Shakespeare, 3rd Grade Translation

My kids translated the 16th/17th century Queen's English.
Behold their work:

Queen’s English Version, Act 2 Scene 2

ROMEO Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops--

JULIET O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

ROMEO What shall I swear by?

JULIET Do not swear at all;
Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
Which is the god of my idolatry,
And I'll believe thee.

ROMEO If my heart's dear love--

JULIET Well, do not swear: although I joy in thee,
I have no joy of this contract to-night:
It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden;
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
Ere one can say 'It lightens.' Sweet, good night!
This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath,
May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
Good night, good night! as sweet repose and rest
Come to thy heart as that within my breast!

ROMEO wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?

JULIET What satisfaction canst thou have to-night?

ROMEO The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine.

JULIET I gave thee mine before thou didst request it:
And yet I would it were to give again.

Kid’s Language, Act 2 Scene 2

Romeo I swear to you by the moon that lights up everything.

Juliet Don;t swear by something that is going to change, unless your love will change...

Romeo What should I swear by?

Juliet Don’t swear by anything. If you must, swear to yourself and I’ll believe you.

Romeo Well, if you think so.

Juliet Don’t swear, even though I like you.
I don’t like our talk tonight.
It’s too fast.
It’s too sudden and intense.
Bye.
Our feelings may have grown stronger when we meet again.
Goodnight.
Let your feelings be like mine.

Romeo Why leave me so sad?

Juliet What do you want?

Romeo Tell me you love me.

Juliet I told you I loved you before, and I would tell you again.


Obrigado, my youg charges...
3rd Graders in Berkeley!

Just a little something to ease their minds as they lock into other parts of their brains for Standardized Testing.
Good luck to us and good luck to you out there in your neck of the woods

P.S.
Stay tuned for the JUMP ROPE RHYME VERSION OF THIS!!
It's bananas, but beautiful.

Shakespeare? Jump rope? Shakespeare? Jump rope?
Sure.
-b

National Poetry Month: Media

What are you doing for National Poetry Month?
We'll be taking a look at the bard who charred...
the man who slammed...
scorched word and stage...
whos' words still ring alive and well after 400 years...
Shakespeare.
but not just any Shakespeare...
but Romeo and Juliet.
excerpt from Scene 2, Act 2: and not, "Oh Romeo.."
although that was tempting.

My class is well versed in the language of defense.
So well are they equipped with this lyrical tendency, most unfit for common camaraderie, that it would be unjust not to grant them a gift of which to put in their linguistic bag of exposure.

If I wax poetic- please forgive me, for I am in shock at an incident I witnessed just yesterday, at the Smokehouse on Telegraph in Berkeley. O.K.

So 4 youth were rousing the cashiers with language most unkind, reflecting the underbelly of language. Products of their environment? Perhaps. What did I do? Observe. And hope.
I hoped that Id' have kids, as they were all no older than 10 years old only to burst forth language that would make a mother cry...(not in a good way), someday in my classroom.

To at least give them this, that my class and I will translate in our own language today:

ROMEO Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops--

JULIET O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

ROMEO What shall I swear by?

JULIET Do not swear at all;
Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
Which is the god of my idolatry,
And I'll believe thee.

ROMEO If my heart's dear love--

JULIET Well, do not swear: although I joy in thee,
I have no joy of this contract to-night:
It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden;
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
Ere one can say 'It lightens.' Sweet, good night!
This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath,
May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
Good night, good night! as sweet repose and rest
Come to thy heart as that within my breast!

ROMEO O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?

JULIET What satisfaction canst thou have to-night?

ROMEO The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine.

JULIET I gave thee mine before thou didst request it:
And yet I would it were to give again.

ROMEO Wouldst thou withdraw it? for what purpose, love?

JULIET But to be frank, and give it thee again.
And yet I wish but for the thing I have:
My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite.

Nurse calls within
I hear some noise within; dear love, adieu!
Anon, good nurse! Sweet Montague, be true.
Stay but a little, I will come again.

Exit, above

grade level: 3rd
teacher objective: present Shakespeare text to children to decode it in our own language as an introduction to Shakespeare text recital
student objective: students will read excerpts of Shakespeare, suggest translations, and write down collectively derived interpretations of text.
CA State 3rd Grade Content Standards: Comprehension
1.1 Retell, paraphrase, and explain what has been said by a speaker.
1.2 Connect and relate prior experiences, insights, and ideas to those of a speaker.

Berkeley Needs Good Teachers...but so does Oakland, Richmond, Fremont, Milpitas, San Jose, San Francisco....etc.

Don't just skip,...skip well. Mind. Body. Soul.

Keep bouncing.
Happy Mid-April, National Poetry Month
-BD

A Letter of Introduction

It's that time of year where new beginnings are on the horizon.
So for those intersted further in the founder, I present a letter of introduction...

"You have a marvelous rapport with children."
-Michele Lawrence, BUSD Superintendent

There is a common colloquialism in education of 'meeting children where they are.'
Since 1992 I have been living the adage. Whether I was volunteering at a children's story time, writing and implementing science curriculum for preschool, I have been genuine with children. And they are the first to recognize it; maybe along with a Superintendent who has been around schools for forty odd years.

Becoming a teacher has been a most natural and inevitable evolution. It's like the mouse and moose from, If You Give A Moose a Muffin, -if I were the moose, I'd take the muffin to m classroom and and ask my kids about it. Why? Because it is crucial for me to always ask myself, "How do I know what they know?" And that always begins with a question for my students. Experiencing and developing the thought processes of children has been a contiguous journey. The sojourn has been even more compelling as a registered coach with the United States of America Jump Rope organization. Double Dutch jump rope is a passion of mine. Kids seem to love it too. In 6 weeks I witnessed my classroom of 3rd graders, a chrysalis, emerge through a full 3 minute 'fusion' routine flawlessly for over five hundred people. We did it together. In addition jump rope has been a tremendous teaching tool when applied in science and mathematics.

As there are varied modalities that children access information, meeting children where they are requires adjuncts to kinesthetic and contemplative approaches. The desire to be understood is a commonality that we all share from our earliest beginnings. Writing is a most powerful and critical discipline for young people. In 2006-07' I started a before-school, voluntary writing club. The attendance hovered around eleven students. This year the class bloomed to fifty-plus students. With a range of attendees from second grade to fifth, students were investigating dialogue, grammar fundamentals, character and plot development, as well as developing nuances of finessing the reader.

My passion is teaching. The capacity of my enthusiasm is bound only by a student's imagination. The profession of teaching is in an age where mediocrity no longer suffices. And it has been my honor to continuously rise to the challenge of it.

In all truth,

brd

Teaching: the Cornerstone of Being

Here is "the thing wherein to catch the consciousness of the King..." or the Queens in each and every one of us:

no child comes to school to fail.

I don't think that anyone likes being awakened by pressing thoughts. At least I don't appreciate it much. But reflection can't be all bad- especially when prompted by Shakespeare and a basic social justice tenet from my graduate studies at San Francisco State.

I have yet to meet a child that has ever come to school to fail. So when some do, for whatever reason, my senses are heightened. The problem with education is: once you know something, you can't act like you don't know. Also one answer inevitably leads to another question!
One's life can be forever changed with what is often an uncomfortable consciousness. I say 'uncomfortable' because either one is (and I fully speak for myself here...) called to action or left with the sense of inaction.

And although there is a place for inaction in meditation, social justice holds the perverbialy inactive accountable.

One thing I have learned about elementary aged children is that they are more inclined to react than to act out of controlled consciousness. That's sort of the beautiful thing about kids. They are truly present in that way. Such presence and spontinaety brings a freshness that is as inspiring as it is compelling.

All this to say, when students fail, I ask, "Why?"
...not only to continuously inform and update my own teaching practice, but more so out of a sense of social justice.

Here's why.
We are all one degree away from the weakest member in society. Don't believe me? Consider this: in an instant, at any instance, your life- however privileged - can go from what it is... to being in complete jeapardy. Maybe even nonexistent. Well, eventually that happens too!

We are all arguably where we are today because of someone else. We all stand on the shoulders of those less fortunate than ourselves. Whether we like it or not, we are all products of assistance- or lack thereof. And as delicious as the idea seems, no one pulls themselves completely up by their own bootstraps. That's just a colloquialism for 'hard work.' For which there is no substitute. But hard work teamed with consciousness- now there's something!

And if we do not or did not get assistance in some way- we may be in dire need of some. So I liken teaching to living by the hand...of assistance. I teach multiple subject elementary subjects in the public sphere. And when others fail to receive or reflect my objective- I ask "why?"

Ah, the barriers
Along my path to formal instruction, it was impossible not to escape the reflections of Jonathan Kozol and others who have dedicated their lives to educating children and reflecting on the barriers that hinder achievement. I went Berkeley at the height of the Affirmative Action debate; circa 1992. It seems that every era has its suspicions or solutions regarding equity.

The fact is, for many children, from many paths and cultures, there are numerous barriers to education. And it often seems like the odds continued to stack up on those less economically inclined. As important as it is to note that financial well-being doesn't necessarily equate with hard work (we all know that you don't get 'rich' by working hard!) financial support can most certainly afford you focus in a way that is impossible without cash.

But what really sustains us? What sustains a student?

To concentrate and focus on the micro, there are all kinds of 'macro' that need paying for.
But with what type of capital?

I meditate on sustainability often because the essence of its concept is at the core of self- improvement. And I teach, so kids can get somewhere. The idea is that if we get what we need, we get where we need to go. And not every body gets what they need- so the onus is often placed upon teachers to provide equity at a fundamental level.

Young people are not numbers, not pieces that move over time from one grade to the next, nor are they foreign from being simply who they are: young people.

A teacher once shared this quote with me:
"Life is not fair, but people can be."

So we can't control what happens to us, but we can definitely make choices and control what we do as a result of what occurs.

I'm just trying to provide youth with a scientific awareness to feed their curiosity, consciousness and meditations so that they may grow to account for their direction. I attempt to meet students where they are so that they may infinitely go further.

My hope is that my students may eventually sustain themselves as global citizens: beyond race, beyond socioeconomic status, and beyond belief.

Best believe that.
3D is about making connections against the odds.

Jump rope.
Eat well.
Think and dream.

-bd

Back to Basics

3D started out as a proposal.
the objective was simple:
... to provide a fun way to learn and exercise by reinforcing academic skills in children between the ages of 7 to 13 through Double Dutch and project-based learning.

It was an idea that was born in Berkeley in September of 2007. The 3D program model required my meeting with a public school Superintendent, a Director of Health and Social Services, a director of a major local foundation promoting sustainable food culture, an internationally recognized chef, and long conversations with the man who founded the rules of competitive Double Dutch.

I am proud to say that I did all that- in 3 months. And in December I took my proposal, student work, and human resource to lend a hand in this past Winter Holiday Classic at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. It didn't take long...

but it was a long take.
My name is Byron, founder of 3D Double Dutch Jump Rope Arts.
My background is in urban art, dance, music, nutrition, and education.

Urban Art
My trip this past December to NY was not my first invitation by a major cultural figure (this being David Walker several months ago) My first invitation was dispatched by a pop artist by the name of Keith Haring. In 1988 I sent a letter to him on 'how a west coast graffiti artist perceives' his work. And it resulted in an invitation to visit the studio. That resulted in the premiere of my higher education at Wagner College on Staten Island.

Dance...Street Dance
But what preceded that meeting was my involvement in dance. I am delving into the archives of my experience because I feel it might lend some understanding of the depth of my belief in Double Dutch jump rope arts. Even my moniker: 'jump rope arts' suggests rope skipping as something more substantial; as it is. I was a break dancer in 1985. And before that, I popped and filled in with cousins in regional syncopated dance groups, circa 1977. What I'm spiraling towards is how my embodiment of the disciplines that comprise what we now understand to be hip-hop culture, is the cornerstone of my approach to jump rope.

Youth: 7 to 13
Although my father did his best to provide me with a thoroughly suburban experience, yet he could not wipe away the effect of navigating my survival of 13 different elementary schools and routine returns to the Contra Costa and Alameda counties public school experiences. My foundation is thoroughly East Bay- Oakland, Richmond, San Pablo...and South Bay- Milpitas and San Jose.

Music
Spoken word swept through San Franciso in it's recent incarnation in the mid 1990's giving birth to organizations like Youth Speaks. It was during this time that I founded Aphenomen Publishing, wrote and performed diatribes to anyone within earshot in cafes and nightclubs. I found the rhythm of the word most enchanting- inspiring lines like:
"Aerial views of natural setting painted meticulously bother one photographer
I know
This person thinks it's a waste of time to paint
Anything in likeness
just so
Without coming
Forward to the touch
It wouldn't show..."

That eventually resulting in musical investigations beyond vocals and syllabication. My imprint, d'oiseaux recordings was born in 2006. BPM's have everything to do with skipping rope- in every genre of music. You've been warned.

Nutrition
As one must work to support one's self, I did so by managing and receiving an education at some of the most respected specialty food services in the Bay Area: Berkeley Natural Food Company, Westbrae Natural Foods, Real Foods, Noah's Bagels, and Spinelli Coffee Company (eventually purchased by Tully's)

Education- The Formal Type
In 2004, I received my B.A. in Elementary Education from Cal State Hayward. I received my preliminary credential from San Francisco State University in 2006. Currently I am completing my 2nd year of instruction at a Berkeley public school. I taught preschool in 1991-1992 at Skytown and at Kensington Elementary School from 2002-2006.

So all this to say, I know a few things about a few things- no more, believe me! And that's a great place to begin, or should I say continue, along a path to greater understanding and the development of today's youth. Jump rope has it all. No, really. It does. It's the 'real deal' in a world that scrambles for solutions to acquiesce to an agenda of quick fixes. There are no substitutes for spending time performing real and relevant activities with children. There are no substitutes for investigations that challenge and inspire young people. There is no substitute for hard work.

My solution is simple,
I'm going back to basics:
add one part experienced, driven, and compassionate human being
add one part open call for assistants in support for our youth
add one part engagement and direction for self sustainability

and add one part watch them grow.

And I welcome you all along.

Sincerely,
-BD

stay tuned to the new website in progress for future organization offerings:
www.doubledutchjumpropearts.com