GreekChat.com Forums - kids can't speak and i partly blame rap

Cash, In my semi-break down of the expression of "hair did" I forget to offer a suggestion to your classroom situation and I apologize for that.

Before my position now, I was a classroom educator. I hold both a Multi-Credential for K-12 and several single subject credentials for Middle/High School. Having served in the classroom as part of a California State take over project (when the state comes in and takes over the school due to lack of performance) where I had to review class curriculum-state standards, scope/sequence application....you get the picture... I started using this quick, inexpensive way to not only teach Conventional Writing and Speaking, but to facilitate a learning environment (yes, I learned much from students in the process that served well for my graduate research)... all it requires is some space on your wall that you have sectioned off for Language Arts and it can be used much like "Word Wall" or "Read The Room".

Here it goes:

l. Get a red poster board.
2. Get a green poster board :D
3. On a Sentence Strip, entitle the red poster board: STOP & REFLECT
4. On a Sentence Strip, entitle the green poster board: REVIEW & PROCEED
5. On a much longer Sentence Strip, write: COMMUNITY CONVERSATION/CONVENTIONAL CONVERSATION.
6. You introduce and facilitate the concept of "Community Conversation" during your Language Arts period of the day.
7. Start off with examples such as "hair did", "baby's momma"
and whatever else current lingo/expression in your classroom you hear that you know is not acceptable outside of their community.
8. Validate your students language if it is their "home" language; however, get them to understand that there is a time and place for all things but while in the classroom and for any written communication, there must be a Universal way of speaking/writing for effective order and understanding.
9. You will have to do most of the brainstorming because yes, many students do not know the difference between community conversation and the correct way something is stated (after all, To Learn is why they go to school...and no, all students don't learn the same way or within the same time frame);) .
10. Write the community conversation expressions on the red poster board and remind them that if it's on the red board they must STOP and REFLECT before putting it down on paper or using it while on campus.
11. Write the correct way of saying something on the green board...this allows the students to REVIEW the correct way of speaking and then PROCEED to write it or speak it correctly while on campus.
12. If expressions and terms from the red poster is found on their papers, circle it, label/number it on their papers so that they have a chance to reference check it from the wall and edit it during your class time.
13. This method truly works well during Journal Writing.
14. Also, I have found that the more higher learning I give to students to "own" the better it works for us all.
15. I did see not only test scores from SAT-9 go up, but correct english language being used in the classroom.
15. Many Blessings & Peace To You and Your Classroom and with your persistence, your students will do fine on the state test!

Shalom~

ETA: Eclipes, I have been fortunate and blessed to have worked with Dr. Kunjufu during his travels to California where he comes to lecture and mentor teachers teaching in low-performing schools. I am a believer in MA'AT after working with him and he with my son ( a GATE student taking classes at our community college since 3rd grade) so I agree, Dr. Kunjufu's book is highly recommended although it will step on the toes of the guilty. Doc is divinely blessed and highly favored!