Poetry Saturday -- The Week in Poetry

What a week. But also -- what a week in poetry.

On Tuesday, as I drove towards the beginning of the second half of the grand experiment known as Remote Learning Academy, I listened to Pádraig Ó Tuama on Poetry Unbound. I had finished listening to King and the Dragonflies that morning while I exercised and I hadn't chosen my next audiobook. Podcast time! I was a little behind on Poetry Unbound episodes. I chose Ellen Bass -- Bone of My Bones and Flesh of My Flesh. I'll wait while you go listen, if you haven't already.

At the end of his commentary, Ó Tuama says,

"I think this poem invites us to think about the power of language and how language can serve to silence or to eradicate or to erase or deny, or to elevate and acknowledge. And even within those denials, people survive with defiance, and they can raise language to an even better level of acknowledgement and public celebration about what love looks like, especially when that love and that dignity has been denied."

The words in bold/italics are what lifted me up on that drive to school, and as I wrote my welcome back message on Google Classroom, I referred to my students as "my lovelies."

In the comments to that post, AP expressed delight at being referred to as "my lovelies." So on Wednesday, I addressed them as an "Amazing Rainbow of Awesomeness." AP was nearly giddy. Would I do it again on Thursday? she asked. How could I not? On Thursday, they were "my sweet babboos" and on Friday, "Dear Ones." 

Thank you, Pádraig Ó Tuama, for inspiring me to find and create terms of endearment that infuse more expressions of love into my classroom. This is another one of those seeds that I plant, having no way of knowing if/how it will later sprout in these children's lives. But it's a seed worth planting.

Also this week, I started my Poem-A-Week project. After realizing that there are 20 weeks left in the school year, and therefore the opportunity for the close study of (just!) 20 poems, I asked the world (via Twitter) for suggestions of poems I might include. I made my choices, but then promptly chose something for the first week that wasn't part of the original plan. And it turned out perfectly. As we began a new routine of choosing reading goals and logging reading and evidence for our goals in a new and simplified digital reader's notebook (aka BOB, which stands for Book of Books, hat tip to Monica Edinger for the original idea of BOB and Maria Caplin for the digital BOB), and as I reminded myself to START SLOWLY, I chose Lee Bennett Hopkins' "Good Books, Good Times!" 

Each day we read the poem (I encourage them to read along behind their muted microphones) and then do just a little bit of unpacking together (hat tip to Tara Smith for the idea of unpacking poems). I have created a slide show for the poems and for documentation of the unpacking work. Here's the plan: on the first day, I just read the poem (projected so they can read along); day two, after reading the poem, I invite reactions/noticing; day three is meaning/craft; day four is respond/connect; day five (I haven't had one yet) might be a guest reader who will also give their thoughts about the poem. I'm making this a routine, but keeping the poem choice flexible on my end so I can be responsive to my learners and the events of the world. 

In light of 1/6/21, my choice for next week's poem might be " 'Hope' is the thing with feathers" by Emily Dickinson, or "The Peace of Wild Things" by Wendell Berry. (I think "Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes is too much for fifth grade, but it's the poem in MY heart right now.) Whatever I choose, it will be a way in for us to talk about the events of 1/6/21. My students weren't ready to talk on Thursday, and yesterday I invited them to give me feedback on why they were hesitant to talk about the news. I got some valuable insight. But that's another post for another day...or week. Stay tuned.

Poetry. Another seed worth planting.

Sorry to be a day late for Poetry Friday. This may be my new normal moving forward. Sylvia has the Poetry Friday Roundup at Poetry for Children. 

(If you've had trouble with your comments disappearing from our blog, I think it's because the site takes a LONG time to load. That's what happens when you have 15 years worth of content (happy belated blog anniversary to A Year of Reading)! Here's the hack: stop the page from loading before you type/submit your comment.)

You Can't Be Neutral

Yesterday, I couldn't get anything accomplished. I spent the day horrified and angry by the events of the day.

Just weeks after two men were arrested for killing Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd was killed by police officers in Minneapolis.

And then Amy Cooper.  I watched the video of Amy Cooper calling 9-1-1 and then read Ibram X. Kendi's words on Twitter.

And, I have been thinking about the words and Ibram X. Kendi's response to Amy Cooper's apology.

And then I read this important piece by Ibram X. Kendi's in The Atlantic, 

"Who Gets to Be Afraid in America?"

"You can either be racist or you can be antiracist. 

You can't be neutral."

As a white woman, I have learned that much of being anti-racist has to start with a commitment to do a lot of internal work. I am grateful for the many people writing and sharing and having honest conversations with me,  so that I can begin the internal work needed to be anti-racist.

For me, reading and reflecting has been important for starting this internal work.  A few years ago I started a Padlet where I collected articles and posts that were important--that helped me reflect and begin to unlearn.

But it's the books, the deep dives into the issues of race, white fragility and racism that have been most powerful for me. This is a lifelong journey and these books have helped me begin. I've shared these books over and over and over in workshops and professional meetings.

These books are not easy reads. They are books that pushed me to reflect and realize and unlearn. These are the books that have been important to me so far and I highly recommend each one.  And I highly recommend following each of these authors on social media and then following people whose work they cite and share. And when you finish with these. find more to read and study and unlearn all of the racist ideas you may have.

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell

We Want to Do More Than Survive by Bettina Love

My first step in this anti-racist work is to do my own internal work and these books have been helpful so far.  I've read them and I've also bought them for people I know. But this is only the first step.
As I mentioned early, this is a lifelong journey. So much catching up to do in this work. So I have a summer stack started.  I have found that audiobooks are a great way to experience some of these books. I have also found that I can't read these books cover to cover--I need time as I read to process, reflect and reread.  These are not quick reads.  I have found that every book and author I find leads me to another. So, on my stack this summer I have:

(finish) How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (I've started the on audio but need to spend more time with it each day so that I can finish it.)

An Indigenous People's History of the United States for Young People by Jean Mendoza, Debbie Reese and Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (I've started this one but need to finish and reread more deeply.)

Me and White Supremecy by Layla F. Saad

Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall

Lifting as We Climb by Evette Dionne

Dark Sky Rising by Henry Louis Gates Jr.

I can't think about yesterday's news without connecting these two events and without doing something. I know reading is not enough but it has been an important step for me and one I hope more people take.

Room on our Rock

Room on our Rock
by Kate and Jol Temple
illustrated by Terri Rose Baynton
Kane Miller Books, 2019

This picture book is a reverso, but a story, not a poem. Read it front to back and feel your heart sink. Then read it back to front and feel your heart soar.

Read from the front, one group of seals refuses to let another group onto their rock. Read the other direction, the first group of seals would never turn another group away.

You can see the implications for classroom discussions about current events/immigration policies and about point of view -- the book's subtitle is "There are two sides to every story."

This is an amazing book. I watched a friend read it today. The look on her face when the magic was revealed was priceless. I can't wait for you to read it, too.

A note from the publisher about purchasing this (or any other Kane Miller or Usborne books):

In 2012. our CEO/Company President made the decision that, in order to support independent booksellers and local communities, we would cease the sale of either Kane Miller or Usborne titles to Amazon. Now any of our titles sold on the site are through third-party vendors, charging whatever they wish. 

Our books are available to order from independent bookstores, including Barnes & Nobles and Indiebound. In addition, consumers/educators/schools/libraries may order through any of the 35,000+ nationwide independent sales consultants of our direct sales decision, Usborne Books & More or online at usbornebooksandmore.com. I’m happy to say that sales of our titles have increased dramatically in the years since this decision was made.

Found Poem

Unsplash photo by Andy Mai

These Days (a found poem)

These days, far too many whom we have admired

have proven to be bad.

We are all complicated individuals... 

If I were to dismiss every piece of art

because of something in the artist's life that is/was inexcusable,

then,
I fear,

art would not be something I could partake in.

If I don't know the inexcusable now,

I may find out about it later.

I think this discussion needs to be continued.

It has my head spinning.

We are all complicated individuals... 

Yes, we can mourn and miss the good

that coexists with bad
inside a complicated person.

I think it is important to acknowledge and recognize both

even though it is hard to do.

We are all complicated individuals... 

Quite often,

is it not the case,

the real art comes from the troubled places in us?

And sometimes from the troubled among us,

who are blown about by unseemly urges,

who feel so out of the ordinary stream

that they lose sight of the channeling banks?

We need not excuse the wrong-doing to be touched by the art.

We are all complicated individuals... 

I don't know that to do with the bad and good,

except love people for who they are.

Help them achieve better than they did before.

We can't cut people out of the herd and consider our jobs done.

If trees fall, we make furniture.

When a forest burns, new seeds take root.

When our idols fall,

perhaps they will rise again

as mere people.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

This is a poem I found in the comments on last week's Poetry Friday post. I created it in appreciation for your thoughtful responses to my lament about the loss of the Writer's Almanac. They were just to good to leave in the comment boxes!

(Thanks, also, for all of the writing encouragement!)

Liz has today's Poetry Friday Roundup at Elizabeth Steinglass.

What Will I Do?

Like many teachers across the country, I am struggling to figure out what I can do in my classroom that will lay one small part of the foundation of the nation we want to become -- a nation united by our wealth of differences, rather than continuously divided into groups who spend all their energy on the problem, rather than on finding solutions.

This week, I interacted with children for the first time since school ended in June. The free summer lunch program that's hosted at my school brings together a beautiful mix of children. One boy who is taking part has known behavior issues, and he gave me a chance to practice and model social justice, one small incident at a time. For the sake of this post, I'll call this little guy Joey. Here are three small ways I can have a positive impact in my classroom and in the world around me.


1. LESS FOCUS ON THE PROBLEM, MORE FOCUS ON THE SOLUTION
I was just finishing up with the lunch count when Joey came out of the gym and complained that a boy had thrown a ball at his face. On purpose. Rather than focusing on the problem, I asked Joey what he had done in retaliation (nothing) and praised him for his peaceful solution -- for walking away and coming to get help. We talked about what he would like to do next -- Did he feel safe returning to the gym? Could he play in the gym without coming into contact with this other child? We walked to the gym and saw that he could join the group playing HORSE at the basketball hoop, or he could go into the opposite corner and work on his soccer skills. I left him with a soccer ball and a plan. Hopefully, by valuing his solution over the problem (which, knowing Joey, may or may not have occurred), he has learned that he can get positive attention for making good choices. By the time we identify a problem, it's already in the past. Our reaction to the problem is in the present, and our solution represents future thinking. Let's spend less time admiring problems, and more time on creative and positive solutions.


2. BE PEACE MAKERS AND ROLE MODELS
At lunch, Joey came and told me that other boys were calling him gay. We walked over to his table and I saw that one of our teen volunteers was talking to the other boys about the need to apologize. As soon as we got to the table, voices went up several decibels and fingers were aggressively pointed across the table on both sides. I sat down between the two parties half in and half out of the lunch table bench with my back to Joey, and I framed the situation this way for the older boys, "I can tell that Joey really believes that you called him names. And I am hearing you say that you did not call him names. I don't expect you to apologize for something you didn't do or say, but something happened here to upset Joey, and you have a choice now. You can be a trouble maker or you can be a peace maker. To be a peace maker, you might say something like this: 'I'm sorry you think I said hurtful things. I did not say those things, and I am not the kind of person who would ever say those things. But I can see you're upset and I'm sorry for that.' If you believe in your heart that those are true words, you might try being a peace maker and say them to Joey." The older boy used my words, and then I turned to Joey and said, "Now, I don't expect you to say, 'That's okay,' because your feelings were hurt and that might not be true. But if you wanted to practice being a peace maker, too, you might say, 'Thank you for your apology.' " Joey couldn't quite say those words out loud, but his lips moved and I thanked him for trying on the role of peace maker.

Learning to be a peace maker takes time and practice. It takes role models who are willing to deescalate situations by communicating their own truths and listening to the truths of others with compassion.


3. WHAT'S ON THE INSIDE IS THE IMPORTANT PART
Eventually, the older boys left and it was just me, Joey, and the teen volunteer. Out of the blue, Joey asked, "Why is that boy over there wearing a pink tutu? That's a boy! I know it is! Why is he wearing a skirt?" I looked at Joey and said, "What difference does it make? That's just what's on the outside. Isn't what's on the inside of a person way more important?" And the teen volunteer chimed in, "Yeah! This is 2016 after all!!" She and I agreed that Jaden Smith (son of actor Will Smith) ROCKS the whole "wear whatever makes you happy" thing. Joey wasn't able to get reaction of outrage from the teen and I. Instead we showed him how to accept what we see on the outside of a person and value what's on the inside.


EYE CONTACT AND SMILES
One other thing I am doing in my everyday life is to share eye contact and a smile with everyone I meet -- parents dropping their kids off for summer lunch, folks on the sidewalk at the farmers' market, exercisers walking on the path in the park, and workers cleaning the restrooms in the health club or bagging my groceries. It is my hope that this one small gesture communicates that the other person has been seen and valued, and begins to build a web of human connections one smile at a time.

What Can We Do?

The events of the past several weeks have been heartbreaking and overwhelming. My social media feeds are filled with posts and readings and messages hoping for change.  It is easy to become overwhelmed and paralyzed but I think many of us feel like we have to act in some way.  When I read this piece on victim Philander Castile, I was struck by the impact his death will have on hundreds of young children.  After the Orlando shootings I became more aware of the bullying and suicide rates of our LGBT students.  Our kids deserve better.  So I have been thinking about how I will act, what my role can be in changing things that are unjust.  This is what I have come up with so far.

I Will Study

I think something I've been committed to over the last year has been to truly study and learn all I can about these issues.  I have realized it takes time because so much of this is unlearning what we thought we knew.  I am finding that I need to read widely and often. That there is so much to understand about all of these issues and I am embarrassingly uneducated in many of them.  I don't have to agree with or understand everything I read but I have to expand what I read and be open to changing my thinking. I can no longer ignore the things that go against my current understanding and read only the things that match my current understanding of what it means to be white/black in America.  So committing to learning and being open about what is true is critical.

If I believe in justice, I believe in justice for everybody. Which means I have to expand my knowledge  in many areas.  Following the Orlando shootings, I did a great deal of reading trying to understand the challenges faced by our LGBT communities--challenges I was previously less aware of than I could have been.  The focus this week has been on race and police brutality and in some circles there has been a line drawn that this is an either/or conversation. I don't see it that way.  This week has helped me realize that as a white woman,  I have a lot learn about race and discrimination.  So, I have read a great deal over the last few days and I am thankful for friends and colleagues who are sharing things they feel are important to read.  Some things that have helped me to understand the issues and to relearn some things I thought to be true are (in no particular order):

The Future of Race in America by Michelle Alexander at TEDx Columbus

From Park Bench to Lab Bench: What Kind of Future Are We Designing Tedx by Ruha Benjamin

From White Guilt to White Responsibility by Hanah Adair Bonner

The Problem With Saying "All Lives Matter" : There's a Difference Between True an Helpful by Tyler Huckabee

Advice for White Folks in the Wake of the Police Murder of a Black Person by Justin C. Cohen

Deafening Silence: White Silence and Alton Sterling by Ryan Williams-Varden

Austin Police Chief Speaks

How to Raise a Black Son in America by Clint Smith at TED2015

Mothering White Sons to Know #BlackLivesMatter : Our Silence is Continued Violence by Alyssa Hadley Dunn

Marley Dias talks about Institutional Racism from NEA

Test Yourself to Hidden Bias at Teaching Tolerance

11 Common Ways White Folks Avoid Taking Responsibility for Racism in the US by Robin DiAngelo

I Will Learn More About What I Can Do As an Educator

As the mother of a Hispanic daughter, I have read a lot in the past decade about discrimination, race, multiracial families, identity, etc.  This understanding, of course, impacts my role as an educator. But I want to commit to thinking more about the specifics of how I can act to help create change in my role.

My friend Patty stated on Facebook, "Do I know what MY action will be? No. Not yet. But I do know that action speaks louder and clearer than words." I agree with Patty and I know that reading and sharing information alone will not create change. So I need to think about my role in all of this as a teacher and as a human being. These are things that have been shared and I've read this week to help me begin to think about this.

But What Can I Do? Recognizing Our Role in Systematic Racism by David Kirland

Not Just Us? Using Classrooms to Get (White) People to Talk About Race by David Kirkland

For White Teachers in a Time of #BlackLivesMatter by Chris Lehmann

We, White Teachers of Mostly White Students, We Have a Lot of Work to Do at Crawling Out of the Classroom

I Will Commit to Ongoing Reflection and to 

Being a Strong Voice For Justice

So what can I do?  I have been thinking about the first steps in my action plan.  And even though I have been committed to diversity and justice for as long as I can remember, I know I can do more.  So here are a few things I plan to DO.

1. Know the Work of Organizations Who Have Made This Their Mission

The Early Childhood Assembly of NCTE has strong resources on social justice and anti-bias teaching.  Spending a huge chunk of time on their site has been extremely helpful to me.  If you have not read the organization's Response to the Orlando Shootings and the Anniversary of the Mother Emmanual Church Murders, it is a must read. It is filled with a call to action as well as many resources for teachers.

We Need Diverse Books is a movement whose work I follow closely and learn from. 

I have been more focused on auditing our classroom library as well as the books I share with students.  This year I realized that I needed to read a bigger diversity of books and I needed to be intentional about sharing a larger variety of books with students. I realize I am limited in my own reading and am working to expand that in terms of the authors I read and the issues I read about (both fiction and nonfiction).  This will be an ongoing process for me.

Teaching Tolerance is a site I have been getting to know better. It is filled with resources for teacher understanding and for the classroom.

These are the sites I have spent the most time on but there are professional books and other sites that I know I need to get to.

2. Audit my Own Language with Students and Colleagues

When I read Choice Words by Peter Johnston years ago, it helped me understand the power of my language with children.  I have reread and revisited this book every year since, often with a particular focus. One year I paid close attention to my language with my 2 most struggling students. I was shocked to realize that I often fell back on non-empowering language with them. Auditing my own lagnague as it relates to bias, stereotypes, expectations, and identity is a commitment I have made to myself as I go into a new school year.

3. Be Aware of All Assumptions I Make About Children, Families, Colleagues and Communities

We all make assumptions, whether positive or negative.  Being aware of the assumptions I make and how that impacts my relationships and teaching is another thing I am committed to. I want to be open to an awareness of my own biases in and out of the classroom.  I think there is language embedded in any community that is based on assumptions and I want to be aware of that language so I can work to change it.

4. Resist the Temptation to Get Defensive

The more I read, the more I understand that we all have biases. Getting defensive when challenged in conversations never helps move the conversation forward.  Conversations around race are often filled with emotion and it is easy to get defensive. When our own biases are brought to light or our beliefs are questioned, conversations can become difficult.  Resisting that temptation will help me to grow in my own understandings and also help us expand and move the conversation.

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An Important Conversation Around Censorship

"We don’t serve only our own children. We don’t serve the children of 1950. We don’t serve the children of some imaginary land where they are protected from the headlines. We serve real children in the real world. "  

                                                         Kate Mesner

There is an important conversation around censorship going on in the Children's Literature community. If you haven't followed it, it is definitely a conversation we all need to be part of and one that needs to continue.

Phil Bildner, author of many books including A Whole New Ball Game and Marvelous Cornelius was uninvited to a school district where he's been speaking since 2007.  This article at CBLFD states that last year during his visits as Bildner was recommending books to his audience, he included George in his book talks. During the second half of his visit he was asked not to mention the book and he was accompanied by an administrator for that part of his visit.  The Intellectual Freedom Blog of ALA had a follow-up post along with some information from the Assistant Director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Later the same week, Kate Messner's book Seventh Wish was released. This is a middle grade novel about Charlie, a twelve-year old whose older sister has a drug addiction.  Kate was also uninvited to a scheduled school visit. This was due to the content of her book.   Another article about the issue is here. 

There has been a huge follow-up conversation on social media and one that we all need to be aware of. 

Speak Loudly and Speak Loudly are two important posts on the topic by Teri Lesesne

Kate Messner has two follow-up posts here and here that are worth reading.  Kate Messner is a pro at writing about hard issues in a way that makes sense for middle grade readers.  I am so thankful we have authors like Kate who have somehow figured out how to write perfectly for this age level.  

Pernille Ripp has a must-read here.

Katherine Sokolowski has a follow-up post on censorship here.

There is a lot to work through in this conversation and I am glad that it is happening. I think our biggest job as teachers and librarians is to read widely.  To know the books written for all students.  And to have to have these conversations globally and locally.  

The Conversation Around A Birthday Cake for George Washington

Recently, I wrote about the controversy over the book A Fine Dessert. There was a lot to think about if you followed the conversation, and as teachers and librarians, I think it is imperative that we are not only readers of children's literature.  I feel like it's also important that we are aware of the books we are reading and the issues surrounding them.

This month, Scholastic published a book called A Birthday Cake for George Washington.  Shortly after it was published, Scholastic released a statement stating that it was decided that they would be pulling it from distribution.

This was a pretty unprecedented move, but the controversy surrounding A Birthday Cake for George Washington, regardless of Scholastic's decision to pull the book, addresses the important issues about the way slavery is portrayed in children's books as well as important issues that deal with diversity in children's books.

Below are the posts I found to be worthwhile reads over the past few weeks.

January 4
Smiling Slaves in a post Fine Dessert World, Kirkus

January 6
Andrea Pinkney wrote about the book before it was released in the post, A Proud Slice of History.

January 6
And Debbie Reese addressed the issues in the book before it's release in her post, What Will They Say?

On January 15 Scholastic responded to the feedback it was getting about the book.

On the same day, January 15 Teaching for Change posted a review, Not Recommended: A Birthday Cake for George Washington

On January 16, Children's Book Causes a Stir for Inaccurate Depiction of Slavery.

And on January 17 the issue was discussed on ABC News.

January 17
Recalled

January 18
Amid Controversy Scholastic Pulls Book About Washington's Slave.

January 18
Smiling Slaves at Storytime

January 18

Hornbook: A Bumpy Ride (This one is an interesting read and the comments are also worth the read, whether you agree with them or not.)

January 19

Megan at Reading While White: No Text is Sacred

A post from the author of George Washington's Birthday Cake updated on January 19

On January 20, award-winning author,  Kimberly Brubaker Bradley weighed in on the discussion.

On January 22, the National Coalition Against Censorship issued a statement about Scholastic's decision.

On January 22, Free Speech Groups Defend A Birthday Cake for George Washington

On January 23, Daniel Jose Older tweeted his response to the statements made relating to censorship. These are collected in a Storify: On Censorship and Slavery.

This has all given me a great deal to think about.  Two other pieces that I have revisited but that are not directly related to the Birthday Cake for George Washington issue are:

This amazing TED talk, The Danger of a Single Story

And this response to the reaction to the  diversity in this year's award books. January 17, Not Mutually Exclusive

Lots to think about and lots of change that needs to happen.