Langston Hughes

A couple weeks ago, I started to teach Makayla and Mason how to count to 10 in spanish.  

They mastered it quickly.

Here they are counting to TEN in SPANISH.

This week, I decided I'm going to teach them a poem - a poem that I learned in 5th grade.

5th grade was one of my favorite grades in school, thanks to my teacher, Mr. Hackett...and it was probably one of the most memorable years.

A few of my most memorable moments of 5th grade include: 

I learned the verbs of being,

learned all of the states and capitols,

didn't watch television (not once) for 3 months,

served the students jars of baby food as their snack for a holiday party (they loved me...not),

and recited a poem (or two) in various classrooms.

Bits and pieces of one of the poems I learned has stuck with me throughout the years -

"Mother to Son" 

by Langston Hughes

Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor - 

Bare.
But all the time,

I'se been a-climbin' on,

And reachin' landin's,

And turnin' corners,

And sometimes goin' in the dark

Where there ain't been no light.

So, boy, don't you turn back.

Don't you set down on the steps.

'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.

Don't you fall now -

For I'se still goin', honey,

I'se still climbin',

And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

This is the poem that I decided I'm going to work on with the kids.
Silly, I know, but it gives us something to do - something to work on - something to talk about.

So...when I first introduced it tonight, Makayla was mesmerized with my skill in sounding like an African American mother.  She looked at me, confused, and asked me why I was talking like a black person.
I couldn't help but smile.  I was pretty proud that I was pulling off the African American vernacular so well that Makayla could pick up on it!

I recited the poem a few more times before the kids started joining in with me.

Makayla likes to try to repeat parts of it by herself, but gets super confused and begins throwing the word "black" in there a lot.

Mason will always says "Weeeeeeeeell, SON, I'll tell ya!"...then he says "Mom, I can't sing this song."

Oooooh, 

we'll see how far we get with this project. 

 Maybe we can succeed with a 3 year-old and 5 year-old version of "Mother to Son"...but if not, it's okay.  I'll find something else for us to work on!