Stony Creek, where I taught for almost 15 years, was a special place. It does not exist other than in name only. It was a place where parents, students, and educators met and learned together. It was a place that defied the way ‘traditional schooling’ was done. The goal was to meet each child where they were in their learning and not force the child to fit the learning. For most of the time I was there, I taught and learned (those are not inseparable if we allow them to emerge together) in a way I could only dream possible. For those years, the dream was not deferred. It was real, but fragile as all dreams are.
I enjoy Langston Hughes and his wonderful poetry. Each year, I chose a poem or two from his wonderful writing and shared it with the students. I found that if I share my passion for learning and what excited me in my learning students and parents reciprocated. We lived and learned in community not in school. This is one of the poems I shared from that place.
Good morning, daddy!
Ain’t you heard
The boogie-woogie rumble
Of a dream deferred?
Listen closely:
You’ll hear their feet
Beating out and Beating out a —
You think
It’s a happy beat?
Listen to it closely:
Ain’t you heard
something underneath
like a —
What did I say?
Sure,
I’m happy!
Take it away!
Hey, pop!
Re-bop!
Mop!
Y-e-a-h!
About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope and its anticipatory relationship with the future, and hope as an essential element in learning.
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 
A very awesome reflection of your selfless heart! Have a wonderful weekend!
Thank you Wendell. Enjoy your weekend.
wonderful post! love hughes. cheers to you~
Thank you Cindy.
I aspired to write as Langston. My favorite mother to son. Keep clim’ng.
That was one we used frequently. Most students connected to the strength of the advice.
What a wonderful poem! There is so much to be heard underneath, if we take the time to listen.
That is a great way to describe most Langston Hughes’ poems. The metaphors he used require the reader/listener to do some extra looking.
I cannot read “boogie-woogie” without dancing in my chair. 🙂
I love this: “The goal was to meet each child where they were in their learning and not force the child to fit the learning.”
In a workshop the speaker said something similar that helped me tremendously in support group environments:
“Meet members where they are not where you want them to be.” ~ Ted Bowman
Thank you!
You are welcome Jackie and thank you for a wonderful comment. When dealing with people, it is about meeting them where they are on their journey and finding out what their needs are.
Thank you for visiting my blog today. I’m glad you like my post, and I hope you will come again. Blessings, Natalie 🙂
Thank you Natalie. I just stopped by again. I look forward to many more returns.