ESOL : Integrating Art and Language

I recently connected with Georgia McKenna, a teacher from Boston Public Schools, through this blog. Georgia wanted to know more about how I was integrating art with writing in my writing classes at Art at the Center. This prompted me to describe in detail what I am doing in the Art, Science, and Spanish class (see previous post).  

Childhood memory, torn paper technique
(Georgia McKenna's class, Boston Public Schools)

Georgia McKenna has a degree in visual art and is certified in ESL (English as a second language). She started teaching five years ago, after working as a corporate advertising and public relations manager, a professional artist, technical writer, among other interesting jobs that help bring the outside world into her classroom. "I love [teaching]. My years of business/writing experience, raising children, and making art have come together in a very compelling way," she says.

"Self-portrait" by Ernesto (part of "My Immigration Story" narrative)
(Georgia McKenna's class, Boston Public Schools)

Last year, Georgia approached virtually everything she taught through art. She says, "The stories my students have to tell are stunning. Really."

Keiri's story is part of a larger assignment called "My immigration story." The students kept journals, shared them in class, and discussed them at length. They read each others' work-in-progress, gave one another constructive criticism, and shared in the creative experience.

"The writing project was officially a personal narrative, to include beginning, middle, and end; real people, events, and places; use specific details and examples. Creating equally detailed art to go along with their writing was something I added as a way to express their experiences without words." The idea was that the experiences expressed in the artwork could be discussed, named, or written about later. For each piece of writing students created a RAFT: Role (yourself), Audience (other students), Form (personal narrative), Topic (When My Abuelita Died).

When My Grandmother Died

It was a sunny day and my aunt told me to rock my grandmother in the hammock.  Abuelita was not talking, she was sleeping.

I was singing a song to my Abuelita when she was sleeping.  One week before she died she say to us that we are her special babies, her "ninos especiales".

The day she was going to die I was one hour rocking and singing to her in the hammock.  I went to see my Tia and I say that Abuelita was sleeping.  Tia told me to go to the store and buy bread.  My Tia rinsed her face and she went to the living room and felt my Abuelita's wrist.

My Abuelita had died.

My Tia screamed to my Mama to call Tio Chico and I went through the door and my Mama was crying.  My Tio scream to my other Tio Azucena run to see my Abuelita.  Everyone in the town went to the house to see my Abuelita.  My Tia Ana went to the Funeraria to get the casket to put Abuelita in.  My Tia dressed Abuelita in a white dress and a bouquet of fake flowers.

Then in the night when the people went to the house to pray, my Tias and Tios were crying because my Abuelita was dead.  We stayed two days in the house.  The third day we went to the cemetery.  First we went to the Catholic Church and the Priest put holy water into the casket.  We prayed.  We all went to the cemetery and the car that Abuelita was in played church music.  The people walked in the sun, it was so hot, and walked in front of the car.  We stopped in front of the grave and a man put Abuelita in the ground.  A Sister of the Church sang a song and prayed for my Abuelita.  All my family was saying goodbye to Abuelita.  I love you.

They opened the casket and my Mama and Tia put a candle and a box of matches in.  They put Abuelita in the grave.  I wanted to die with my Abuelita.  My primo held me.  I threw flowers on top of the casket.  All my family was crying.  They put dirt on top of the casket so nobody can open it.  They put the cross at the grave.  We took photos to send to my family in America.  When we were finished we went to the house and ate and the people went to the house to pray for my Abuelita.

I miss my Abuelita with all of my heart.

Next year, Georgia will be starting something new: ESL through Art. Her principal gave her a spacious hallway to turn into an art room, using the girls' room for storage. "Our school is over 100 years old, and we are bursting at the seams with students," says Georgia. 

Georgia's budget for supplies is minimal, so she has found some support through private foundations. She working hard this summer to get her "room" ready. She is currently looking for tables, stools, and more to pull her "classroom" together in order to be ready for the first day of school come September.

You can contact Georgia McKenna directly via her email: georgiamckenna@gmail.com