Most of my daily e-mails are “inter-office” – teacher to teacher, administrative type to teacher; I’m trying to figure out how to respond to those with grammar and spelling mistakes. Perhaps I notice these more because I teach English, and grammar and spelling matter to us English teachers. Many of us at least. They should matter to anyone who wants to communicate it seems to me. I’m not a math teacher, but I care – and notice – when my paycheck is wrong. I’m not a history teacher but I make sure to get the right president when I’m complaining about him.
I don’t understand how teachers can be so…unconcerned about details. Isn’t it our task to show kids that details matter? Whether it’s a series of dance steps, a series of chemicals, or a couple of adjective endings, details matter. Your partner won’t be there to meet you if you get those steps wrong. The reaction won’t happen if you are off by a chemical or two. Or it might happen all at once, and the men in the yellow suits will show up soon after. Sloppiness matters in class – why not in communication? You won’t let your students be sloppy on a test; why are you?
“But,” you say, “it’s just a note. You know what I mean. This is like chatting, like using an ‘ain’t’ at the lunch table. Were this a legal contract, a test, an assignment, I’d take care, I’d get it right.” But why should I – or you, for that matter – believe that? “You play like you practice” I told my tennis players; “lazy in practice, you’ll be lazy in a match.” “I’d take that extra step if this were a match.” I heard it over and over and over. My response was always the same – you play like you practice. I’m willing to grant that a short memo to me is the equivalent of practice, that you’ve got bigger, more important fish to fry. But you play like you practice. Unfortunately.
