Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Grammar: why it is so hard?

A tough day of classes leaves me wondering why grammar (both English and Latin) is so hard for people to understand. I remember a quick comment one former Latin professor made to me--an aside, really: Were you and I really just different from [these students]? That is, did we get it because we were better grammarians in the natural, or do they not get it because they are not trying?

This issue, commonly faced in my teaching, is my current knot I'm trying to untie. Perhaps my immaturity believes it can be solved. After all, good teachers have the attitude, to paraphrase St. Paul, of not considering that they have reached it, but continuing to press on to lay hold of the prize. But I am doubling down to reduce the number of I-don't-get-its in class.

Where to start?

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