Ms. Palmer on Second Street

Abstract

In the community surrounding Second Street, slightly more than 58 percent of the households are headed by women, 32 percent of all the residents live in poverty, and almost 70 percent of the residents are people of color (U.S. Census Bureau, 1990). Such statistics usually condemn children like those who live in the Second Street community to low expectations and high fears about their capacity to learn. However, in Ms. Palmer's fourth grade classroom at Second Street Elementary School, most visitors would be surprised by those statistics. The colorful mobiles that hang from the ceiling and the intriguing artwork that adorns the walls almost blind a guest to the school's 19th century structure. Mostly, a visitor sees 30 fourth-grade children learning. Indeed, this is a class of published writers, the authors of Trouble Sleeping. STORYTELLING AS AN ETERNAL FORM OF SELF-AFFIRMATION McLeod (1997) asserted that through telling stories is a basic human activity (p. 29). Storytelling is an ancient means of passing on knowledge. Through their collective story, people become aware of whom they are as a group and develop a sense of belonging (Davis-Berman & Berman, 1998; Yellow Bird, 1995). These stories are passed on to future generations as a means of ensuring identity with and connection to their forebears (Davis-Berman & Berman). Folk tales are examples of how cultures pass on their authenticity, values, and beliefs. The centrality of the narrative process to all human groups suggests the importance of congruity with their cultural folklore as the basis for meaningful communication (Constantino, Malgady, & Rogler, 1986; Leslie, 1998; Stiles & Kottman, 1990). Social workers who aim to be competent must learn to know and appreciate the collective stories that form the core narratives of various cultural groups. In addition, in our cultural context, each of us individually has dominant stories that contribute to our self-identity that need to be recognized. These stories help us fit together our successes and failures so that our life experiences are meaningful (Davis-Berman & Berman, 1998). In fact, the self-stories have many functions, including expressing feelings, sharing knowledge, maintaining one's spirituality, and helping us understand and be concerned about others (Painter, Cook, & Silverman, 1999; Yellow Bird, 1995). Our self-stories affect our relationships with the outside world as they shape and are shaped by our experiences with others. Thomas and Piercy (1997) warned that the dominant stories of clients could become tainted by the problem-saturated approaches of social service agencies. Children and Stories Telling stories is a natural way for children to communicate (Gardner, 1970). In fact, storytelling is an early means children use to develop their imaginations, experiment with different behavioral rules, problem solve, and learn to understand and express their emotions (Newman & Newman, 1999). Therefore, there is a natural fit of using stories to hear children's messages. Storytelling is a method using symbols and metaphor that can tell a child's story without undue intrusion or directness (Early, 1993). Storytelling as Therapy There are many examples in the literature of using storytelling as a means of healing. Early (1993) explained how the metaphors of storytelling helped the children of divorced parents release their emotions, identify painful issues, and work through the profound pain of their loss. There is also Gardner's (1970) technique of mutual storytelling wherein he uses the story created by the child, but contributes a healthier resolution of the story. The memory book used in child protection work is another example of the use of storytelling as a therapeutic technique. By recreating their life stories, children in the child protection system are helped to heal from the circumstances that led to their placements (Moroz, 1996). …