I will always remember my grandmother’s seventy-fifth birthday. My mom and I were busy with last minute preparations before the rest of my dad’s family arrived when we heard music coming from the living room. Who was playing the piano? Since I was the only one in my family who played the piano, my mom and I exchanged puzzled looks and cautiously approached the living room door. I recognized the familiar form of my grandmother, but at that moment I realized she was a stranger. I had no idea my grandmother played the piano. And I was not alone—neither my dad nor his siblings knew until that day that my grandmother had taken piano lessons throughout her childhood. I thought my grandmother was from a very poor family. Surely they could not have afforded piano lessons? I remember wondering, “What’s the rest of Grandma’s story?” and deciding that I must know.
Perry referenced Salman Rushdie’s (2005) argument that becoming part of the family involves learning the family’s stories just as becoming part of a community necessitates learning the stories of that group (p. 323). I was not just shocked that my grandmother played the piano, I felt left out because I did not KNOW my grandmother’s story. I did not really know MY story. As we have discussed the importance of bringing children to voice and valuing their cultures, I have begun to realize that our children will not have anything to voice or value if they do not know their own stories. One of the most personally fulfilling assignments I have completed in graduate school was to write my own version of George Ella Lyon’s poem Where I’m From. As I evaluated why I found that assignment so gratifying, I concluded it was the empowerment I received from putting my life into words. I told my story. Perry states, “Because it reflects culture and shapes identity, storytelling embodies a powerful form of sense-making.” (p. 323). Our ability to be entertained by much more complex means than storytelling may have robbed us not just of creativity but of our ability to make sense of ourselves and the world in which we live.
On May 29, 2009, my grandmother will celebrate her 100th birthday. The song she played twenty-five years ago truly became a prelude to an interesting journey as I have learned my grandmother's story. She was not from a poor family. But she did, according to her parents, make the critical mistake of marrying "beneath" her. I began to make sense of this complex woman who never discussed her feelings or her past--the one who gave birth to thirteen children and washed diapers on a washboard for more than twenty-two consecutive years. Just as hers has not always been a fairy tale, the stories of my students will take many twists and turns. I want to look for authentic ways to allow my students the opportunity to tell their stories. I want them to see the value in passing on their own cultures. I want them to know that each has a story to tell.
Lisa Rasey
Comments (12)
I think your story is so true for so many of us. We no longer know the story of our ancestors the way we should and as we get older we finally desire to know. Oral storytelling was not something that I remember from my childhood. It wasn't until I was adult and I started asking questions that I learned about the life my great-grandmother and grandmother lived. It was extremely interesting to me. I have recently started working with my mom to research our ancestors to work creating something that we will be able to pass down to my children.
As for students in our class I think that some children, especially minorities, would be able to lead the way of using oral storytelling in our classroom. As for the kids that don't know their families stories and heritage we can use opportunities in class, like you did in your graduate class, to not only teach about storytelling but by giving our kids an opportunity to learn their story.
Posted by Amy Spade | March 21, 2009 10:59 AM
Posted on March 21, 2009 10:59
WOW! Thank you for your blog! Your words really touched me! I so often look at people and just wonder what their story is. When I have a child act out in my room in an unacceptable manner, I think there is a root to this. I think it is connected to the part of their story that occurs when they leave my classroom. Everyone has a story, everyone yearns to be connected to a community. I was impacted by Rushdie's words as well in this article. So, as we attempt to build community in our rooms, it is important to allow for the telling of our student's stories to build a community of learners. Perhaps we tell stories through words in our journals, or maybe it is a special time each day or within the week set aside for "open mike" time to share what operates so deeply inside of us. I am still brainstorming the "how" to express it, I am deeply sure the need to express it exists.
Stefoni Shaw
Posted by stefoni shaw | March 22, 2009 3:28 PM
Posted on March 22, 2009 15:28
I agree that in order for a child to truly know themselves, they have to know their stories. Since I began teaching, I have noticed that minorities, especially, often want to "blend in," and disregard certain aspects of their culture. For example, several of my hispanic students try to pretend that they don't speak Spanish, or some even deny that they are Hispanic. This is really hard for me to hear, but I think that if they knew the history of their families, they would be more appreciative of their identities.
Posted by Heather Coe | March 22, 2009 8:06 PM
Posted on March 22, 2009 20:06
There is power in both the telling and the hearing of stories. Telling our story helps us understand ourselves. Something happens when we express our thoughts and experiences in words. It's therapuetic.
Hearing the stories of others also brings a new understanding. I know that I have developed a deeper appreciation for people from different backgrounds as a result of our readings for this class.
It's important for us to give our students those same opportunities for understanding themselves and others.
Posted by Jayne Thompson | March 23, 2009 9:36 AM
Posted on March 23, 2009 09:36
I loved your story! We all have a story to tell, whether it be fictional or real. Now that I think about it, my favorite authors are those who pull me in with their storytelling abilities. I think it's human nature that we all enjoy hearing stories. As children, we gather around the feet of adults who read to us. We become entranced with the life stories of fascinating people whether it be through film or books. Stories can be in different forms, but the pull of human nature to hear stories will always be there, I think.
Posted by Christy Rivers | March 23, 2009 10:05 AM
Posted on March 23, 2009 10:05
Your post really reminded me to sometimes consider "Where I'm From" and even where my students are from. It is definitely true that to be able to fully know yourself and thus others, you must realize where you came from and embrace it.
Many times I have found myself torn and confused about my own background. A simple example is in my own birth and upbringing in the southern United States. I sometimes get upset at the portrayal of Southerners on television, whether on the news or in a movie. However, I love to watch the movie Sweet Home Alabama and always hope she will stay in Alabama with her childhood sweetheart and eat "something fried," as the movie says.
No matter how you feel about "where you're from," you must figure out where it is and how it impacts who you are as a person.
Posted by Brittany Guy | March 23, 2009 9:05 PM
Posted on March 23, 2009 21:05
Your post really reminded me to sometimes consider "Where I'm From" and even where my students are from. It is definitely true that to be able to fully know yourself and thus others, you must realize where you came from and embrace it.
Many times I have found myself torn and confused about my own background. A simple example is in my own birth and upbringing in the southern United States. I sometimes get upset at the portrayal of Southerners on television, whether on the news or in a movie. However, I love to watch the movie Sweet Home Alabama and always hope she will stay in Alabama with her childhood sweetheart and eat "something fried," as the movie says.
No matter how you feel about "where you're from," you must figure out where it is and how it impacts who you are as a person.
Posted by Brittany Guy | March 23, 2009 9:07 PM
Posted on March 23, 2009 21:07
Lisa,
I enjoyed reading about you and grandmother. There have been only a few times that my grandfather has shared his life experiences with the family. But I remember each story word for word. It not only gave me a glimpse of who he truly is, but it let me know where I have from. Defining who we are and what we come from is so important. It's not only important to us, but it is to our students. Our students need to know their backgrounds to better understand who they are. Letting them voice this in their writing and story telling is so important. Thank you for sharing your story.
Posted by Sarah Feinman | March 23, 2009 10:12 PM
Posted on March 23, 2009 22:12
Lisa,
You would have loved my NCCAT seminar! We spent an entire week telling stories like yours, personal experiences from our own lives. That week I spent many hours on my cell phone talking to my grandmother so she could fill in the holes for the stories that I had bits and pieces of. I learned more about my family that week than I knew about them all my life. I use to have the mentality that my life was "not story worthy", but I now know that this is not true. Every life is "story worthy" we just have to find the right words with which to tell it. My story is worth telling and I plan to share it with all who will listen. My students need to hear my story so that they can see that they too have a story that needs to be shared.
Posted by Anonymous | March 23, 2009 10:17 PM
Posted on March 23, 2009 22:17
The above comment belongs to me: Cherrita Hayden-McMillan
Posted by Cherrita Hayden-McMillan | March 23, 2009 10:18 PM
Posted on March 23, 2009 22:18
The above comment belongs to me: Cherrita Hayden-McMillan
Posted by Cherrita Hayden-McMillan | March 23, 2009 10:18 PM
Posted on March 23, 2009 22:18
I liked how you used a story yourself to make sense of the reading and the use of storytelling in educational spaces. I am familiar with the poem exercise and you know what --- over the years I have added and added to my Where I'm From poem! It's almost as if I remember one story each time I tell another. I love the cyclical nature of stories and memories!
Posted by Alecia Jackson | March 25, 2009 7:52 PM
Posted on March 25, 2009 19:52