Mirthes prompted the children’s essays with questions like “Who Am I?” or “How long do your dreams last?” The essays contain frequently misspelled words, bad grammar, and dark subjects. The children complain about drug addicts, burglaries into their homes, and sub-standard living conditions. However, they also talk about how they believe that they can eventually change their life. “I’m a child that hopes for love and happiness in the future or someday.” writes one.
The children are definitely trying to tell the public about their hardships. Back in 1971, the public rarely heard anything about their neighborhood except in newspaper articles about crime committed there. As one kid writes “Please look into life deeply and let the world think a little more about us please.” I’m not sure why this remark made me frustrated, but it did. We’re supposed to be the “most advanced country” in the world and we let this happen in our biggest city? I thought. And nothing is done about it? Fortunately, since the 1990s such neighborhoods have improved, even if they’re still not perfect. Mirthes is definitely trying to convey that her method of unconventional, progressive teaching teaches people who were dubbed “unteachable” by conventional educators.
I thought Can’t You Hear Me Talking to you was amazing. It was very moving and I must confess that I cried a little bit during some of the parts. I recommend it for 8th graders and 7th graders. The children are surprisingly good writers and are very good at pouring their ideas out onto the paper. I recommend that everybody read it at some point in their lives.
- Christopher, Grade 7, CSCL
