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| Donna Washington |
Today was an Alston Ridge Day.
I see the K - 2 in the morning at the elementary school, and then I visit the seventh grade at the middle school in the afternoon.
The littles in the morning are always fun. I have a set list that I cycle through so that every four years I start the sets over so nobody sees the same stories twice.
The seventh grade is easier. I just tell the same story every single year. I always feel a bit bad for the teachers since they see the same story 
every year, but they enjoy it. They enjoy watching the kids going through the paces as the story unfolds.
every year, but they enjoy it. They enjoy watching the kids going through the paces as the story unfolds.
This year, I was off balance. In November, I broke three large bones in my ankle. The recovery will take about a year.
Since Alston Ridge is a large year-round school, I don't see all of the kids at once. I visit some tracks in January, and the other tracks in February.
In January, when I went to the 7th grade, I didn't tell my traditional story. Instead of the Sugar Incident, I told a random set of "middle school" tales. It was successful, the kids loved it, and we had a great time. I have no idea why I told those stories. Not a clue. In fact, I barely remember telling those stories. I blame the meds. Either way, the set was a success
Today, I was back at the schools. My early set was great. We did a turn
with Rumplestiltskin.
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| From Shrek 3 |
with Rumplestiltskin.
When I got to the middle school, I decided to do The Sugar Incident, which is what a traditionally tell to 7th graders.
(When I tell in middle schools, I always request the sixth grade alone, the 7th grade alone, and the 8th grade alone. I have differfent sets for each group.)
Anyway, as the students filed into the auditorium, I clocked a handful who entered determined to be bored, disconnected, or confrontational.
The slouch.
The scowl.
The pulling of their hoodies over their eyes.
The pretending to be asleep after two seconds.
The glaring at the floor.
The perpetual sneer at the world etched in haughty lines across the features.
This year, because of my injury, I tell the kids why I am sitting and wearing shoes instead of standing barefoot.
Afterward, I launched into The Sugar Incident.
It was a hit. The kids were a hoot. They were the best version of a middle school audience you can get.
They gasped at the right places.
They were startled at the appropriate times.
They laughed uproariously when it was funny.
They made eye contact with kids all over the room when they raised their hands.
They built little communities in places they clearly hadn't before.
The one student who sat in the front row trying to not participate as he slouched and glared, caught himself laughing. He stopped that nonsense immediately, but by the end, he gave up and just had a good time. He even turned around to make eye contact or laugh with other kids.
It was a triumph of sharing a tale about being in trouble and being too scared to admit fault.
When the story ended - it lasts for an entire hour - the kids filed out sharing their own stories as they went back to class.
The principal, who sat through this set and the one earlier in January was pleased.
Principal - That was amazing. They were sitting on the edge of their seats.
Me: We had a great time.
Principal - This is a really difficult group, but they were wonderful.
Me - Difficult?
Principal - Yes. These are just a really hard group of kids. The other group you did a few weeks ago was also hard, but this is a really difficult group. You had them captivated.
Me - (I smile) They were great.
I explained that the key to captivating middle school audiences is that the stories should encapsulate what the kids do and who they are. These stories help build community between the audience and the
teller. They also build connections between members of the audience. We become one group, sharing common experiences. These tales make friends laugh, strangers connect, and the grumpiest kid find him/herself in the faces of kids around them.
Groups aren't "difficult" so much as they are going through their own things.
Who am I kidding? Sometimes they are difficult. Chemistry, the weather, the full moon. Sometimes it is difficult. Choosing the most appropriate stories can help.
I was a seventh grader once. I remember what it was like. The stories I tell them are about that time in life.
The things that were part of my life then....
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| The Washingtons in the 80's |
Lying about breaking things, blaming others for your mistakes, being in serious trouble with your parents, dealing with brothers and sisters, a butt whoopin', crocodile tears, chores nobody wants to do, doing stupid things, being annoyed by other people's inconsiderate actions, grumpy parents, and being too scared to admit something. Being the "good kid". Being the "bad kid". Homework. Then there is the whole problem of being a bottomless pit of hunger.
These are all things any 7th grader can relate to.
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| source |
seventh graders.
I explained all of this to the principal.
Principal - (nods) You could see them connecting across the room. Usually, these kids are just so mean to each other and disrespectful, but you wouldn't have known that watching them when you were telling. They were so wonderful.
All I could think was that our kids need more opportunities to see themselves in each other.
We need more communal storytelling.
Our children need more stories.
Our children need more stories.
We can't raise all of them.
We can't fix the problems they face.
We can't force them into introspection.
What we can do is put them in situations where they feel shared humanity.
We can give them opportunities to see each other as peers.
We can help them laugh, think, consider, and anticipate.
We can't do anything about puberty.
We can't do anything about puberty.
What we can do is give them stories to get through it.
The better we are at finding stories that help audiences connect with us and each other, the stronger bonds we can build.
Happy choosing the best tales!
