So, today, I decided to be the proverbial fly on the wall.
I assigned my students a cold read of the Langston Hughes poem, "I, too, America."
Admittedly, it's a difficult poem to try decipher. However, I felt pretty confident that as I guided them through a close reading, they would be able to begin discussing the poem in a way that would allow them to begin making connections.
The first thing I asked them to do was to listen to me read them the poem. As the followed along, I asked them to note things that confused them, surprised them, made them angry, or amused them.
Once that was completed, I asked them to get into groups and discuss the things they noted. As they discussed them, I wanted them to theorize, in their groups, what they thought these noted items might mean.
Keep in mind, I did no explanations of meaning. I wanted them to wrestle with it for a bit on their own.
What follows are conversations my students had with each other about the text.
The first table I stopped at:
"Sooooooo, this darker brother? I'm confused. Why is his brother darker than him? Does he have a different mom or different dad than the author?"
"Well, that could be. What if he is talking about brother meaning like mankind?"
"Ohhhhh! I get it! He's talking about a white guy and an African American guy being brothers!"
Second table I stopped at:
"The kitchen line doesn't make sense to me."
"Yeah."
"Whenever he says, 'I am the darker brother," that's just sad. I'm not sure why, it's just depressing."
"So, why would they be ashamed?"
Third table I stopped at:
"What do you mean 'eat in the kitchen'?"
"I'm thinking it's racist."
"Well, I sorta feel like that's just rude."
"I think the boy is brave by not wanting to sit at the kitchen table."
This is just a sampling of the conversations I was observing on this particular day.
I was worried when I presented my students with this poem. I've caught myself at times during my career wondering if "my kids can really do this." Then I hear conversations like this. Oh yes, they can! Their insights are beautiful!
I assigned my students a cold read of the Langston Hughes poem, "I, too, America."
Admittedly, it's a difficult poem to try decipher. However, I felt pretty confident that as I guided them through a close reading, they would be able to begin discussing the poem in a way that would allow them to begin making connections.
The first thing I asked them to do was to listen to me read them the poem. As the followed along, I asked them to note things that confused them, surprised them, made them angry, or amused them.
Once that was completed, I asked them to get into groups and discuss the things they noted. As they discussed them, I wanted them to theorize, in their groups, what they thought these noted items might mean.
Keep in mind, I did no explanations of meaning. I wanted them to wrestle with it for a bit on their own.
What follows are conversations my students had with each other about the text.
The first table I stopped at:
"Sooooooo, this darker brother? I'm confused. Why is his brother darker than him? Does he have a different mom or different dad than the author?"
"Well, that could be. What if he is talking about brother meaning like mankind?"
"Ohhhhh! I get it! He's talking about a white guy and an African American guy being brothers!"
Second table I stopped at:
"The kitchen line doesn't make sense to me."
"Yeah."
"Whenever he says, 'I am the darker brother," that's just sad. I'm not sure why, it's just depressing."
"So, why would they be ashamed?"
Third table I stopped at:
"What do you mean 'eat in the kitchen'?"
"I'm thinking it's racist."
"Well, I sorta feel like that's just rude."
"I think the boy is brave by not wanting to sit at the kitchen table."
This is just a sampling of the conversations I was observing on this particular day.
I was worried when I presented my students with this poem. I've caught myself at times during my career wondering if "my kids can really do this." Then I hear conversations like this. Oh yes, they can! Their insights are beautiful!
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