Grammar After High School

I chose to talk to one of my practicum teachers at a local high school, this teacher works in a learning lab helping students keep up on the work that they fall behind in. Some of the most common classes students fall behind in or need extra help in include language arts classes like: English, Humanities and Writing. X feels that grammar is important in all language arts classes, yet it is commonly forgotten. X wants to send students into the collegiate world well prepared for the courses that lay ahead such as Writing 121. Grammar at the high school level in the local high schools is almost non-existent. One of the teachers in the lab corrects papers, writes what the students did wrong, but offers no explanations. I have even corrected student’s papers. X says that power of language within different groups of students is noticeable. In some student writing it is apparent that they have either studied grammar or picked up proper grammar along the way in school, but in other student writing it is apparent that they have not had enough exposure to the subject. Since X is not an English teacher but does help students to complete their work she feels it is easy for her to see where the students need the most work, but explaining their grammar errors isn’t something that her position allows time for. X admits that English teachers have schedules and a variety of subjects to keep up with and grammar has fallen pretty low on that list. I asked X if she felt a high school grammar class would be helpful for college preparation. She felt it would be an excellent idea but couldn’t see such a class being offered due to district budgets.

Kilee Buckmiller