Teaching, or, Doing Something No Child Left Behind Wouldn't Allow You To Do, or, This Feels Good

So, as you know, I've been doing my best to teach poetry.

All three fifth grade teachers are helping their students to write a book of poetry, consisting of at least seven different structured types of poems. I've chosen to go a step further and actually read some poetry as well, introducing them to several different poets so far, each with their unique voice and style and message. A highlight has been tracking down recordings of the poets reading their own work, which the kids have really enjoyed. Few things make me happier than to hear them plead, "Play it again!" seconds after a poet finishes reading.

I decided to inform the librarian that we were studying poetry. I figured we don't do enough communicating with her, and she might like to know what's going on in our rooms so that she could plan something that correlates for the students' weekly library time. So today, she pulled off several books of poetry and showed the kids where the 811 section was in the Dewey system.

At lunch, she told us that the one class she had so far seemed rather disinterested. When it came time to check out books, not one of them chose to do so.

While my kids were at library in the afternoon, I decided to get a few of the iPods our technology room loans, so that I could upload a bunch of the poets reading their work and have the kids listen to it in the corner of the room at their leisure. While I was working on this project, I discovered Langston Hughes's "Merry-Go-Round" and decided I really needed to share it.

Just as I was finding the text for the poem, the kids walked in the room pleasant and upbeat. To my surprise, nearly every one of them was carrying a book of poetry in their hands, and they were excited. Really excited. Because I was interested, I had each of them share what book they had picked out. Silverstein and lots of Prelutskies, EE Cummings and Ogden Nash, Dickinson and Frost, Rudyard Kipling, and a few others. It's working! They're liking poetry! This very well could have been the biggest highlight of my year so far.

So, then, I shared Langston Hughes, a name they had just heard in the library. He read his poem after giving a short introduction to the background.

Where is the Jim Crow section
On this merry-go-round,
Mister, cause I want to ride?
Down South where I come from
White and colored
Can't sit side by side.
Down South on the train
There's a Jim Crow car.
On the bus we're put in the back--
But there ain't no back
To a merry-go-round!
Where's the horse
For a kid that's black?

Several kids announced how much they liked it right away. I asked for more thoughts. One girl said that it shows segregation affects even young, innocent people. Another mentioned a lack of fairness. One boy liked the clever detail that a merry-go-round doesn't have a back. A sensitive boy--with a former social worker for a mom--lamented, saying it was sad because she shouldn't have to be asking where to sit when all she's looking to do is have a little bit of fun on a carousel.

This discussion slowly continued and the class was quiet and calm for the first time all day. As we wrapped up, they asked to listen again.

And we did. And it was probably the second biggest highlight of my year so far.