Teachers - help!

closapio

I'm guessing that no matter what age you teach (unless you are teaching the REALLY little ones) that you have run across chat language showing up in papers and on assignments. What do you do to help the students realize that the informal language of chat/txt is not alright for a classroom??

I'll be honest - I'm a high school English teacher. When I see papers with u instead of you, it drives me up the wall. I'm seeing it more and more as the years go by. I need some hints!

Do you have any good sources that you have used? 

pennyandandy

I have the really little ones, so I haven't seen this. Let me ask around and I'll se what the other teachers know.

mm&mm

I also have young ones...but I can ask around, too!

nowmrsbinkc

I am also a h.s. English teacher and do NOT let this fly in my room - it drives me insane!  We have a big talk about formal vs. informal language/diction and when each is appropriate.  I tell them I am employed to help them be successful down the road either in college or on a job and that they need to practice using formal language with me, just as they would a professor or boss.  I have them proofread one another's essays or read their own out loud at first to catch errors such as this, but if it is just a little assignment I point out where they are using the informal language, write them a note, and after a warning (and our big class talk) they lose points.  It is really scary...I blame this informal talk on their atrocious spelling!  I am seriously considering making my freshmen do spelling worksheets out of a workbook for 3rd graders just to re-learn the simple spelling rules!  We read a story the other day called "The Sniper" and they thought it was "The Snipper" -  AHHHHHHHH!  Okay, off my soapbox!  Good luck!