Reader response to "Teaching Grammar in the Context of Teaching" (Constance Weaver)

This article starts by telling us what we have already learned this semester- research shows that teaching grammar independently does not help students become better writers. Although the research behind this is pretty broad, the proof is in the pudding. Findlay McQuade's research in 1980's determined that after teaching his students a course in writing mechanics, he found that "though the students' pre-course essays were not spectacular, their post-course essays were miserable and apparently self-consciously constructed to honor correctness above all other virtues, including sense". It looks like "teaching grammar in the context of writing might be much more effective than teaching grammar as a separate subject."

Weaver goes on to give some examples of lessons. The technique I could see myself using was one that Weaver herself uses with her undergrad students. She has her students turn in first drafts, looks for the most common grammatical mistakes and creates a mini-lesson around those few mistakes, using the students own work as examples. She also includes peer-review in this process. This seems to be a pretty practical way of doing things for older students, but I think it's important to make sure you're not making your students feel dumb. She noted that she marks on some students' papers "You need to get a grasp on this, because it's something you'll be expected to teach even elementary-level students!" - that might be true, but I don't agree with going about things that way. I think this could create a overly self-conscious writer and ashamed student.

I also like Sarah's exercises with getting her students to write descriptively. She did a mini lesson, then had students write based on a general prompt. She then had the students actually experience what they were writing about and write about it again. Their second pieces were much more accurate in their descriptions and students had improved without even realizing they were being taught. This is great because it creates a more effective and fun experience than rote memorization or simple exercises focusing on grammar alone.

Additionally, the article mentions giving "guidance in understanding and applying those aspects of grammar that are most relevant to writing", and "teaching a minimum of grammar for maximum benefits", which I absolutely agree should be a best practice for writing teachers.