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2 may 2002

antique moonshine jugs.

first steps

You'll forgive me, but my days are passing faster than I can write about them. The short story is, so far, so good. I am the fourth teacher that these kids have had this year, and they seem okay with keeping me around. After a year of minimal and ever-changing expectations, I have gradually given them two ongoing assignments before their end-of-grade tests next week. The first is to bring current news articles to class that demonstrate the use of language arts and/or science in everyday life. Then, present your understanding of the article to the class.

Nearly every single one of those students did the presentation. All of them at least brought in their articles, and seem excited that all this school stuff might have a real-life point.

The second assignment I gave them, which is due in two weeks, is to find poetry by Langston Hughes or Gwendolyn Brooks. I want them to read, understand, and if they are comfortable, make a presentation.

Yesterday, one of the boys came up to me in the hallway. He's a nice, well-behaved kid, who has a terrible time with reading, and receives extra resource help toward improving his skills. So he runs up to me two hours after I've made this assignment. "Miss H! Look what I found in the library! It's Harlem by that poet!"

So we're going through this process together, and I think we're having small victories each day. It's the end of the school year, and they're about to crawl out of their skin. I try to start where they are, and move from there. They get excited when I acknowledge hip-hop as poetry, and then make the next step to the literary stuff. It's connecting their experiences to those of other people, including those who lived and wrote before them. For now, it's a start.

The end of the day doesn't arrive fast enough for a few of them. "Where's the fire? I ask one student a few minutes before last bell. You off to see your girlfriend?

He looks at me, astonished. Shoo. I don't need to run after any girls. They all want me to be their boyfriend.

The bell rings. Prince Charming has a bus to catch.