My second post, which probably should have been my first :-)

A little background might be helpful right about now. I am a secondary level language arts teacher and have been in the classroom for over two decades (not quite a quarter of a century, but I'm getting close). One aspect of language arts which seems to be up for debate is the importance of grammar. From the perspective of this teacher, I believe a firm foundation in the basics of grammar will assist students when it counts. By this, I mean in any sort of testing situation, from chapter quizzes to college placement tests. When they write or speak they will be able to avoid some of my pet peeves, specifically issues with subject/verb agreement and pronoun usage. It is my hope that in a job interview, a college entrance interview, when writing any sort of application, if ever they are in the eye of the media, students will know what is correct, and why it is correct. Certainly I don't expect perfect grammar in casual conversation, or in emails, tweets, and so forth, but when it counts, when those in the know may notice grammatical errors, it is my hope that a firm foundation will help those who have passed through my classroom to avoid mistakes. Additionally, college-bound students must take several years of foreign language. How can one understand the grammar of a foreign language if one is not knowledgeable about English grammar? All these reasons, and more, led to Grammar?Why!, which is book of grammar tips I am in the process of finishing.

How this came about is I realized that much of the time, students can arrive at the correct answer through a process of elimination, and just a very few aspects of grammar assist them in this. It occurred to me that other teachers could benefit from this approach to grammar, especially if they are new to the classroom, or they simply want to go beyond basic worksheets and teaching parts of speech in isolation. I have had positive feedback from many students over the years, and often receive a thank you for specific skills I have taught, as well as for the methods I used to teach them. There can be so much fear and intimidation about grammar, and there doesn't need to be. With a little time, effort, and a logical approach, many seemingly challenging aspects of grammar become understandable and much easier.

I had a brilliant plan a couple of years ago. I would blog through the course of a school year and at the same time write my book. I was successful in taking copious notes and putting together a first draft of a manuscript, but unfortunately, I did not blog at the same time. However, now, as I prepare to put the book in its final form, it is my intent to blog through the year, and the process. I hope I am up to the task. I'm excited about finishing my book, and I believe blogging will help keep me on track.

One caveat -- I cannot promise to perfect in my blog. At the end of lengthy days, I am tired. Tired, but pleased to be here, sharing my experience. Unfortunately, tired also makes for less than flawless writing, so kindly bear with me on this journey.

My happy teacher moment for the day: I was quite impressed with how my students did with verb phrases, one of the key foundation skills I emphasize. Very few errors, a lot of evident confidence, and success even with some tricky situations, like interrupted verb phrases, "not" and its contraction, etc. Student confidence is one of my biggest driving forces. I absolutely love it when my students know what they are doing and feel good about it. A teacher can't ask for much more than that.

GW