Category Archives: Children Story

Pocahontas

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This year my social studies class is a combined class. The fourth grade and fifth grade students learn side by side.

I follow the fifth grade curriculum.

Today, we are going to watch a movie I said to all the students. Immediately a celebration took course.

Yayyy!!!

They smiled at one another while I waited for them to settle down.

They were so excited. No doubt their thrills were heard down the hallway and out the front door.

Class, do you ever watch movies with Ms. Hurley?

Noooo!!!

They were still exited.

So will this be for pure entertainment?

Very few answered. They were t sure what to expect next.

We will take notes and analyze the pictures. This is called, Art and Race Relations. In Stamped from the Beginning, their reading companion, they read about the corruption of Disney movies. There was no better time to watch Pocahontas.

The movie started and there were times I had to ask them not to talk during the ‘boring parts’ – and then there were times they went absolute silent – during the romantic parts (that’s how I know they are growing up!!).

Every-time I asked them about the voice of the character, to explain the if the dialogue or art was racist or anti- racist- they were correct.

While I was watching it, I heard my close friend’s voice, if you are going to teach them about Pocahontas make sure to tell them the truth. He told me that last year when they were in the fourth grade reading Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson. That time, we got as far as analyzing the painting that hangs in the nation capitol entitled- Pocahontas Baptism. This year though, our curriculum gave us room to talk more about the Native American. None of them saw the Disney movie and were naturally happy to see it.

The movie ended and there was a common feeling in the room. No one was surprised about the love story or Pocahontas ending up with the White man and few of them questioned it.

Then, I played a video I found on the internet. It talked about the real meaning of Pocahontas and how it connects to Native people. It gave Pocahontas a different name and shared different images. Unlike my student’s jolly behavior during the movie, they were alert and inquisitive. They took notes and asked questions like- Ms. Hurley, is it okay to say sexually assaulted? What does molested mean? Why did Disney lie? What does genocide mean? What is a homicide? Then they answered their own questions: But Disney is for children and if they told the truth then it wouldn’t be a children’s movie anymore! If suicide means to kill yourself, then homicide means to kill other people.

The children had art next but none of them moved when the bell rang. They had more questions about the supreme court and how people were being charged. I asked them to write their feelings down then we spoke about them. We spoke about protecting ourselves and protecting others. The boys had an opportunity to talk about how they felt about girls getting hurt and the girls spoke about how to respect boys, understanding that anyone can hurt anyone.

The students who were known for being quiet were the most vocal when sharing stories they saw on the internet. Students who were known for bravery spoke about Pocahontas losing her agency and how scary that was for them. The lesson lasted until 10 minutes before lunch as oppose to a hour before lunch. I realized that while they were asking me questions, they were mostly interested in what each other thought and how each other felt in that moment. Realizing this made me talk less as the space was there for them to grow and give each other agency.

Anthropomorphic Characters

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Picture Walk

While reading A Wrinkle in Time, we meet all sorts of interesting characters from history and literature.

Along the way we meet the White Rabbit a fictional and anthropomorphic character in Lewis Carrol’s book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

When I explained the term anthropomorphic character to my students I understood that the characters are animals with human characteristics, however, they stumped me with the question- are monsters anthropomorphic?

Some sites say they are and others say they aren’t. I am not sure.

I think they should be. So I gave my students credit for animals and monsters.

Melody Loves to Explore

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This is Melody.

She is six years old.

She loves to make friends. Maybe she will be your friend one day.

She loves to have fun. Maybe she will have fun with you one day.

But most of all, she loves to explore. Do you like to explore?

One day, she went to the garden with her class. They planted tomatoes and radishes. While they planted, Meldoy went to explore.

She explored the bugs.

She explored the sunflowers.

Finally, she came across a dirt mound. She ran to the top and ran to the bottom. She ran to the top and ran to the bottom. She ran to the top and ran to the bottom.

She rolled around in it. She picked it up and examined it.

Finally, the teacher said it was time to go home.

Now, this is Melody. IMG-20160808-00053

Why do you think she looks worried?

Candies in Church

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When I was a little girl, the ushers would walk up and down the aisles looking for people sneaking candy in church. If caught in the act, children would be forced to spit it out immediately. That’s when and where learned how to eat  discretely. Not in class. In church.

I remember, all children would enter the sanctuary with mini brown paper bags filled with peppermints, Choward’s Violet Mints, mini gummy hamburgers, mini gummy pizzas, war heads,  tootsie rolls (only chocolate), sour gum, winter-fresh, and the list goes on. The girls would hide the bags in their purse and the boys would place it in their suit jackets.

In those days, you only needed a dollar or two to fill a brown paper bag. Offering money went to the man at the store across the street (we never said corner store because it wasn’t on a corner and we had to stress that it was across the street because only certain children were allowed to cross the street). If you were like my friend Angela who could not go across the street, then you went to Mother Woods who was the alternative. She ran her own candy store inside the temple. Which was where you got more for your money. She supplied everyone with candy for Sunday night service.

We ate so much candy, rules were created. Gum chewing was the greatest sin. Teens would chew gum and place it under the pew. Then, children would scratch the chewed gum off and place it in their mouths. If caught in this act, you were made into a laughing sport and everyone crossed their fingers and whispered cooties. This only lead to someone being escorted out of the service to be spanked.

There were also ways to pop candy into your mouth- act like you are coughing and then put the candy into your hand and place it in your mouth or bend down like the adults would do. And the instructions to how to eat a huge peppermint ball some still follow now.  Find someone with strong teeth (those days my strong person was Patrick ) and ask him to bite the mint. This rule was created because of kids choking on hard candies.

Finally, the demographics of the church changed and the new temple was built and just that fast, the store across the street went out of business.

I remember my last talk with the man across the street. I was now a teen and could go across the street anytime. He said to me, after your pastor died, not many people come anymore. Why?

I don’t remember my answer. But I remember a feeling of sadness being washed over me as I walked back into the temple.

A couple of years I stopped eating candy. This doesn’t stop people from offering or asking me for candy. Every Sunday after church, my purse has five more soft peppermints; which I save until Sunday night broadcast, for choir members who ask for candy.

 

A visit to Norfolk, Virginia

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When I was a little girl, my mom would send me along with my siblings to Virginia to spend time with her family. Those trips south ended too quickly and as an adult I have only a few memories.The memories are the ones my siblings and I spoke often about when we returned back home.

The most popular memory is of  my little sister telling my Grandma her spanking didn’t hurt. We were all stun when she spoke back after getting a spanking! And, we remember what happen afterwards, my Grandma got another switch from the tree outside. Somehow my sister became a hero of us all and we celebrated that story by reciting it to all who would listen. We didn’t care that she got another spanking, what mattered was, she was not afraid to talk back!

Another favorite character of our memories was The Eagle. For some reason, we were also obsessed with The Eagle. Our grandma would warn us not to wander far from her house (which was in the country) and told us of the bears and other scary animals which lurked behind the trees. We were most afraid of The Eagle that could come at anytime and swoop a child up from the ground.

One day her stories turned into a frightful event when she ran outside her house while we were all playing and told us to hurry back in. She could see The Eagle in the distance. We ran back inside and watched The Eagle land in her yard. We were all sitting on the couch looking out the window, our hearts beating fast. The only two not crying were my older sisters. But everyone was truly afraid.

When we arrived back in New York, our mom had a time telling us that The Eagle didn’t travel to the Bronx.

Then there’s memories that are very faint.

One of me stepping on my older cousin’s feet just to see him get mad and ask my grandma ‘What’s wrong with her? She keeps stepping on my feet!” But of course I don’t know which cousin it was? Andre, Raymond?

Then there’s one of my grandma telling us to come back inside. She had a swing set attached to a see-saw that was made out of metal. It was green and white and as a little girl, I thought it was very huge. Every morning after a hot breakfast, we would run outside to play.

I remember the clothes line and the wash machine at the back of  her little house. The clothes were always white and smelled of fresh lemon and grass. I would run back and forth between the white sheets until my grandma told me to stop.

I remember eating lunch and dinner. She would make mashed potatoes and ground beef with lima beans. That’s the only meal I could remember. I think it was my favorite.

And we always ate icys or ice cream for desert and snack. It was served to us at the diner table. The ice cream was always served in cheap, plastic bowls. The ones you’ll find at the dollar store. The icys were always on a stick. I remember us watching our grandma bite the icys without a care in the world. We didn’t know she could not feel the cold because of her false teeth.

Of course she took us to church services but I don’t remember much. So recently when my cousin drove me to the temple in Norfolk, I was certain it was my first time there until my aunt reminded me that I used to come to Norfolk as a child.

I did?

Yes. With your Grandma.

As she spoke, the memory of the layout of the church returned to me. I remember thinking how strange it was that all the pews in the sanctuary were not facing toward the pulpit, but some were on steps and placed against the walls. I remember running up those steps, thinking, a church with steps in the sanctuary is so cool!  I remember sitting with my older cousins, Shawn, Mona and Dina who had the best handbags filled with stuff to satisfy a little girl’s imagination. I remember being given money to go to the offering but then, that’s where the memory stops.

 

Mr. Greg at Crown Trophy

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I’ve been going to Crown Trophy for three years now.

Its a trip I enjoy taking (even though I wait till the last minute sometimes).

Every year I would rush to the shop to pick up  the spelling bee trophies and while there talk to the owner, Mr. Greg.

When I first went, I was surprised and impressed to see,  he was the owner. Like, I said many times before, most of the shops I go to are owned by Spanish employers.

While some may say it does not matter who own the businesses in your town,  I found out that the latter is not true. It matters a whole lot.

When a child see majority of his people owning restaurants, day cares, car washes, sign shops, party stores and so many corner stores that the phrase corner store is interchangeably used with bodega, then that child inwardly feels a sense of self pride (without much begin said).

Seeing Mr. Greg own the trophy shop helps me to puts this race thing into perceptive.

When I first met Mr. Greg, he spoke to me about his daughter who is a dancer in California. Like most proud fathers he boasted of her while telling me of her achievements and how the road raising her was not easy at all but she some how made it.

This time, he spoke about his daughter again but the focus was not so much on him as it was on her. His tone was more serious. This time he was not so much raving about her as he was sharing her testimony. I felt like while he was talking, he felt her hurt.

She’s grown now. I’ve watched her transform from Daddy’s little girl into a full grown women. She has matured in every way. She has learned that your hair has to be a certain texture and your skin a certain tone  for you to be fully accepted in the industry. While she was growing up, I provided the best way I could for her to be comfortable and go after what she wanted. I couldn’t explain all of that to her. When you are great at your craft and there are 30 other people in the room great at the same craft, how are you going to make them choose you?

When he was done talking about his daughter, I thought how beautiful it is when parents talk about their children! And if you are a good listener, you can tell that the conversations shifts as the parent and the child grows. The tone and diction the parents use changes as life changes for them.

Rice & Rocks by Sandra Richards

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.Today I brought all the books I bought at the book fair into the classroom.

Pick a book to read. I told them.

Something about a book begin new and signed by the authors made the children really excited.

Dominic looked at all the books and picked Rice and Rocks. He saw there quietly, reading and turning each page slowly.

When he was done, he looked up at me and said in a slow and emotional way,

Ms. Lilly, I really liked this book.

He sat there thinking and I didn’t interrupt. But now, I want to know what exactly he was thinking about. Maybe tomorrow I will ask him why he liked the book.

Pictured: The author of Rice and Rocks (Ms. Richards) posing with her book

 

Cousin Raymond

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When I saw my cousin Raymond in Virginia whom, I haven’t seen in years, we hugged really tight.

His little grand daughter was the cutest thing. She reminded me of an old student of mine, Kaylie, who would go around introducing herself by saying her name and her birthday.

“My name is Kaylie and my Birthday is January first!”

She did the same thing and had the same birthday. Because I knew how big of a deal it was to be born on the first day of the year, I gave her a piece of candy for having the best birthday in the world!