![]() ![]() I taught the poem to several classes at Portland’s Jefferson High School days before Barack Obama was elected president. Partly autobiographical, the poem speaks directly to many of my students because Beaty’s drive-home message in everything he does is that in order to heal ourselves, our society, and our world, we must turn our pain into power.ĭaniel Beaty’s Def Poetry Jam performance of “Knock Knock.” ![]() I bought the Def Poetry DVD, transcribed the words, and carried Beaty with me to class. I fell in love with many poets that night, but when I watched Daniel Beaty perform “Knock Knock,” I knew I was witnessing a poet whose performance and words would inspire my students. Unless I consciously build these opportunities into the curriculum, there is little hope of getting authenticity from students.ĭaniel Beaty, poet and playwright, came to life for me one New Year’s Eve when my husband, Bill, and I watched hour after hour of the HBO show Def Poetry Jam. By structuring a curriculum that allows room for students lives and by listening to their stories, I can locate the right book, the right poem that turns pain into power - while I teach reading and writing. KNOCKKNOCK NEW MAILING ADDRESS CRACKEDThen my heart gets cracked open by students, and I remember that first I must teach the child who is in the class. Too often today, schools are about standards and common curriculum: Scarlet Letter and Huck Finn first quarter, move on to Great Gatsby … And too often, I get caught up in that land, too. ![]() The Rethinking Schools article below, by Linda Christensen, is about teaching Daniel Beaty’s poetry that was the basis for his picture book, Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me. ![]()
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