Vocab Drills

I had a wonderful high school English teacher who had a different approach to teaching vocabulary. Each Monday she would introduce the list of ten new words, and we would create a short one or two word definition for each. Then we would shout out our definitions in vocab drills.

The teacher would call out a vocabulary word like a drill sergeant and in unison we would respond with the appropriate, shortened definition. Vocab drills were held at the beginning of class every day. By mid-week, the teacher would start calling on us individually for definitions--especially if some of us looked like we weren't participating in the drill. Quiz day was Friday.

Even today, there are certain words that I come across that arouse an urge to call out the definition I learned in my high school drills.