How many times did you hear Come and Sit on my lap I want to tell you a story growing up? I think that the art of story telling is so important to remember our history and Perry tells us that in her article. I can still remember the times when my grandma would tell me stories about how they escaped from Russia on the train during the wars and I was so intrigued. I could listen to those kinds of stories all the time.
That is the same for the Lost Boys. Growing up they learned about their history by story telling. They did not have the means to write down what they had so in order to remember it they would share with those younger of the same sex. Perry says, “I define storytelling as a sociocultural practice that may or may not involve print literacy in practices” that is exactly what the Sudanese did. When the Lost Boys came to the U.S. they were encouraged to write a paper about Sudan, Bok said, “It was my opportunity to educate the other students about a country they hadn’t heard of—even though it was the largest nation on the largest continent”. I think that this is so important because then they could be preserved for years to come once the Lost Boys have passed on. They could have chosen to forget their past and move on but they didn’t. They persevered and decided to take their story telling and put it onto paper. In the end Bok and Ezra’s stories were used to “attempt to pursued listeners/readers to act—either to modify the ineffective programs, or keep the Sudan off the U.N. Security Council”. If the Lost Boys had not been encouraged to write what they had this may never have happened.
I think that it is important for us as teachers to give our students the opportunity to think about and write about their memories. I try to give my students opportunities to write about what is important to them. I the beginning of the year my students have opportunities to share about what is important to them and then as the year goes on and their writing improves they are given many opportunities to write about those memories. These memories are so important to have because you never know when years down the road, just like the Lost Boys, they can use this memory to help change what happened in the past.
Natalie Enns
Comments (6)
Wow! I think you hit the nail on the head. My grandmother used to sit with me and tell me nursery rhymes and fairy tales with some made up parts. She also used to tell me about her parents and when she was young. Now she does the same for my children. She is in her 80s but she can make up a story and hold their attention better than I can.
Posted by christy findley | June 16, 2010 6:08 PM
Posted on June 16, 2010 18:08
Natalie,
I too have wonderful memories of listening to family stories told to me. Looking back now I believe it is those stories that helped prepare us for literacy and taught us how to truly enjoying a good book. It really saddens me to think that story telling is kind of like a “lost art” in schools and even in some families today? Why do you think this is the case? I think that we live in such a technology driven society that sadly enough we just don’t take the time or don’t think we have enough time to sit and listen to someone tell us a story. We want everything immediately and verbal storytelling takes time and a listening ear. I think it’s great that you have your students write down memories in a notebook. My mother has notebooks that I wrote in growing up and she pulls them out every now and then and reflects back with me on that time in our lives. Stories are truly a great way to understand our students, both verbal and written.
Posted by Emily Rhoney | June 16, 2010 6:32 PM
Posted on June 16, 2010 18:32
Dear Natalie,
That very same quote stood out for me in the article, the one by Bok. Prior to reading this article I have to admit that I didn't know anything about the Sudanese refugees and what they went through. I think as Americans we get so "caught up" in our daily lives that we don't take the time to listen to what's happening in the rest of the world. Other times, I think we're so self-centered that we don't care. I'm not speaking for everyone of course, just how I view our society as a whole. So often it takes a devastating natural disaster to make us wake up and take notice of what's going on. I know I am guilty of this.
Also, it was extremely important and probably painful as well for them to share their story with the world. You're exactly right, they could have moved on and just forget what happened. I think what they did showed courage and bravery.
Reshawna Greene
Posted by Reshawna Greene | June 16, 2010 8:20 PM
Posted on June 16, 2010 20:20
I agree that students need to be given the opportunities to tell their own stories, including their memories. This was made very evident to me through the memoir project I did in Ellen Peskoe's class. This gave me the opportunity to reflect on the wonderful memories of my grandmother, who had recently passed away. It was a great healing process, as well as a confirmation of who I was, where I came from, and who I wanted to be. I think every student deserves that opportunity.
Posted by Marcia Smith | June 17, 2010 4:12 PM
Posted on June 17, 2010 16:12
If we allow students to write their memories, we are giving them an opportunity to tell about what is important to them. More importantly, the students understand we believe what they have to say is important. I know students must compose all genres of writing. If we have made them comfortable in their writing, they may be more open to learning to write in different genres.
Posted by Zandra Hunt | June 18, 2010 8:30 PM
Posted on June 18, 2010 20:30
Allowing students to reflect on their memories is a great way to promote storytelling in the classroom. I think that all too often it is risky and challenging for students to allow themselves to open up. Often I don't think until we get older we fully understand the impact of our memories and past experiences. I have tried this in the past with my students and have found them stuck and frustrated. While it is a great idea, I think that it is better served for older students from high school to college. It is challenging to get them to be comfortable to be more personal with their writing. I know all to often we don't know what these children are dealing with at home, and sometimes they don't know how to express it until later in life.
Posted by Amy Hardister | July 2, 2010 6:19 AM
Posted on July 2, 2010 06:19