ABSTRACT
Teachers today have more higher education than ever before. In my home state of Ohio, teachers are required to get a master’s degree within seven years of getting their ! rst position in a school; most teachers go on for a “master’s plus” for the love of learning more about their craft. Yet language
in the classroom has disintegrated as teachers try to reach students: “I can’t use big words,” one teacher con!ded in me. “The kids do not have any idea what I am saying.” As possibly the most learned person your students come into contact with on a regular basis, you owe your own use of academic language to them (or at least to the !nancial aid of!cer who holds your debt). Chatting with students about after-school activities or what’s for lunch is !ne for everyday language, but as soon as academics begin, so should the use of academic language (Lane & Allen, 2010).
