Bad grammar from teachers can have an impact on a student’s ability to understand the importance of effective communication. NBC News reports Fortune 500 companies are spending more than $3 billion a year retraining employees in basic English. Teachers who don't require students to use correct grammar in projects, papers and verbal reports set up students for failure in the workforce. As companies spend more dollars on retraining employees, it could result in lower-paying jobs for those who can't express themselves in grammatically correct ways.
Teachers who don't use correct grammar and allow their students to speak and write incorrectly are not giving their students examples of real-world standards. As more people communicate in the digital world, spelling and grammar skills are becoming weaker for most students. Teachers who allow this shorthand way of communicating to spill over into the classroom are not preparing their students for college or for real life. The Association for American Educators encourages teachers to strike a balance by stressing the importance of proper grammar while promoting the academic use of technology.
Teachers are some of the primary examples of leadership in a student’s life. Teachers set standards for students in the way they manage their classrooms and in the way they communicate. If these standards are low, especially in the area of grammar, teachers tell students by their own actions that speaking and writing correctly is not important. According to the Edudemic website, teachers should model proper grammar to help students get excited about it and help them develop a better understanding of the language skills they are already using.
Modeling and teaching correct grammar in the classroom improves student writing. Beverly Ann Cline, professor of English at the University of Montana suggests that while students might speak English well, they need guidance in the area of grammar to become good writers. Grammar instruction begins with what students already know about language and helps them apply their knowledge to their writing. Teachers who model good grammar in the classroom help students make better connections between what is correct in speaking and writing.