The Streams anthologies were used in classrooms where teachers were encouraging students to write by emphasizing the relevancy of books. In the Spring of 1991, Lucy Kuemmerle, a reading teacher, wrote “What Do Kids Like to Read” for Options: the newsletter for the office of Alternative High Schools and Programs. In her article she stated, “I would never insist that a kid like something because I chose it; they are encouraged to say what they like and what they don’t like -- and why.” She added:
One more important thing which kids love; they love anything written by other kids. They pay a lot of attention to each other’s writing. The best source of student writing is Streams (already up to four volumes), published by the Waterways Project. Copies of Streams vanish as fast as I get them in the classroom. Filled with stories, poems, letters by teenagers, they speak with absolute authority and immediacy to all other teenagers. They feel they could have written each piece; they are often freed by this strong identification to start writing themselves, and to be struck by discovering that they, too, have a voice.
The correspondence section of Streams 5 was followed by Denise B.’s poem, “Love”:
To build upon love,
you need a foundation.
So let’s start now,
with a little communication.
Rudy Rodriguez was recommended to Waterways by Jerry Long, the Assistant Principal for Curriculum Development at Auxiliary Services for High Schools (ASHS). Rudy was a paraprofessional at ASHS who had attended the Roberto Clemente Center in the South Bronx. He visited other ASHS programs around the city to encourage writing. Because of his enthusiasm, more teachers were willing to use Streams in the classroom.
ASHS students returned to class to take the GED test for a high school diploma. Although the classes focussed entirely on test preparation, many students wanted more from a school. Passing the test was not an end in itself. The diploma would not guarantee a job, but by returning to school, the ASHS students served as role models. This was expressed in Streams 5:
My Brother by Robert W.
“...My brother is sometimes a pain in the neck; and sometimes he’s not. I used to think that I hated him so much; but now I realize that he’s just a kid and that little brothers are always a pain when they’re little. I also realize that I’m his big brother and I have to be an example for him. If I show him that the things he does are not right, maybe he will not keep on the way he is.
He always says he wants to be like me. He wants to quit school like I did. He wants to start smoking like I did. I want to show him that if he quits school he will not be able to work in a good job. In other words, he can’t do much without a high school diploma.
I had to find out the hard way. When I quit school, I was working and I thought I had it made. I was making about $120 a week, nine hours a day, six days a week. I realized later on that I was not really making good money; and that I never could survive in the outside world.
Now I’m back in school to get my high school diploma, so I can get a good job; so when I have a family, I can support them. When I do get my diploma it will not be the same as going to school for four years, but at least I’m showing my brother how hard it is to survive in the real world...”
and how relevant books are.
Streams 5
No comments:
Post a Comment