I know I'm a grumpy old sod and that there are many, many things that really get on my nerves or bug me in ways you cannot comprehend but one that is really up there is teachers, who we must remember are huge influences on our young children's minds, that have a poor grasp of grammar, bad enunciation and a poor grasp of the English language.
There have been a number of times I have heard teachers use was instead of were or pronounce TH as F, maybe minor points to most, but when your influence is used in a teaching capacity you really should make more of an effort to use the language that you use correctly.
Grammar Nazi
I'm not a grammar Nazi (I cringe when I see its poor use, but I wouldn't pick someone up) but if you look after my child's education I expect you to know your theirs form your there's, your was from your were's and especially that lets eat, grandma and lets eat grandma have two very different meanings!
In many ways I was lucky as a child I had an English lecturer as a grandfather, he taught me something called version b - If I dropped my h's or used the wrong word (was for were) he would calmly say "and now version b" - while I hated this at the time it has stood me in good stead for my adult life I now can talk with diction and knowledge of my language, I can also choose to speak how I want.
I don't speak with a plum in my mouth and in fact drop a lot of letters, and I often use the simplest words to make my point, but I can if I wish use my well educated (in terms of using English, not academic) mind to say what I want as well.
What I am Teaching My Children
I in turn am teaching my children the same, they now know if they as me can I get them a drink, I will say yes but not move, they then remember and as will I get them a drink and I move, or they ask can I use my Xbox and I say yes but you are not allowed and they rephrase with may I and are allowed.
I'm not being a pedant, I am teaching them the correct use, if when they are older they want to use can instead of may or was instead of were it's their choice but it is my choice that they will know which is right and which is wrong.
And before I get pedants telling me language evolves, yes I know it does but that doesn't mean we have to go with it!
Back to teachers
My only hope is that young minds are taught correctly by their teachers, if they choose not to use those lessons that is up to them, but when your have impressionable young minds in front of you it is your duty to use your language correctly.
I'm surely not alone in these thoughts.
Originally written for When the Dust Settles but adapted for Huffington post