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I LOVE my job
Oh, god, I love my job. I mean, administering an endless stream of CELDT tests is daunting and horrid, but... but the teaching is fucking so FUN. These were the kids I wanted to teach when I moved to Oakland, even though my seven year sojourn in West Oakland, teaching the grandchildren of Panthers was wonderful in lots of ways. Painful and awful in lots of other ways, though not many of those had to do with the students.
But... but... we're looking at and making poetry right now, as I sort out what their reading levels are and all, and journalling. They journal first thing when they come into class, and I learn all sorts of fascinating things from what they write. I've always liked that as an assignment, for that reason. Some students find it a new way of handling their emotions and what's preoccupying them. Some just write to get it over with, and it still has good effects in that case.
This morning and afternoon, though, I had promised them I would bring in some music. I've already sung various songs for them, because I'll basically do anything in a class if I think it relates. Anything. So. I played them the Coup's Wear Clean Draws just because I like it. There's no real poetic lesson in The Coup, or at least in that song. But I wanted them to hear it.
And then I played Leon Gieco's Solo le pido a Dios. The morning class was underwhelmed. They have higher English fluency and many of them were born here. It didn't speak to them, and they weren't aware that it might have, to their parents. In the afternoon class, at least four kids were singing along (with me). Two others asked who sang it* and were clearly affected by it. It's a beautiful song. I wish I could link to it. It also illustrates repetition of both phrases and ideas, so it's good for talking about poetic forms. Here are some of the words:
*Leon Gieco is an Argentine pop folk artist who wrote and sang against the dictatorship. He has links to the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, the mothers' activist organization around the disappeared.
But... but... we're looking at and making poetry right now, as I sort out what their reading levels are and all, and journalling. They journal first thing when they come into class, and I learn all sorts of fascinating things from what they write. I've always liked that as an assignment, for that reason. Some students find it a new way of handling their emotions and what's preoccupying them. Some just write to get it over with, and it still has good effects in that case.
This morning and afternoon, though, I had promised them I would bring in some music. I've already sung various songs for them, because I'll basically do anything in a class if I think it relates. Anything. So. I played them the Coup's Wear Clean Draws just because I like it. There's no real poetic lesson in The Coup, or at least in that song. But I wanted them to hear it.
And then I played Leon Gieco's Solo le pido a Dios. The morning class was underwhelmed. They have higher English fluency and many of them were born here. It didn't speak to them, and they weren't aware that it might have, to their parents. In the afternoon class, at least four kids were singing along (with me). Two others asked who sang it* and were clearly affected by it. It's a beautiful song. I wish I could link to it. It also illustrates repetition of both phrases and ideas, so it's good for talking about poetic forms. Here are some of the words:
Solo le pido a Dios
Que el dolor no me sea indiferente
Que la reseca muerte no me encuentre
vacia y solo sin haber hecho lo suficiente
Solo le pido a Dios
Que el injusto no me sea indiferente
Que no me ofrecer la otra mejilla
despues de que una garra me arana esta suerte
Solo le pido a Dios
Que la guerra no me sea indiferente
Es un monstruo grande y pisa fuerte
Toda la pobre inocencia de la gente
Es un monstruo grande y pisa fuerte
Toda la pobre inocencia de la gente
*Leon Gieco is an Argentine pop folk artist who wrote and sang against the dictatorship. He has links to the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, the mothers' activist organization around the disappeared.
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I should check out Leon Gieco. I've never heard of him.
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My parents were part of the hippie/music scene in Buenos Aires so they were friends with basically all the important Argentinean musicians from the 70s. Leon even wrote a song about my Dad's home town Vedia (it's called something like "the old man sitting on the bench").
I love Solo Le Pido A Dios. Have you heard the version he sings with Mercedes Sosa? That one is truly amazing. I'm glad you shared it with your class! I'm sure he'd be excited to hear that.
Heh, sorry to go on, I just got excited that someone actually knows who he is!
Oh, and by the by, it's Plaza de Mayo as in May instead of Maya. :)
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Wow, how exciting! If you get a chance, tell him that there are American classes singing his songs. Honestly, that made me so damn happy today. I'm listening to 7 Años right now, in fact.