Originally published on 9/30/2020
The reading and language arts team at Alvin Junior High decided to have a little fun on Punctuation Day! The group of teachers, composed of Kaylee Sustaita, Merrilee Withers, Mandi Foster, Erika Perales, and Brittany Elliott, dressed as Grammar Grannies to teach students the importance of proper grammar and punctuation. The idea stemmed from a video Mrs. Perales found online highlighting a teacher who dressed up as a Grammar Granny to engage her students.
“In years past, we've dressed as punctuation and had students complete a schoolwide scavenger hunt while correctly punctuating sentences,” Alvin Junior High Language Arts Instructional Coach Brittany Elliott shared. “With the limitations for student movement this year, we needed to get creative!”
The idea began by having students read a punctuation picture book. After, they were tasked to complete a virtual Punctuation Escape Room under the watchful eye of their Grammar Granny. When escaping the virtual punctuation rooms, students reviewed grammar rules and were excited to escape the Grammar Granny! They recorded their unlock codes and completed six puzzles to finally escape. Both Alvin Virtual Learning and in-person students were excited to work through the puzzles and do something different while practicing their grammar which is often a subject largely avoided by students.
The entire campus absolutely loved it! The team really took to the part and spent the day shuffling around campus asking students grammar questions to test their comprehension.
“With all that has been going on - it was a breath of fresh air and laughter. I even had a student ask me today "awww...where's Grammar Granny??" Sadly, she cannot make an appearance everyday,” Elliott shared.