Tag Archives: grammar
A simple declarative sentence
by mrs. sabraw On the first day of my grammar class this summer, twelve young people—ages 12-14—entered the room with the combined energy of twelve dead sloths. I told them a story about the Nerdy 7th Grade Girl whose teacher, … Continue reading
Where Do Writers Write?
by cheri block Having breakfast on my last day in Athens, I sat alone with my little notebook and tried my best to capture an image of Athens in words. Those of us who write often, grapple with words and … Continue reading
aardvark, here
by cheri block When podcasts first became vogue new media, I began listening to Mignon Fogarty, aka Grammar Girl. I downloaded her podcasts from iTunes. Everything about her business endeavor was hot: five thousand or more hits a month on … Continue reading
The Nerdy 58 Year Old Woman (4) : Day Two of my grammar class
On Thursday last, the second day of my grammar class, several of the shy students decided they weren’t shy anymore. This phenomenon happened right in the middle of my story about a time when the Nerdy Little 8th Grader was … Continue reading
The Nerdy 8th Grade Girl’s Plan for Popularity (3)
Here’s the second part of the story that my students will receive tomorrow, before the quiz. The Nerdy 8th Grade Girl’s Plan for Popularity 1963 Nerds love to memorize things like the Gettysburg Address, all prime numbers to 7919, eighty … Continue reading
The Nerdy 58-Year-Old Woman (2): Day One of my grammar class
2009 OK. I am sure you, my loyal readers, are more interested in what happened yesterday at 4:00 when ten junior high students entered Room 2 for 1.5 hours of grammar instruction than you are say, in the gripping events … Continue reading
The Nerdy 8th Grade Girl (1)
Today I begin my summer grammar course for middle school students. At 4:00 this afternoon, ten kids whose parents have forced them to attend my class and who were hoping that summer might provide a much needed respite from boring … Continue reading
Follow Me Through the Dry Landscape of Grammar
Those of us who teach grammar know how dry it is. And thus, some English teachers do not teach it, opting instead for group projects. I had no idea this was happening all around me in the N-Wing in 1992. … Continue reading
The Art of Note-Passing
When I was a 7th grader back in 1963, I remember how strict and mean some of my teachers were. There was to be NO TALKING in class; this rule meant big trouble for me, as my urge to talk … Continue reading
