Saturday, March 22, 2008

we are the ship- slice of life day 20

In My Breakfast Platter Amy S writes a beautiful open letter to author/illustrator Kadir Nelson, sharing the powerful impact his latest book, We are the Ship, has on one of her at promise students (thanks TWT for sharing this term) whose reading has taken off despite his homelife challenges. The story in the letter is compelling. But what other response can come from this incredibly illustrated and magically crafted story about the Negro Leagues once that book gets into a kid's hands? It's so truthful. I felt this post went beyond the letter, though. It illustrated Amy S' professional acumen in her life's work, teaching. As I thought about her responsiveness to her student, I thought about 99% of the teachers (not scientifically calculated by the way) I know who have had experiences of the ilk she has had with her student. 99% of the teachers I know help their students think more, see more, feel more. 99% of the teachers I know have created environments where a student can trust an adult, feel respected, and grow. The general public may not think this, but Amy S' teaching is stereotypical of what is happening in many schools. In a way, teachers could be considered a ship too.
Hear more about Kadir Nelson and this book on npr.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I will check out the book and the NPR link. I wish I could agree on your 99 percentages. But I don't. And I am not going to argue with you because I wish it were that high. But I've been in too many classrooms and too many schools to agree. (big sigh)
Thanks for sharing
Kevin

Blink said...

Kevin-thanks for the reality check. Maybe I should qualify that 99% with "it's my experience in my present situation."

AMY T said...

wowsers! thank you so much for the wonderful compliments...

one thing i adore about web 2.0 is how easily I can connect with many other devoted teachers and have my reflections and struggles so lovingly embraced.

I went ahead and sent the letter to Kadir Nelson. I hope he enjoys it.

BK said...

I am so glad you are having such a powerful experience as a teacher. I have to agree with Kevin that I don't see that in the schools I've worked in or visited. I wish you were right, really. Thanks for all these great links. I will click on.
Bonnie

GirlGriot said...

I'll definitely be checking out the book and the link. Thanks for sharing this.
--Stacie