Knock, Knock! Who's there? Grammar! ...Ugh

Let me make this clear for once, for all, to infinity and beyond. I hate grammar. I don’t like the idea of teaching grammar. I don’t like the idea of scouring a student’s page with red pen. And I dread the blank, bored looks I know I’ll receive once I stop being a student and begin being a teacher. Grammar and I have a complicated relationship. Though grammar was boring for me, I never really had difficulty learning it. I learned early on that if once you learn the rules of grammar and apply them, you can bend the rules and diverge. So unfortunately while I know, I won’t enjoy teaching my students grammar, I know that the skillfulness they’ll manifest once they learn where they can play with grammar will be worth it.

During one tutoring session, I had to help a writer significantly with grammar, sentence structure and verb agreement. Just saying those words makes me feel stodgy. It’s true though, and the session was one of the more challenging for me. In the first place, I am a person who knows very well how to identify grammar errors, but not how to explain why grammar is incorrect. I remember telling the student during the session, “ I wish I could explain to you why I know that’s right” or “ I know there’s a reason why this sentence will be correct this way”. I knew I could consult the handbooks, but the student was in a hurry, and I found myself in a very rushed situation which I do not plan to repeat again.

It made me realize though that grammar, while it is one of the most lackluster parts of teaching or just experiencing English, is also necessary and vital to the creation of good work. And retention of grammar rules, is one way to make writing a lot easier.  I have a session with this person tomorrow where we are going to start going over the rules of grammar so that she can learn them for herself. I am looking forward to this challenge and realize that it is this type of experience that will refine me into a better teacher.