George Rodrigue was born in New Iberia, LA and is famous for the Blue Dog. I never met him, but our town celebrates him with a pocket park on Main Street. The Bayou Teche Museum acquired a display of his studio.
Our students will be touring an exhibit of George Rodrigue’s work today at the Hilliard Museum in Lafayette, LA. To prepare my students for this field trip, I shared the story of the Blue Dog and let them choose a work of his art to write about.
John-Robert chose a painting with a gravestone for Tiffany. We googled the words “Tiffany + George Rodrigue” and found out that Tiffany was Rodrigue’s pet whom he based the Blue Dog on.
Oh Tiffany
where have you gone
after all you’re right here
under That Lovely Cyprus tree
Why are you still hiding from me
I’m just A Blue dog
I go to the village
THEY SHUN ME AWAY
“Leave evil spirit!”
They see me and run
why
even when I adore the limbs of humans they run
So I have left to roam near only friend
to protect her in the stone box from them
all I want is to see her again no matter whenOh Tiffany
John-Robert, 6th grade
where have you gone
after all I’m back from the hunt
so when is when
As a teacher of this bard, I hesitate to criticize at all. This is JR’s first and only year in my class. He has been writing poems every day in his notebook. None of them have capital letters or punctuation. When it comes to essays, I talk to him about the grammar choices he makes (or doesn’t make), but I still leave his poems alone.
I wish you could hear him recite them. He sounds like he’s reading from his very soul. I’m often left speechless. In my opinion, and I’m hoping it’s the right one, his creativity is a delicate thing. I want him to keep writing long after he’s been with me.
JR is my Emily Dickinson, writing far above my level of understanding. I think I will continue to leave him alone with his poems. He tells me he “knows” the grammar rules. He doesn’t know why he doesn’t use them. It’s as though his thoughts won’t allow for the crowding of periods and commas, capital letters, etc.
What’s an ELA teacher to do with that?
Margaret, your young student is on his own cerebral path with your as his guide. Don’t second guess your pathway because are a an amazing teacher who cares deeply for your students. Keep nurturing JR to be expressive since he says he knows the rules.
It must be great to hear him read. I think you are making good choices as his teacher.
Margaret,
When I was reviewing NCTE proposals one in particular caught my eye. It was about focusing on place—the place where we live when teaching students. Your blue dog story does that. Your student’s poem is fantastic. I understand not criticizing him. I wonder if when he reads others’ poems he recognizes punctuation and thinks about what it’s doing. I’d ask him. In terms of essays, he needs punctuation, so he needs to understand that. He’s libel to have a teacher who defines writing well as avoiding surface errors. That will not go well for him. Once he gets the punctuation in essays, he might be amenable to punctuation in poetry. Lastly, I’d have a chat w/ him about knowing when to accept critique of his poetry and when to ignore it because he’ll be vulnerable to others who have the power to destroy his creativity. Do what you can to keep that from happening.
Thanks for your advice, Glenda. I know that I need to prepare him for 7th grade where teachers may not accept his inattention/ concern about grammar rules. He gets pretty defensive if I bring it up. Like a kid saying, “I know. I know.” But won’t eat his vegetables no matter the coaxing. This week we went line by line through a personal essay and I was able to get him to edit most of it. But he let me know he did not enjoy it.
I wonder how he would respond if he had to read essays w/ no punctuation or capitalization. It might help him understand his audience needs and expects those markers.
What a poem. What a student. What expression.
So does his reading convey punctuation with pauses and stops? He knows the value, but he doesn’t have the time/energy to spare on making it perfect.
I, too, would leave him alone. But before the year ends, I would chat with him about what the next year will bring.
That is it, Fran. He doesn’t want to take the time. He obviously uses line breaks effectively.
What a poem. What a student. What expression.
So does his reading convey punctuation with pauses and stops? He knows the value, but he doesn’t have the time/energy to spare on making it perfect.
I, too, would leave him alone. But before the year ends, I would chat with him about what the next year will bring.
I agree–support his writing and leave the mechanics. Wish I could hear him read!