Grandpa's Legacy

Yesterday at school was on of my favorite lessons, where I read an essay about my grandfather and sing a song that goes with it. It's interesting that when I have really unruly classes I feel like not taking the risk of singing to them. After all, some of those kids might take the opportunity to do other things while my attention is on my performance. It wasn't like that, however. Somehow, many students respect the risk I'm taking. They don't all show it, but some are surprised that I would write that or perform it. They see me differently and I think that's important. So many students see teachers as random boring adults who are only there to yell at them and try to get them to do things they don't want to do. It's good for them to see teachers as real people who are also living out significant stories. If it bridges the empathy gap even just a little, then it's a powerfully important lesson. It's not just entertainment; they see that I was a child, that I loved my grandfather, that I used his diamond ring as a symbol in my own life, and that I take the inspiration of how he faced death and apply it to my own life. That may be too deep for some of my students, but on some level, they feel a universal truth. We all take inspiration from the people we love and we find ways to honor their memories when they are gone and we are still here.

My dad has a framed drawing of Grandpa with the quotation, "A smile never hurt nobody." Grandpa has been gone for many years, but he is well remembered in Dad's picture and in my essay which I read to my class every year. It's a powerful magical spell, especially if it inspires students to pay tribute to those they love as well. Let the ripples and waves go out from there, hopefully making the world a little bit nicer. Like Grandpa said, "A smile never hurt nobody."

Freshman English Class, Worth Remembering?

So, it's been a while. Homecoming faded away, teaching went back to normal (at least as normal as it gets), and even the limerick war died out. In an effort to keep things interesting, I run a mock trial based on James Hursts's "The Scarlet Ibis." It's a really beautiful story and while not all of the students "get" it, they do get into arguing about whether the main character is guilty of anything or not. It always seems to go better than I expect. I have so many rowdies that it seems like turning them loose on an assignment like this is just asking for trouble. However, for the most part, they seem to enjoy the diversion and they really do get to know the story. So, ultimately, it works.

Now we move on to their writing skills. It's a whole extra set of frustrations, but it's also a chance for so many wonderful tributes that students can write and keep for themselves forever. I honestly believe that if they do their best on this assignment, it doesn't matter so much what grade they get as the memory they preserve. Students sometimes write wonderful things that might otherwise remain unsaid. Those are the times when they need to express themselves with words that will live on long after their freshman English class is over. I give them an example about my grandfather complete with a song I wrote. Sometimes the effect is magical. Sometimes not, but it is worth a try. If it's memorable enough, they'll take something with them.