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The Good-Parent Rap

by Tonja Taylor  
5/31/2022 / Education


But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere,---2 Corinthians 2:14, AMPC

The LORD inspired me to teach my sweet online students--fourth graders in a regional public school--how to write a rap, with a theme that all of us need to have reinforced; that He has given us good (not perfect, as I emphasized to them!) parents. 

The state testing was over, and I was contracted to teach the kids through most of June. I had been seeking the LORD for ways to draw the kids closer (as I'm apt to do, and the more blatantly, the better, for, as the LORD told me a couple years ago--when I was teaching in public school, had a very hard day, and asked Him out loud if I should go teach in Christian school instead--"They're all Christian schools!") with texts and more that would plant God-seeds in them. 

He has taught me, right before each class, to yield to Him, the Master Teacher; the yield to His sweet Holy Spirit. He is so faithful to guide me, and when ideas and words come up, I trust they are from Him. 

He also is faithful to give me patience and kindness, for which I've received many kudos and thanks from parents and students through the past couple of years. All I can do is smile and think, God is good and Jesus is alive, for it's not my gentleness and patience; it's obviously His!

Hallelujah!  

It occurred to me to teach the kiddos the "mind-mapping"  technique, where we take one idea or subject and write or type it, then draw a circle around it, and draw lines or "rays" out from it. We list everything we can think of, in words or phrases--even doodles and drawings--that come to mind about the subject/idea, even if it doesn't seem to be related.

(As I've emphasized to these kiddos and many other classes and individuals, this is one way things get invented--the combining of ideas, including those very unlike one another! I also tell them that, in my opinion (which I'm free to state, Hallelujah!), "Everything we see is created, including you!")

So, I explained to the kids clearly that I like rap, but I only listen to Christian rap, and never any that has angry, nasty words. I reminded them I wrote a rap (see "Chrysalis" (which is about Jesus dying on the cross, being buried, then rising again the third day--and then going to Heaven) in the FaithWriters.com free reprint articles. I actually read it to them a couple days before we started the class rap, from what I remember. I know I read it to the fifth grade class, if not this one!), and that raps are, at their core, poems.

So, we studied poetic verse, and talked about couplets and stanzas, and rhyming patterns somewhat, including the fact that, usually, it's the last syllable of the lines that rhyme, not the whole word. I joked with them about the world-famous search for the perfect rhyme for "orange," and told them if they could come up with it, they could probably make some money! 

Let it be!

Anyway, I asked the sweeties for a subject, reminding them we were doing a positive rap, and one mentioned "parents"! I was delighted, and exhorted them to be thankful for all the good in their parents, and to forgive the less-than-good. I conveyed to them that we've all had to do that.

I gave them a couple of timed minutes to think of a word or phrase to add to the poem.

I also told them they could draw pictures, if that helped them think of stuff, and told them my daughter is a good artist, now graduated with her university degree in commercial art and graphic design, but that she started drawing very early, even much younger than they were. I've learned that many students--and even myself, although I'm a note-taker (and words started as pictures, of course!), likes to have the pen moving while I think and such--really are listening and paying attention when they draw, and it can help them learn more deeply. It depends, but overall, I give them the benefit of the doubt and encourage them to draw quick pictures if we're doing a thinking exercise and they can't think of what to write at first.

Then, we shared as a class, although a few of the nine students just wanted to put their ideas in the chat and not speak out loud. They were not English Language Learners, which is what I thought at first, but just a bit intimidated about sharing their ideas aloud. 

I was very blessed, because they all had positive things to say. 

Before class the next day, I took their words and phrases, and constructed them into a 12-line poem, with couplets (Couplets worked better than stanzas in this work.).  They seemed glad to see what I'd done with it, and one bolder student read it out loud.

As he read, I could hear a couple of things that needed to be changed. I used this opportunity to teach the class that, if they would read their writing(s) out loud when they think they are done, they will hear them more as their readers will, and they may find something that needs to be modified to flow better. 

I realized we needed to add a beat to one line, so we changed a word, and I was pleased that one student had a great suggestion about that! 

Another student suggested we change the order of a couple of lines, and that worked better too!

The bottom line is, they were all engaged. 

So, now that you've read my words, I'll happily share theirs with you--and bring them to this website where their work is published, when they return to class tomorrow!

The Good-Parent Rap by Mrs. Taylor's JWC Fourth-Grade Class:

 

My folks are super-heroes

They love me lots and lots

 

They take me shopping, buy me stuff

From since I was a tot

 

They help me when I need it;

How to live right every way

 

Faithfully, they teach me--

They help me every day.

 

They play many games with me

And teach me to be free;

 

They really care about me--

They are my family! 

 

Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it.--Proverbs 22:6, AMPC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tonja and her husband live to exalt God. They lift Him up in books (P.O.W.E.R. Girl!; LEGACY; Visions of the King; Your Holy Health; more); presentations; service in church, community, and the world; and via the "River Rain Creative" (309 videos) and "POWERLight Learning" You Tube channels.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

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