Responses are due on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at midnight.
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by: Samuel Wofford
Joan Berger was an english teacher that taught 7th and 8th graders, and she was worried about the students misused commas, run-on sentences, plodding subject-verb agreement, and she was trying to figure out how she could improve their writing. So what Berger began to do at the beginning of every class are mini lessons that will teach them the different techniques of writing. When she first started with the mini lessons she didn't see a change until she saw one of her eighth graders papers and they compared it to her seventh grade papers and they saw an improvement in her writing. From that point on Berger planned out the different mini lessons she would teach her students from their seventh through eighth grade years and after each lesson she would make the students incorporate what they learned in their writing. I believe that the method she used to teach her students was a great way to help them learn, because when the average elementary student would of forgot what they learned within a few hours they left the school, which is why teachers will give you homework to refresh their memories. But the way that she made sure that her students remember the lessons is but making them incorporate all of those lessons that was taught in every assignment they have.
The author Joan Berger expresses her concern for her students and all students in general and their usage of grammar. Berger’s schedule for a two year grammar plan seems very rigorous and well constructed, offering a “purposeful progression through a variety of sentence constructions.” I liked her use of literature to give examples of the grammar her class were covering. Her grammar worksheet for “The Tell Tale Heart” was very thorough and well constructed. By consciously blending punctuation and grammar students seem to have a better acclamation to it. I felt that the usage of peer editing was also a great method for the 7th graders to better understand the synonymous nature of punctuation with grammar. The use of pattern and terminology reciprocally is a good way of reinforcing the rules within the students memory is a great method. The goal of the program is to create good, confident writers. Berger makes the point that teachers need to provide the solid foundation of grammar and punctuation, which I think is essential.
ReplyDeleteI really like this idea. Obviously it really worked for Berger's class and I think it would be a great idea for any kind of class and not just English classes.
ReplyDeleteI like that Berger and her colleagues work together to create a sort of two year program for their middle school students. In this way, I think it's much less likely that a student will forget what they've been doing over the summer. And it produces great writers for high school.
ReplyDeleteThis article was extremely interesting and prevalent. Grammar is so often taught without any connection with its purpose of teaching students to become better writers. Without this knowledge, grammar belongs exclusively to a skill that is only used in the unrealistic setting of a language arts' classroom. By connecting grammar with everyday activities and with other issues the class is discussing, I agree that students will gain more interest in learning. Further, when they are given key words to recognize variations, they will have the tools to remember and use them. Finally, when they are tested consistently by writing small paragraphs and recalling these variations, they can see how they will use these skills in other subjects and in the real world. Having myself complained about the uselessness of learning the parts of sentences and the variations of those parts, I understand that students will have similar sediments. This program, however, would readily supply an answer to this question as well as provide the skills and confidence needed for the students not only to learn grammar but to become better writers.
ReplyDeleteI love to hear about amazing teachers. This woman made sure her students were actually grasping the ideas she was teaching. I like the idea of mini lessons, and it makes me curious if this idea came into our teacher's head from reading this article. I like that she took interest in her student's lives. This article was very motivating!
ReplyDeleteI think right after a teacher does a lesson what she taught should be required of the students to incorporate that into their writing and everyday use. By doing that, it will soon become second nature to the student and it will not be difficult. When a teacher just talks to students about the way grammar should be and then not really require the student to really put it to use, it was almost a waste of that teacher talking.
ReplyDeleteI think lessons like this should be brought through all years of school, sometimes when things are not cracked down as much, the students forget the proper way to do things. I think what this teacher has started is a great beginning.
I love teachers that are interested in their students lives and actually care. Sometimes as students grow older teachers seem to forget that we still need their support at any age. This article was very inspiring to read. I think it was great that she was able to teach her students how to incorporate the lesson into their writings.
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that Berger took interest in her students and the plan she came up with in order for her to make sure they truly understood the grammar concept. Which is one of the reasons why i like to read articles about teachers who come up with wonderful teaching methods to engage and help students. Though i do feel that more teachers should try this for all grade levels.
ReplyDeleteI would have thought by 8th grade that it was these students last chance to learn some simple grammar and punctuatation techniques that probably should have been learned in 4th grade. I am glad that this teacher took the tie out to even recognize the problem, think of a solution, and execute it. Luckily, Ms. Berger did see positive results before becoming discouraged.
ReplyDeleteI remember not too long ago cleaning out my bedroom closet and finding an old essay I had written in 7th grade. I think Joan Berger would have been a great utility for me when I was in middle school. I like her systematic approach and the way she had deciding to conquer one grammar rule per month. I enjoyed the article and would love to see more grammar school teachers following Joan Bergers example.
ReplyDeleteThe keys to Berger's instruction are time and practice. He dedicates a month to teaching each topic. Research also shows that students learn better when they learn big concepts separately. Also Berger incorporates grammar into other subjects. This way students get plenty of practice. Time + Practice = Success
ReplyDeleteI love to see that a teacher cares enough about her students' education and grammar usage that she would choose to come up with her own means of learning. I feel that this is extremely important and that the author makes a great point, which points out the lack of connection between that which we write and that which we learn in class. I feel that it is extremely important for students to be able to correctly connect what they learn in the class setting to what they are going to write. This is important for all grades as well, because I know how it is when it comes to learning grammar. I have been taught the same thing in grammar for twelve years, and yet I seem to forgot most of it. By utilizing these mini lessons, she is reminding her students of how they can use each separate lesson in their own writing.
ReplyDeleteWhat Berger did for the students, shows that teachers do really care about what the students learn. When you go year to year, you tend to forget what you learned, so the mini lessons really to help you remember.
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that Berger took it upon herself to come up with something to improve her students learning... and whats even greater is that it worked. So many teacher today only teach what the core curriculum says and nothing more. The fact that Berger said this isn't working, we need a new idea is great. The children learn so much in a short time and in a way that they will retain the information, I love it.
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that she took time to set up her own plan. It shows that she is going above and beyond as a teacher to try to help her students improve in her English class. She makes her plan interesting and engages her students into wanting to learn more.
ReplyDeleteI like that she took the time top set up her own plan. This shows that she is willing to go above and beyond to help her students learn. She also makes her plan interesting and applied to everyday life which engages her students and makes them want to learn more.
ReplyDeleteSince I am going into teaching this article really appealed to me. I'm always for new ideas with teaching and this woman really reminded me of a reason why I want to teach. She made up her own way to help her students understand and also remember which I think is one of the goals of many teachers.
ReplyDeleteI respect this teacher for thinking outside the box. She came up with a new and interesting idea that really helped her students learn. It is appealing to know that teachers like that are out there always making the classroom a better learning environment.
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