Dear Class,
Each week, one of you will be selected and highlighted as our grammar "Geek of the Week." When you are selected, type up a "top ten list," offering interesting facts you'd like share about yourself. When you are finished, send me an email with your list and an attachment with your picture. After I okay it, you can post it to your website along with a quote you like. I will upload your list to the Geek Wall just as I did for our first "Geek of the Week." As an extra perk, the chosen "Geek of the Week," is treated to a week with NO vocabulary homework and a free 100% on that week's vocabulary quiz. It pays to be a geek!
During the year, there will be a "Guest Geek" thrown into the mix, whom you are sure to find fascinating. By the way, in case you're wondering- yes, it is my evil plot to turn each and everyone of you into a grammar geek. Don't be alarmed; this is a good thing-- a cool thing, really. You'll just have to trust me on this one.
Now, I know it's ludicrous to think that any of you need me to point out the obvious and say that it is important to utilize excellent grammar when you make your list; however, as a teacher who strives to be thorough in my explanations, I feel compelled to point that out. So, make sure you use complete sentences along with correct capitalization and punctuation. As you write, remember this tip: Every Grammar Geek and Word Nerd worth their weight in gold always consults a writer's handbook, a grammar textbook, a dictionary, a thesaurus, a teacher, an older sibling, or their mom when they have a question about constructing good sentences. Now, I don't mean to exclude dads here, but in our house, if you ask Dad a grammar question, he cringes in disgust and violently shoos you away with his Suduko book. Hopefully, this doesn't happen at your house. So, be my guest, ask your dad; however, keep a safe distance just in case.
The other strategy GG's and WN's use is this: They first write without thinking too much about grammar and spelling. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true! They freely allow their ideas to spill out of their head and onto the paper. Then they go back and make adjustments--fix stuff until it's right in order to catch dangerous mistakes like this one:
During the year, there will be a "Guest Geek" thrown into the mix, whom you are sure to find fascinating. By the way, in case you're wondering- yes, it is my evil plot to turn each and everyone of you into a grammar geek. Don't be alarmed; this is a good thing-- a cool thing, really. You'll just have to trust me on this one.
Now, I know it's ludicrous to think that any of you need me to point out the obvious and say that it is important to utilize excellent grammar when you make your list; however, as a teacher who strives to be thorough in my explanations, I feel compelled to point that out. So, make sure you use complete sentences along with correct capitalization and punctuation. As you write, remember this tip: Every Grammar Geek and Word Nerd worth their weight in gold always consults a writer's handbook, a grammar textbook, a dictionary, a thesaurus, a teacher, an older sibling, or their mom when they have a question about constructing good sentences. Now, I don't mean to exclude dads here, but in our house, if you ask Dad a grammar question, he cringes in disgust and violently shoos you away with his Suduko book. Hopefully, this doesn't happen at your house. So, be my guest, ask your dad; however, keep a safe distance just in case.
The other strategy GG's and WN's use is this: They first write without thinking too much about grammar and spelling. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true! They freely allow their ideas to spill out of their head and onto the paper. Then they go back and make adjustments--fix stuff until it's right in order to catch dangerous mistakes like this one:
In closing, I want to make this perfectly clear: As you write about yourself, don't let the proper use of grammar stifle you. Let your unique personality shine through your writing! As we progress through the year, we will continually explore how grammar aids creativity in writing. You'll discover that "owning" grammar makes writing fun! As Amanda Clark, writer and editor, so eloquently stated, "Good grammar can be fun, and its proper delivery shouldn't be something deserving of an eye roll and a yawn." This means that learning and using proper grammar isn't just for snooty, smart people; it's cool for everyone to use it! She also said, "Language and words should be celebrated." Personally, I cannot think of any better way to celebrate words than by reading yours. I wait with bated breath to read about each and every one of you!
Peace to you all~
Mrs. Foster
Peace to you all~
Mrs. Foster