It's a hard knock life for the students of progress period one. Sentences crush. Punctuation twists. The writing of a business letter squeezes. But soon they will be veterans - and in seven and a half months they will murder business letters and spreadsheets with the best of them.

It's the last day before Christmas break. I've set them to task - proofreading and correcting a short list of business letters loaded with syntax issues. I've got the lesson key and am waiting for the onslaught of personal queries. They come in waves....from questions related to basic understanding of the project goal to case agreement and advanced proofing. They know enough to be dangerous....