No wonder so many people hate English teachers...

Because of all of the changes at my school, all of the teachers had to take a pay cut to keep the school open. I had the idea that it might be kind of cool to make up some of that money to offer tutoring sessions. I have enough free time during the week that it might be an enjoyable way to make a few extra bucks. It's not something I'm TOO invested in, but I thought I'd post it on the tutoring section of craigslist just to see if anyone was interested. I recently got this email...


Hello,
I'm also an English teacher, and I thought it funny but a little sad
that someone who teaches writing professionally would make such an
obvious error in the advertisement of this very skill. You have an
agreement error in the following sentence: "I believe I can guarantee
that your student's grade improves, and I hope that they'll begin
enjoying English more." "Student's" is singular, but "they'll" is
plural.
Normally I just shake my head and sigh when I see these kinds of
errors, but when the perpetrator is a teacher, of English no less, I
feel duty-bound to correct it or at least make it known.
~Bonnie

Now, I'm aware of how silly it would be to try and fight with this woman via the internet. I also believe that I've grown up a lot in the last few years, and I'm no longer the argumentative girl who would have to respond in the brattiest way possible. But I couldn't let this one stand. Maybe I haven't matured as much as I'd like to have hoped, but I just don't care! :)

I wrote her this email:

Bonnie,

I appreciate your concern for my "obvious" grammar error. I'd like to introduce to you a concept called grammar B, an approach to grammar that incorporates the natural changes in the language. For instance, the philosophy of grammar b would not require a teacher to throw a fit about someone using a preposition at the end of a sentence. There is less and less concern for this in our language, and the only ones truly offended by it are stuffy English teachers. I believe, as do most linguists, that language is constantly growing and adapting. When speaking informally, I don't consider using "they" to refer to one person (rather than saying he/she, which sounds awkwardly formal to me) an error deserving of a condescending email. But that's just me. Thank you for pointing out the error, and I apologize if that error was both funny and sad to you as a fellow English teacher. I do appreciate your concern, although I must tell you that I also feel duty-bound to say that I hope you are not quite so condescending when working with your own students.

Jodi

P.S. Please don't email me back to berate me for the fragment in my email. I am aware that it is there. Please let it be.

I feel better. Much, much better.