Thursday, April 21, 2011

Some teachers are just bonkers

In Writing Teachers: Still Crazy After All These Years Mary Grabar writes:

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After spending four depressing days this month at a meeting of 3,000 writing teachers in Atlanta, I can tell you that their parent group, the Conference on College Composition and Communication, is not really interested in teaching students to write and communicate clearly. The group’s agenda, clear to me after sampling as many of the meeting’s 500 panels as I could, is devoted to disparaging grammar, logic, reason, evidence and fairness as instruments of white oppression. They believe rules of grammar discriminate against “marginalized” groups and restrict self-expression.
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It isn't the English languages that keeps people down.  Rather the reverse is true; the lack of mastery of the English language holds people back.  For example French Canadians in Quebec who don't know English make less money than those who know English.

If these teachers really cared about the "marginalized" groups they would bend over backwards to help their students learn how to write.

Hat tip: Instapundit

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Please feel free to delete this or not post it, but I thought I'd let you know you made a lot of typos or mistakes in your post. I thought you'd want to know, especially since the topic was about grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.

Henry Cate said...

Thanks. I fixed three errors. If there are more, please tell me.

I was in a rush to get the post up before heading out to see Atlas Shruggled.

Anonymous said...

I still see a couple. The first sentence should maybe say, "It isn't the English language that keeps people down." The last sentence in that paragraph says, ". . . make less money that those who know English." It should be "than" instead of "that." They are minor. I often make similar mistakes when my phone's auto correct is on.

By the way, I agree with what you said. I'm shocked that the teachers are actually thinking about accepting alternate forms of "English." Do you remember many years ago in Oakland, CA, I think, the school board wanted to accept
"Ebonics" as a legitimate language? Crazy!

How was the movie? It's playing near me in Sacramento.

Henry Cate said...

Thanks. I've fixed those two.

I liked the movie. I'm about to write up a short review and post it.

webmaster said...

As a former public school teacher, I must sadly agree with your observations. Allowing students to use text messageing abbreviations as acceptable in some assignments is becoming more and more frequent. It's no wonder that our students cannot write a coherent paragraph. I dropped out of the public schools, not as a student, but as a teacher - instead, I am working with homeschool students (including my own grandsons). It is far more rewarding!!!

Henry Cate said...

I am glad you are enjoying working with your grandchildren. My father teaches chess to our homeschool co-op and has commented they are better behaved than most of his public school classes.