Liberal Arts - Life Skills or Not?

Following the prompt - What do you find appeals to you more: classes that help students gain teh practical skills taht will best serve them in the labor market or those that address critical questions of universal concern about values, language, and culture? What role do you think grammar classes should play in addressing either of these concerns?

I think it would be hypocritical of me to agree that classes should only serve students in preparing them for the labor market. Not only do I despise classes like these, but I find them to be degrading to our society, not allowing students to broaden their minds and bring forth their useful skills to society. I think by addressing universal concerns, the culture, language, etc., students will learn critical skills, allowing them to be a well rounded individual, helping their society. It is the values that a students learns in their liberal arts classes that allows them to understand society and how to use their already inate practical skills to function in society.

Using grammar in the class can enhance these skills, allowing students to function on a more professional leve, but I don't think it is the main concern of the class that is trying to get students to think criticall about universal themes.

SWE and the classroom

I think that SWE grammar should be taught in the classroom, but not in the traditional form. As a high school student, the last thing I wanted to learn about was grammar. Remembering this, I would not want to put my students through he same torture. So, when and if I teach grammar, it will be on a different basis. First of all, I think the students need to have a particular need or interest for the grammar instruction to be successful. For example, if my students were showing in their writing that they did not understand some form of punctuation, I would take some time to address this, but not weeks on end. Also, if a student had a specific question about grammar I would be more than happy to assist them.

It would be going against my own beliefs to teach a structured grammar course to high school students. I don't think they get everything out of the instruction that they could because they are not interested in it. So, if I teach, I will focus on dragging (forcing) students into a love of the English language. Then if they have enough sense to become English majors, Dr. Benton can straighten out all the bad habits I taught them.