As a new faculty member, the author was invited by colleagues to help protect a resource they believed was essential to their instructional program. The importance of teaching grammar in a didactic fashion as a precursor to student writing constituted an unchallenged belief in the department. Faculty members were committed to the notion that eighth graders needed to know grammar-- the parts of speech, verb conjugations, the various types of phrases and clauses, and a host of rules that governed usage; moreover, they needed to demonstrate their knowledge through sentence diagramming and various exercises before they began the complicated task of writing. It was the job of the school, colleagues told her, to prepare all students with basic skills for formal writing, and the no-nonsense approach embodied in "Warriner's English Grammar and Composition" was the best way to give students the skills and knowledge that they needed. This article describes the author's journey through her teaching career as the profession evolves, and she learns that by teaching grammar and usage within the context of real reading and writing, teachers are able to open up conversations that anchor language study in authentic contexts. Thanks to modern researchers and writers, educators have come to learn the importance of addressing grammar within the context of writing. Some researchers have helped teachers understand that grammar and conventions are learned through all aspects of literacy--speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Creative ways have been introduced to draw students into grammar and language study, that challenge teachers to question traditional grammar teaching practices while at the same time understanding the power that may be acquired through knowledge about language and the ways to use it effectively.