Blog 3

Last Monday, I had the privilege to attend my first service-learning day at Tunbridge Public Charter School. My assigned teacher, Mrs. Grant, teaches kindergarten and could not have been more welcoming and excited to have me as a teacher’s helper. She quickly expressed to me that Mondays are tough, especially for a large group of antsy five and six-year-olds. She gave me a few simple tasks to complete for her as she tried her best to control the class. Mondays are tough for everyone, but most importantly tough for kindergarten teachers at 11am. However, as I observed Mrs. Grant throughout my quick 2-hour day in her classroom, I admired her patience and ability to show her compassion for her students, despite their frustrating disobedience.

            When I read the poem “My Papa’s Walz”, I couldn’t help but compare Mrs. Grant’s unconditional love for her students to the love the son has for his father. Throughout the poem, the son mentions flaws about his father, such as the whiskey on his breath, his battered knuckle, and his violent nature. He implies but does not confirm that his father acted violently towards him, referring to it as a “waltz.” However, despite all this, the son still has a strong love for his father, as he continues to “cling onto his shirt.” Although the situations are different, both the poem and Monday with Mrs. Grant's kindergarten class showcase the power of love and how it perseveres even in the face of difficult times.

            In the poem “My Father is a Simple Man”, the author reflects on the kindness, patience, and simple nature of his father. After his father passes, he says “remember that here was a man who was a worker and a provider, who learned the simple facts in life and lived by them.” I personally love the way he acknowledges and appreciates the way his father lived by the simple facts of life, which I think everyone could benefit from doing. In kindergarten, all day is spent learning the “simple facts of life.” This is the age where you learn about being polite, having manners, and the difference between right and wrong. My hope for these children is that they learn to appreciate these simple facts and lead a life similar to the life of the father in the poem.

            In the poems “Tableau” and “Love After Love”, the major theme appears to be love and acceptance, specifically love and acceptance of others and yourself. “Tableau” tells the story of two boys, one black and one white, spending time together without paying attention to the discrimination and injustices around them that should keep them apart. At the end of the poem, the author refers to the boys as a “lightning brilliant”, implying that the boys’ relationship will make an impact on others to end the discrimination. “Love After Love” presents the idea of self-love as a legitimate relationship with one’s self and provides the perspective of going on a date with yourself. On this date, you realize everything you love about yourself and that you have failed to acknowledge your love for yourself.  Throughout my recent and past experiences at Tunbridge, it is clear that the entire school promotes these same ideas of acceptance of yourself and others. The school’s philosophy is to teach the students to take care of the health entire person: mind and body. Showing kindness to others and to yourself is a major aspect of this philosophy and directly relates to the messages the authors of these two poems are trying to communicate.