An informal learning community for educators worldwide. Our passion for learning and connected learning experiences help us to improve our teaching practices. #txeduchat features guest moderators every week.
Welcome to tonight's #txeduchat! We're excited to have @writeguyjeff and @whitney_larocca as guest moderators. Question 1 will be up in a few minutes as we talk about grammar instruction tonight.
Good evening, everyone! Hello @writeguyjeff Thanks for being with us tonight at #txeduchat I am part of the instructional coaching team @ESCRegion11 in Fort Worth and recovering secondary ELA teacher.
We'll be using the Q1-A1 designations tonight. Please be sure to include the #txeduchat hashtag in your tweets and responses so that we can all see them. #txeduchat
Hi everyone! I'm chatting as I wrap Christmas presents this evening. I am a secondary literacy instructional coach from Region 11. I also welcome any ideas of places to hide our Elf on the Shelf tonight. :) #txeduchat
A1: The best thing: I love when kids see the power that grammar gives them to read and write. The lightbulb goes on, "Conventions are meaning makers." #Txeduchat
A1: The worst thing was when I had to try to teach grammar to 7th graders by making them memorize lists of adjectives, adverbs, and ohhhh...those prepositions! #txeduchat
A1: In the past, it’s felt tedious and pointless because the kids didn’t get it 🤷♀️ But I’m starting to find better ways to engage students by helping them discovergrammar patterns, especially as we compare between Spanish and English #TXEduChat
A1: best: grammar skill boosts confidence and versatility in writing across genres. Worst: learning exceptions to rules and feeling inadequate! #txeduchat
IMO, the worst thing about teaching grammar is the lack of buy-in. It's not the most "exciting" topic to the untrained eye, & when students have been worksheeted to death, the choral groan is expected. The best? Connecting grammar to the study of great writing! #txeduchat
A1: Worst part about grammar instruction is the rules! The best part is the manipulation of language. I love being able to admire and notice writing styles of students and writers of all ages and abilities. #txeduchat
A1: The best thing is definitely when kids realize how much it changes/adds to their writing- the worst thing is the expectation of grammar being boring/impossible that is inevitably tied to grammar instruction #Txeduchat
A1: The BEST thing about grammar: It allows us to communicate with our peers! The WORST thing about grammar: Drill and KILL as we like to call it... making word play and writing no fun :-( @writeguyjeff@whitney_larocca#Txeduchat
A1: In the past, it’s felt tedious and pointless because the kids didn’t get it 🤷♀️ But I’m starting to find better ways to engage students by helping them discovergrammar patterns, especially as we compare between Spanish and English #TXEduChat
A1. Best thing. Seeing them build confidence using words correctly and writing grammatically correct sentences. For some students that's the best Christmas gift they can give me! #TXEduChat
The worst thing is teaching it in isolation. The best thing is once Ss understand how it works, they’re able to explore their own rules w/greater confidence. #txeduchat
A1: The best thing about teaching grammar is: I can choose whatever text I want. The hardest thing: recognizing grammar outside of practice. #txeduchat
A2: Authenticity correlates with INNOVATION and CREATIVITY... We should be teaching grammar in this manner. Grammar should be woven WITHIN all teaching practices across all curriculums... students need to see the value of it applied to real scenarios #txeduchat@writeguyjeff
A2: I think authentic grammar instruction means making it relatable to the outside world. If they don't get a context and don't see a purpose, there's no buy-in for real transfer of skills! Look at writing they choose. Notice something & point out what makes it cool! #txeduchat
A2: Authentic to me means using models from literature they are familiar with and modeling it in their own writing. Personal connections lead to retention. #txeduchat
A1: Best thing about grammar instruction: how exciting it is when students notice and have discussions about parts of the sentence that isn’t even your focus! Also, when they debate about the reason why the author wrote it that way! #txeduchat
A2: By "authentic," we mean grammar in context of writing/engaging text. No one learned to read by practicing w/ books riddled with error. We learn to read by reading great books. The same goes for writing and grammar. Teach grammar through the lens of great writing! #txeduchat
A2 Teaching grammar in the context of whatever text Ss are accessing, as well as ensuring that dialects and other forms are equally valued in the classroom. i.e.: not assuming or stating something a student wrote is “wrong” when it’s simply not written in SAE. #TXEduChat
A2: modeling and discussing grammar in context with inspiring and interesting connected text. It can be recent, historical, literary, famous, and/or from students and/or T’s writing. Should be multiple examples for students to learn from #txeduchat
A2 Authentic grammar instruction is the bridge between reading and writing (love that graphic from #patternsofpower ) There should be a connection between the two from a reader’s and writer’s perspective #txeduchat
#txeduchat A2: Using mentor texts to appreciate craft then playing with it in their own writing. Application in their own pieces, for authentic purposes and authentic audiences.
A2: Authentic grammar instruction involves admiring the beauty of language and what a writer can do with it. Then trying it on to see how it fits. #txeduchat
A2: Authentic grammar instruction is when you use time in class to teach grammar, but also find it during your other content areas! When students see it throughout all subjects, they see more value in learning about grammar. They can also connect deeper to the text. #txeduchat
Students need the freedom and mindset to be able to "play" without worrying about failing. Taking risks with grammar/syntax can only happen when failure is viewed as a learning experience in the classroom community! #txeduchat
A2: Authentic grammar instruction involves admiring the beauty of language and what a writer can do with it. Then trying it on to see how it fits. #txeduchat
I've heard coding described as a new foreign language, and kind of agree. It does have its own syntax and structure, but I don't think it is more authentic than English conventions.= for my purposes as an English teacher or a writer. #txeduchat
Hi! This is my first experience w/ #txeduchat. I’m the executive director of an educational nonprofit in San Antonio (Region 20), but I was/am also a K-12 teacher and curriculum developer.
A2: Authentic means genuine, in context. We need to be readers to be writers and writers to be readers. Rinse and repeat. What do we notice in this book we need to replicate in our writing? #txeduchat
A2: Authentic grammar instruction involves admiring the beauty of language and what a writer can do with it. Then trying it on to see how it fits. #txeduchat
A3: When looking at our new TEKS, specifically the strand "Author's Purpose and Craft," reading and writing cannot be separated. When we question why authors make certain choices, and how to emulate those choices, a lovely grammar/syntax teaching point is born. #txeduchat
#txeduchat I ❤️ “used.” Worked with teachers today and they made a math analogy. Grammar in isolation is like teaching kids numbers and what they stand for, then expecting them to know how to work every problem out there with a number in it. Impossible to do if it’s not “used”.
A3: Is it possible that we actually have patterns of language that are now well established and accepted -- that are the result of experimentation and failure with traditional language conventions? #txeduchat
A3: I truly believe that grammar is the backbone of reading and writing. Understanding grammar helps readers understand more clearly WHY the author chose to have you read it that way. It also allows those readers to create their own WHY when they write! #txeduchat
A2: Authentic grammar instruction involves admiring the beauty of language and what a writer can do with it. Then trying it on to see how it fits. #txeduchat
A3 cont'd: I was never explicitly taught how to write. I got good grades because I was a voracious reader. I subconsciously mimicked what I read. I couldn't tell you the name for a type of phrase, but I used a variety of them! #txeduchat
A3: In my life, the more I read, the better my writing and spoken language skills improve. A better reading life has always meant a better writing life. #txeduchat
A3 when you (Ts & Ss) really start noticing and becoming metacognitive about the moves authors make in the texts you read, you realize the intent behind those moves. When that’s connected to your own writing process great work can happen #txeduchat
A3: When looking at our new TEKS, specifically the strand "Author's Purpose and Craft," reading and writing cannot be separated. When we question why authors make certain choices, and how to emulate those choices, a lovely grammar/syntax teaching point is born. #txeduchat
#txeduchat I ❤️ “used.” Worked with teachers today and they made a math analogy. Grammar in isolation is like teaching kids numbers and what they stand for, then expecting them to know how to work every problem out there with a number in it. Impossible to do if it’s not “used”.
#txeduchat I ❤️ “used.” Worked with teachers today and they made a math analogy. Grammar in isolation is like teaching kids numbers and what they stand for, then expecting them to know how to work every problem out there with a number in it. Impossible to do if it’s not “used”.
A3: Conventions and grammar are the meaning makers for both reading and writing. We need them to make meaning for our readers and we need them to understand what we read. #txeduchat
A3: Is it possible that we actually have patterns of language that are now well established and accepted -- that are the result of experimentation and failure with traditional language conventions? #txeduchat
A4: There's no true "correct" answer to why authors make a craft move. The "rules" are broken constantly. Conversation allows students to arrive at their own understanding of multiple possibilities/intentions, then make those moves their own. We engage through talk! #txeduchat
Writing should “sound right” and flow. I can’t know if something sounds write on paper if I don’t know whether or not it sounds right to my ear! Talk is important! #TXEduChat
A3: I truly believe that grammar is the backbone of reading and writing. Understanding grammar helps readers understand more clearly WHY the author chose to have you read it that way. It also allows those readers to create their own WHY when they write! #txeduchat
A4 Conversation opens the door for those Ss that initially “don’t get it”. Hearing the thinking of their peers can increase understanding and boost confidence and willingness to try new strategies #txeduchat
A4: Conversations allow our grammar to come to life in meaningful dialogues. We are using more than our eyes and our brain... we are using our sense of hearing and oral language to put all the pieces of grammar and structure together! #TXEduChat@writeguyjeff@whitney_larocca
Maybe if they had fancy names like Pythagorean Theorem, PEMDAS and oooh, the power of Pi -- Maybe if grammar had names for its rules it would be cool, too! #txeduchat
A3: Reading and and writing are true partners. They work together and make the other stronger. Crashing sounds like upheavals, while I think they are strengthening each other. #txeduchat
a3: Grammar is reading and writing, but I don’t think they crash together. It helps to teach it in context, but I get so conflicted because authors break grammar rules often and it’s ok. #txeduchat
A4: Oral language is transformative. Talking about your learning in any content is powerful, but when we use conversations for grammar, it can transfer to everything else! Noticing a beautifully crafted piece of writing helps with purpose and theme and creativity. #txeduchat
A4: Conversation is very important. S write how they speak. I call it the "And Syndrome." We have to increase their oral and academic language to help S transfer it to their writing. #txeduchat
A4: There's no true "correct" answer to why authors make a craft move. The "rules" are broken constantly. Conversation allows students to arrive at their own understanding of multiple possibilities/intentions, then make those moves their own. We engage through talk! #txeduchat
#txeduchat FANBOYS? AAAWWUBBIS? (I made up HABITFONTS to stand for common conjunctive adverbs so my other conjunctions wouldn’t feel lonely.) Says the language-loving lady with her ampersand necklace on. ❤️&
Maybe if they had fancy names like Pythagorean Theorem, PEMDAS and oooh, the power of Pi -- Maybe if grammar had names for its rules it would be cool, too! #txeduchat
Maybe if they had fancy names like Pythagorean Theorem, PEMDAS and oooh, the power of Pi -- Maybe if grammar had names for its rules it would be cool, too! #txeduchat
A5 Grammar is not black and white and it shouldn’t be assessed that way either. Notice the work they’re doing in their writing, how they are taking about the moves they are making to bring meaning to their texts, and support them with this process. #txeduchat
A5: I can assess grammar skills in anything & everything they write. Funny how they take grammar seriously during Writing...but not during Social Studies 🤔😂This is why accountability writing is in all content areas in my classroom #Txeduchat
A5: Not through multiple choice "fix the broken sentence" tests over and over again. #oopsisaidit Assess through student writing, where it truly matters. In life, when have we ever had to find an infinitive phrase from a list of phrases? #txeduchat
Conversation (Q4) is a start - asking young writers to talk about their choices to use (or not use) a particular grammar move gives you a world of insight into their understanding of its power. #txeduchat
A5: If we have been talking about authors breaking rules, how authentic can our grammar assessment be? I have trouble truly assessing grammar because it can be so fluid when used creatively. Maybe justifying the breaking of rules is better than "grammatically perfect"? #txeduchat
#txeduchat FANBOYS? AAAWWUBBIS? (I made up HABITFONTS to stand for common conjunctive adverbs so my other conjunctions wouldn’t feel lonely.) Says the language-loving lady with her ampersand necklace on. ❤️&
Maybe if they had fancy names like Pythagorean Theorem, PEMDAS and oooh, the power of Pi -- Maybe if grammar had names for its rules it would be cool, too! #txeduchat
Yes! Assessment must include asking students to talk about the choices they made to work outside conventional expectations and their intent behind those decisions. #txeduchat
A5: If we have been talking about authors breaking rules, how authentic can our grammar assessment be? I have trouble truly assessing grammar because it can be so fluid when used creatively. Maybe justifying the breaking of rules is better than "grammatically perfect"? #txeduchat
Conversation (Q4) is a start - asking young writers to talk about their choices to use (or not use) a particular grammar move gives you a world of insight into their understanding of its power. #txeduchat
A5: Not through multiple choice "fix the broken sentence" tests over and over again. #oopsisaidit Assess through student writing, where it truly matters. In life, when have we ever had to find an infinitive phrase from a list of phrases? #txeduchat
Conversation is important so we can hear how our language sounds. ELL focuses on reading, writing, speaking and listening. It’s nice to see this in the new TEKS. #txeduchat
I talk with teachers all the time about putting the red pen away. The most productive assessments I've had with students happened when conferring about writing. #txeduchat
If we expect students to eventually use grammar flexibly, then it stands to reason that our instruction around grammar needs to remain flexible and open to all the nuances that come with its conventions. #txeduchat
A6: I think you need to know what your Ss need. You can’t always know how long it will take for true understanding & transfer to occur. Know when to let up & let them make those grammatical errors. At least they are trying! Noticing “it doesn’t look right” is learning! #Txeduchat
A5 - Within writing pieces! Students should be challenged within their own writing pieces to "show off" their skills! The last step in my writing conferences is to give them a task / challenge for their next sitting piece. Sometimes this is a grammar objective. #txeduchat
A5: Assessing grammar... this is a great question! I’m looking forward to responses. I’m wondering if we could use an adaptable rubric? Adaptable to what the student is working on at that time? #txeduchat
After seeing @writeguyjeff at his #PatternsofPower training, it showed me just how important conversation is! My students are discussing more than I ever imagined. It also gets those students who don’t want to share whole group to share with a partner. #txeduchat
A4: After seeing @writeguyjeff at his #PatternsofPower training, it showed me just how important conversation is! My students are discussing more than I ever imagined. It also gets those students who don’t want to share whole group to share with a partner. #txeduchat
Agreed - and grammar discussions are so often left out of conferences. Ironic, because they're the perfect setting for convention-based conversations around meaning, usage and purpose. #txeduchat
I talk with teachers all the time about putting the red pen away. The most productive assessments I've had with students happened when conferring about writing. #txeduchat
A5: I am still struggling with this. I want to make it authentic and genuine, but I also need to make it not too difficult for me to grade. Suggestions?? #txeduchat
A6: Flexibility is absolutely necessary in writing. The process is like trying to hold spaghetti. Everyone is at different stages, different focuses, different organization... #txeduchat
A6: Flexibilityis key. When I try to explain why we have certain rules in English to my ELL Ss, I can’t always think of the reason. Sometimes it just is. Learning English is tough. #txeduchat
A6: flexibility is important because we teach these things called "humans" who change. A lot. I hate that inflexible teachers still dominate in some schools. Let's limbo, y'all! #txeduchat
A6: Flexibility is crucial to meeting the needs of all your learners in your classroom... grammar is meant to be toyed and played with... malleable and transformable to meet the needs to express your thoughts and/or voice! #txeduchat
A5: Assessing grammar... this is a great question! I’m looking forward to responses. I’m wondering if we could use an adaptable rubric? Adaptable to what the student is working on at that time? #txeduchat
A6: Flexibility is KEY in grammar instruction. The other day a student brought up the importance of “the” and how that shows it’s a specific noun from the sentence. (Ex: the tank) We talked about it and I saw SO many lightbulbs go off. It wasn’t even our focus! #txeduchat
A5 - Within writing pieces! Students should be challenged within their own writing pieces to "show off" their skills! The last step in my writing conferences is to give them a task / challenge for their next writing piece. Sometimes this is a grammar objective. #txeduchat
A6 When assessing be aware that when Ss are initially writing a piece the grammar moves may not be at the forefront of their mind. Conventions typicaly come after structure & development are in place. Don’t make snap judgments about grammar skills w/o some research #txeduchat
A6: I think you need to know what your Ss need. You can’t always know how long it will take for true understanding & transfer to occur. Know when to let up & let them make those grammatical errors. At least they are trying! Noticing “it doesn’t look right” is learning! #Txeduchat
A7: Grammar is something that no matter the skill of the student can always be developed. I love having discussions and asking them first WHY they wrote it that way. #txeduchat
A7 Continued: When it isn’t a red pen circling all over their paper, but a discussion, it makes the students more likely to talk with you and be vulnerable. #txeduchat
A6 When assessing be aware that when Ss are initially writing a piece the grammar moves may not be at the forefront of their mind. Conventions typically come after structure & development are in place. Don’t make snap judgments about grammar skills w/o some research #txeduchat
A7: most of the time our writers conferences focus on flow and idea development. I think the grammar correction comes when they read it aloud to themselves whether in class or video like on a #flipgrid#txeduchat
A7: it doesn’t 😂 they didn’t use it bc they didn’t know how to in the first place. That’s where you make notes in your teacher journal for revisit of that skill & point out what you notice as correct grammar usage. Start somewhere positive, teach the rest. #txeduchat
A6: Flexibility is absolutely necessary in writing. The process is like trying to hold spaghetti. Everyone is at different stages, different focuses, different organization... #txeduchat
A7 Conventions are almost always what initially stand out to Ts during a conference. Look beyond that to the structure and elaboration techniques being used. You won’t get far with a red pen “fixing” all that is not grammatically correct #txeduchat
This is something that I think could definitely use more discussion.
We've been chatting this whole time about the importance of student focused flexible, conversation-based instruction and both of these can be very difficult to translate into traditional grades. #txeduchat
A6: Flexibilityis key. When I try to explain why we have certain rules in English to my ELL Ss, I can’t always think of the reason. Sometimes it just is. Learning English is tough. #txeduchat
A6 - Flexibility in grammar should be the norm! Assuming that all students need the "one size fits all" grammar lesson is foolish. Group students or individualized instruction through various methods such as stations or writing conferences is the way to go!
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A7 cont- teach beyond, “that’s not correct, let’s fix it.” Instead invite them to learn a strategy authors use to bring meaning and power to their writing (aka the #PatternsofPower) “Do you want to learn about a strategy Kate DiCamillo uses? Let me show you...“ #Txeduchat
A5: I am still struggling with this. I want to make it authentic and genuine, but I also need to make it not too difficult for me to grade. Suggestions?? #txeduchat
A7 Continued: When it isn’t a red pen circling all over their paper, but a discussion, it makes the students more likely to talk with you and be vulnerable. #txeduchat
Creating a class checklist of agreements can help with transfer, conferring, and even grading. What do we agree all writers do? @TerryTreads introduced me to this fabulous method! #txeduchat
A7: I struggle with this topic. I consistently conference with my sts. I discuss "grammar" points with them, but it is NEVER the focus. I always pick 1 "Did well" & 1 "Goal for next time" which is usually something like: Specific Details or Organization. #txeduchat
A7 Continued: When it isn’t a red pen circling all over their paper, but a discussion, it makes the students more likely to talk with you and be vulnerable. #txeduchat
#txeduchat A7: I prefer spotlighting something awesome or unique first, then showing them a “power move” that is another tool on their toolkit as a writer. Less on correcting; more on affirmations & writing choices. I liked small groups for quick, focused grammar minilessons.
A7 - It is effective if tactfully completed. You can focus on the grammar while conferencing on the development of an idea. Example would be a pitchfork, compound, complex sentence. However, you must know your students!
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