1. Grammar Gems on the Go First, I go through our handbook—Little,Brown – and come up with around 15 skills with which I think most of our students struggle in writing essays.

2. Next I list the lessons in the syllabus for students to complete prior to certain classes. They are required to read the short section preceding the exercise, take notes, and complete the exercise. This is due at the beginning of class.

3. In Class 1.I ask students to take our their notes and exercises. 2.I give students an open-note quiz over the lesson. 3.When students come up to turn in the quiz, they get a sticker on the exercise to show that they did have it completed. 4.I take up the exercises for a completion grade(based on the number of stickers) about every 5 or 6 weeks.

4. Finally We go over the answers to the quiz as a mini-lesson over the skill. I put the exercise up on the screen and we complete it orally together. I ask students to share their answers with the class.

5. Assessment The quizzes count for a daily grade. Two or three times during the semester, I collect the notes/exercises for a completion grade. Students are expected to use these skills correctly in essays. Some are tested on the midterm and final.

6. Additional Info I really try to limit the time spent on this to 10 minutes per class. We don’t do this every class, but I have found it is a quick,effective way to hit some important grammar gems. Contact me: becky.almany@blinn.edu