Feeling a Little Inadequate Here.

Yikes, okay, I picked up a lot of good teaching tidbits this week, but I'm feeling inadequate in my grammar knowledge right now. Appositives? Parallel structues? Participial phrases? Okay, I get the idea on most of these (except appositives. Please, someone explain those to me) but it's no wonder that traditional grammar education is met with groans, moans and little results (that was not parallel structure, BY THE WAY). I guess this brings up the question, though, is how important is it for students to be cognizant of the grammar they are using? For example, I might be using appositives, but does not knowing if I'm using this grammar matter? Can I still be a good writer if I can't articulate what I'm doing?

The other part of this week's reading that stuck with me is the idea of the writer's toolbox. I can see myself teaching the tools used in the article and adding more. I do want to add, though, that the toolbox method can work for a lot more than just writing. For example, I have a great interest in teaching film production. Film production is a little like a visual form of writing, but these tools can easily transfer to the pre-production (and even production and post-production) processes. When reading, everyone uses tools to look more deeply into texts. When speaking, people use tools to convey their messages better. Acting, too, I'm sure has this. Maybe even baseball. Everything can have a tool chest, especially in Language Arts.

Website: The Secondary Language Arts Educator's Toolbox Do you think the toolbox article was too based in middle school? Do you hate middle school? Do your students hate to draw little symbols? Read this article (and click next at the bottom, because the good stuff isn't on the first page!) and learn how to mature up your toolbox if that's your thing.