Teaching English

Greetings,

For those of you who know me as a teacher, I am a constant editor. Secretly I edit menus and signs and notices. I correct my sons' speech and their friends' speech and, most avidly, my students' speech. Yesterday while in the library after school, ostensibly there to assist students with homework needs, several of my students started intentionally speaking incorrectly so that their names would go on the daily and somewhat humorous list of students who repeatedly make simple grammatical or spelling errors on topics already discussed and practiced. It went like this...

R: I did really good in science today, Ms. Evans.

M.E. You did what??

V: I had a good math test. Wait, that sounds correct...

M.E. That's because it is correct. You can have a good test, but you cannot do good on something.

V: I did a well job.

R: Hey, look I wrote 'alot' as one word.

M.E. I guess your name will go up three times.

R: Good.

V: Me too! Is my map badder than his map?

M.E. Clearly, I will have to create a bunch of boring worksheets for you all to practice your English.

R: Well, I won't do them.

M.E. I bet your dad would be interested in know about that.

R: I already speak good. (Smiling!)

These two boys were simultaneously teasing with me, doing science homework, and playing a game of chess. Another boy was working on his world map for humanities class which I thought was due today, but I was immediately corrected. It's due on Tuesday. Whew. I love middle school kids, and I know that they can speak correctly if they can intentionally speak incorrectly just to bug me!

Thanks for reading, Jennifer