A few things that are true, for me as of today.
Yesterday we had a string quartet come and play at my school, which was scheduled after Academic English Language period. Due to after-lunch scheduling, the music class for intervention students (behaviorally-challenged) was cancelled. It turns out the instructor is also our technology manager, so they were preparing to record the afternoon visit. So, two students of mine (4th grade) came waltzing into A.E.D. ten minutes late for a 30 minute class. They normally would have attended intervention music- but alas their shenanigans began as soon as they came through the door, “I left my coat, can I go get it?!”
Two boys. Late. All to say they forgot something and would be even later.
Fine.
The A.E.D. period began with an introduction to a new organization strategy I would be using for the remainder of the year. It involved a notebook with organizational sheets. I was inspired by a one, Mitch Weathers who has put together a comprehensive system on the concept; originally designed for middle schoolers and above. I’m rolling out the system slowly, so we began with: a daily focus question (in relation to CA State Standard, 4RC2.3, 2.4) sheet, a pencil, a question, and 5 minutes to copy and answer the question. Academic engagement began in 3 minutes of class entry. Today, I expect to cut it to 2 minutes.
8 minutes later the boys came in- of course challenged the norm of quiet worktime and were lost as what to do. But as they sat with comrades who had been in attendance, heard the instructions, I observed if they might get with it with a few instructions of where to find materials. (I saw the red flags- but I was keen in observation mode of these two particular students) Needless to say, the late ones were less than successful in the learning outcome I had in mind: to become familiar with a new procedure, write and respond to a question in an appropriate format, and to have listened to a primary resource and write down one thing they did not understand about what they experienced in the primary resource recording and transcript.
Rich. 99.9% buy in and completion. Now this comes at the right time for a class I have primed all year to anticipate, recordings and reflections, but the new organization/management piece was fairly on point. The boys who were late had an opportunity to work with me in small group in the hallway with clipboards outside the auditorium while the quartet played on to the rest of the 3-5th grades. We were finished in 10 minutes. They totally got the nuances of Leadbelly’s interpretation and explanation of John Henry. And the new formatted form allowed for timely success of academic an academic record of their time.
This was but one 45 minute period of time in my day yesterday. True.
So much more to say, but the day was a thousand-and-one decisions long with tiny little victories all over the place.
From the West.
-teacher.
By the by, here’s a transcript of the primary resource we’re analyzing.
John Henry
as rendered by Huddie William ‘Leadbelly’ Leadbetter
Interview introduction (pre 1949) Transcribed by ‘teacher’.
“Now John Henry, was made up by the hardworkin’ man-folks. Don’t forget it. Anytime you see anybody singin’ John Henry, it’s a dance tune, if they play it right.”
“Well where did John Henry come from then.”
“Well John Henry come from Newport, News. Mr. Lomax and myself we drove all over ‘round where the spot where John Henry was born at. Well that’s the reason why they say that C & O road,...that road runs out to Newport, News to Cincinnati, Ohio. John Henry is the man drove steel, and he put down, he drove spikes around all the steel was laid from Newport, News to Cincinnati, Ohio. Now, that’s true. Ella Louise was a track liner. She come behind right John Henry. She lined the track wit’ eight men. She lined all that track. And when Ella Louise when out layin’ track, in come the train,oooozin on up to her, see. The whole thing come, the Rock Island Line, see come the brings in..”
“She kept a head of the train...”
“That’s right, what?”
“She kept ahead of the train.”
“Yeah, she was head of the train but they didn’t start the train ‘till she was nearly out, you know. Cause she had to be out before the train come. But anyhow, the train it, ooze along, the track was all right. Now this is John Henry. And it’s a dance tune. We danced to it down home. Now i’ma play it to ya.”
John Henry was a new born baby
sittin’ down on his mamma’s knee
down at de big bend see John on dat’ C & O road
it gonna cause the death of me lawd, lawd
it’s gonna cause the death of me
it gonna cause the death of me lawd, lawd
it’s gonna cause the death of me
John Henry, had two women
one was named Mary Magdalene
she would go out on da job and she would sing
to hear John Henry’s hammer swing lawd, lawd
to hear John Henry’s hammer ring.
to hear John Henry’s hammer ring lawd, lawd
to hear John Henry’s hammer ring.
John Henry had another lil’ woman
her name was Polly Ann
John Henry taken sic fore had to go to bed
Polly Ann drove steel like a man lawd, lawd,
Polly Ann drove steel like a man
Polly Ann drove steel like a man lawd, lawd,
Polly Ann drove steel like a man
“Ol John Henry died, he called Polly Ann to his bedside
He wasn’t thinkin’ ‘bout Mary Magdelene
And this is what he wanted Polly Ann to tell ‘em fore he died,”
baby, who’s gonna shoe your little feet?
tell me who’s gonna glove your hand
tell me who’s gonna kiss your sweet little lips
tell me who’s gonna be your man? lord, lord
tell me who’s gonna be your man?
tell me who’s gonna be your man? lord, lord
tell me who’s gonna be your man?
she tole ‘em:
“My papa’s gonna shoe my little feet.
My papa’s gonna glove my hand
My sister’s gonna kiss my sweet little lips, lord lord
you know I don’t need no man
you know I don’t need no man, lord lord
you know I don’t need no man
un hunh
then they taken John Henry to the White House
they buried him in this end
and every locomotive that comes up rolling by
sayin’ there lay that steel drivin’ man, lord lord
there lay that steel drivin’ man
there lay that steel drivin’ man, lord lord
there lay that steel drivin’ man
“That was John Henry, which was a dance tune.”
-Huddie William ‘Leadbelly’ Leadbetter
No comments:
Post a Comment