the value of Constance Weaver

Remember in advanced grammar, the book Teaching Grammar In Context? Well, after teaching grammar from a workbook for the past two weeks, I can fully see the value of teaching grammar in the context of students' own writing. I can't tell you all how frustrating it is for me to have to go through grammar in this systematic, unadulterated manner with the freshmen and sophomores here at ECA. Grrr. I don't want to chuck grammar study out the window--I think it is good for students to know the parts of a sentence and how they work together. But do you really need to know that would have been going is the past perfect progressive form of the verb? I don't know... Anyway. I looked through Constance Weaver's book, and now that I've been teaching grammar, I see the genius of her wonderful appendix with ideas on how to teach some of these tricky concepts. I want to make my coop. teacher read the first few chapters on how typical grammar study does nothing for students, but I think that might be pushing it. I try to keep a positive attitude, but I think she's caught on that this kind of grammar study isn't my favorite. Anyway, just a thought I had.