how would you teach?

Maybe our answers would be different - I taught CC for several years, Middle School for many years before that and High school for a couple of years before that.

I've rarely seen grammar instruction break over into their writing. I've read there's a kind of firewall in the brain between centers and the 'writing center' doesn't tap into the center where the grammar information was stored - if it was stored at all.

I don't think I would teach grammar and when they don't make me, I don't because I haven't seen it work. I do want to help them with their writing - particularly these days we all have to write emails. What have I most commonly achieved with my students as writers over the years?

For some they lose their fear of writing and for some they simply become more fluid, less hesitant writers if not in fact better writers - but it's better to write with less hesitation and fear than not to...

I think our writing focus is all wrong - not your fault or mine - but all wrong. Essays, five paragraphs, persuasive essays, etc. etc - these are not the stuff of life, not the everyday writing that one might do in life or at work.

If they'd let me - and maybe this year they might... - I think I might teach emails. I might give assignments like ' write an email describing what you liked best about this short story.'

They 'get' emails. I think that writing format might help their writing and meet their writing needs more than any other - thinking practically certainly - but also writing the emails - any writing I believe - can serve to help their writing to come more easily and help them to become writers if not writers of essays.

I can get flamed for these subversive thoughts but I don't think you will even if you don't agree.

>

Jul 15, 2013

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Sara On 6/18/13, Kim Rauser wrote: > I am in my 4th year teaching, and I know that I should > already know this, but I don't. And, I really struggle with > it. How do other English teachers incorporate > grammar/usage/mechanics, reading literature, and writing. > Do you do it individually in units? Have certain days you > focus on cert...See MoreOn 6/18/13, Kim Rauser wrote: > I am in my 4th year teaching, and I know that I should > already know this, but I don't. And, I really struggle with > it. How do other English teachers incorporate > grammar/usage/mechanics, reading literature, and writing. > Do you do it individually in units? Have certain days you > focus on certain topics? I just can't seem to find what > works.

Marjorie's right - for thinking English teachers, it's a hodge-podge really. Which is why some schools - like my latest one - separate 'English' or 'Language Arts' into two classes - writing and reading are separate. It makes much more sense to do it this way and - it's easier on English teachers too.

I could write a volume - actually somebody has - on why we try to teach writing based on the literature they've read. It was started long ago by a professor at Harvard and become the dominant model for writing instruction - and he only did it because he Hated teaching writing and loved literature.

A high school model that I like a lot has students trying to replicate the style of what they just read rather than writing essays on it. Read a short story, write a short story. Read a poem, write a poem. Read an essay, write an essay - rather than constantly writing essays. Why do we read fiction and then teach expository writing off the fiction? The Harvard professor wanted to do it that way...and we still do.

If your students' speech - as Marjorie describes her students' speech - - is very dialectical, that's a huge challenge for student and teacher alike. How do you write properly if you don't speak properly?

But to answer your question - I jump around a lot during the year and I move units around as I see students waxing and waning or taking interest - I take their energy levels into consideration when I move on to a new unit. One year I tried doing a 'grammar day' every Wednesday and then because I came to believe that grammar instruction did not really impact on their writing or their speech, I came to do less and less grammar. Students were perfectly capable of doing well on grammar tests but looking back at me mystified when I'd circle - "He don't act like he cares but that he might of gone yesterday but was sick" - as needing correction...

I've come to finish every year with a poetry unit because it works - they like it, it's a nice finish. I find it's best to work in 'units'. When we read a novel, we focus on the novel with some writing. When I'm required to read x books a year, I do it that way - I move through the reading having them write along the way.

I believe the research paper should be taught in the Natural Sciences and the Social Sciences from where it comes. Research is the foundation of modern knowledge and teaching the research paper as just another style of writing has never made sense to me. A research paper - such as the one that first suggested to us that smoking was linked to cancer - or the one that demonstrated that welfare mothers never do return to work - is on a different level of importance than the five paragraph essay.

Jul 15, 2013

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pixie Here are couple of ideas inspred by the previous posts:

I disagree with relegating the research paper to science courses. It's not just a research paper; it's researched argumentation - taking a position on a debatable issue and adequately supporting it with relevant, reputable evidence. Writing this paper involves recognizing and practici...See MoreHere are couple of ideas inspred by the previous posts:

I disagree with relegating the research paper to science courses. It's not just a research paper; it's researched argumentation - taking a position on a debatable issue and adequately supporting it with relevant, reputable evidence. Writing this paper involves recognizing and practicing appeals to logic and emotion, and addressing the opposing point of view. It involves writing coherent paragraphs and organizing the paragraphs into a readable, persuasive essay. It involves careful paraphrasing and citing sources both in the text and in the works cited page. Writing this paper develops skills that will be used in college, in careers and in civic life.

My second point is that, contrary to the usual custom of lumping poetry together into a separate unit, why not incorporate it throughout the English course by including poems with thematic links to whatever novel or short story or nonfiction piece is being studied? The Glencoe literature study guides often include poems with a thematic link; for example Animal Farm is linked with "The Last Word" by Matthew Arnold. I think this helps students make connections using higher level thinking skills. Also, it hey only read poetry for a couple of weeks or however long a year, they forget the skill of how to read and appreciate a poem, and learn to hate poetry. If anyone likes this idea but is too busy to hunt down a linked poem, post on this board and I will be glad to assist.

On 7/15/13, Sara wrote: > On 6/18/13, Kim Rauser wrote: >> I am in my 4th year teaching, and I know that I should >> already know this, but I don't. And, I really struggle with >> it. How do other English teachers incorporate >> grammar/usage/mechanics, reading literature, and writing. >> Do you do it individually in units? Have certain days you >> focus on certain topics? I just can't seem to find what >> works. > > Marjorie's right - for thinking English teachers, it's a > hodge-podge really. Which is why some schools - like my latest > one - separate 'English' or 'Language Arts' into two classes - > writing and reading are separate. It makes much more sense to > do it this way and - it's easier on English teachers too. > > I could write a volume - actually somebody has - on why we try > to teach writing based on the literature they've read. It was > started long ago by a professor at Harvard and become the > dominant model for writing instruction - and he only did it > because he Hated teaching writing and loved literature. > > A high school model that I like a lot has students trying to > replicate the style of what they just read rather than writing > essays on it. Read a short story, write a short story. Read a > poem, write a poem. Read an essay, write an essay - rather than > constantly writing essays. Why do we read fiction and then > teach expository writing off the fiction? The Harvard professor > wanted to do it that way...and we still do. > > If your students' speech - as Marjorie describes her students' > speech - - is very dialectical, that's a huge challenge for > student and teacher alike. How do you write properly if you > don't speak properly? > > But to answer your question - I jump around a lot during the > year and I move units around as I see students waxing and > waning or taking interest - I take their energy levels into > consideration when I move on to a new unit. One year I tried > doing a 'grammar day' every Wednesday and then because I came > to believe that grammar instruction did not really impact on > their writing or their speech, I came to do less and less > grammar. Students were perfectly capable of doing well on > grammar tests but looking back at me mystified when I'd circle > - "He don't act like he cares but that he might of gone > yesterday but was sick" - as needing correction... > > I've come to finish every year with a poetry unit because it > works - they like it, it's a nice finish. I find it's best to > work in 'units'. When we read a novel, we focus on the novel > with some writing. When I'm required to read x books a year, I > do it that way - I move through the reading having them write > along the way. > > I believe the research paper should be taught in the Natural > Sciences and the Social Sciences from where it comes. Research > is the foundation of modern knowledge and teaching the research > paper as just another style of writing has never made sense to > me. A research paper - such as the one that first suggested to > us that smoking was linked to cancer - or the one that > demonstrated that welfare mothers never do return to work - is > on a different level of importance than the five paragraph essay.

Aug 16, 2013

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