what if we changed the language?

I would love to see schools change their approach to language, not in the way it is taught, but in the way it is modeled.  I see teachers freak out about the f-word, when there are other areas of language within the school that can be more damaging.

The Superfluous: Abbreviations

Get rid of Abbreviations.  We aren't writing text messages.  We can use full words. The two words that teachers need to avoid abbreviating entirely are cumulative and assessments.  And for the love of God, could we avoid abbreviating the two of them together?

The Annoying: Acronyms

Acronyms are LAME, as in Language Attempting Meaning Excessively.  For my part, I've had fun re-arranging the acronyms.  Kids don't do a RAFT before a writing assignment.  We use FART. (Yep, I can drop down to their level) Don't get me wrong, I'm okay with the ones that have no meaning.  An IEP is great.  A SMART goal is not.

The Trite: Buzzwords

I have no problem with using academic terminology.  Sometimes a teacher wants to discuss standard deviation of a quantitative assessment or argue about why tests that are re-normed aren't criterion-referenced at all. What I can't take are the varnished words, where they take something bad and make it sound pretty.  Don't tell me a standardized test is "common." Don't call a committee a "team."  Buzzwords breed resentment.  They reek of slick marketing to the extent that Buzzword Bingo has gone completely viral nationwide.

The Dangerous: Implied Metaphors

I've written about this often, but there is an implied metaphor in all school environments.  Often it is a business or Internet or factory metaphor.  Schools should explore the language they are using for the implied metaphor and then ask if that's really the best metaphor.  This is perhaps the most dangerous area of language.  If I can understand that the implicit metaphor is a business / economic one, I can either pick it apart or I could take the metaphor and present the notion of sustainability over short-term achievement.