Today was the first day of class. I taught Intro to Women’s and Gender Studies from 2:30-5:30 today. The class has OMG SIXTY students. I think if I had known there would be sixty students, I would not have volunteered to take the class. Although I have taught intro to women’s studies with a class this size (via distance learning, no less), I really think the size is too big to get much done. So this will be a challenging semester. Today in class, by way of an ice breaker, we did Beverly Daniel Tatum‘s “I am From” poem activity. Tatum, President of Spelman University, wrote the book Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria. I learned about this activity when I attended the POD Conference in 2002 with Dr. Saundra McGuire.
Here is my I am From poem:
I am from…
…cars honking in the streets, traffic jams, the smell of city grime, laughter on the front stoop.
I am from…
…vinegar pie, turkey and dressing, chicken and dumplings, steak and potatoes.
I am from…
…”Daddy, read to me.” “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” “Don’t talk back to me!”
I am from…
…My mother and father Grandma Ann and Grandma Lola, my Auntie, my brother, my sister.
