I love that you recited the poem and then explained how and why it came to be. I hope this becomes a regular feature! Also, I love that you still have the Like Free Zone stickers. Mine is still up in my office!
The point of this brilliant poem was never boy or girl. It's about learning and changing. Growing up learning new things. About the real job of teachers. It's a true work of art in my opinion.
I am recently retired now. But after seeing Taylor Mali at a poetry reading many years ago, I adopted his Like Free Zone campaign and forbade (for the remainder of my teaching career) my grade eight students from using ungrammatical "like." They would struggle the first few weeks after the beginning of school but always become quite adept at eliminating like from their casual and sloppy lexicon. In fact, most enjoyed me enforcing the rule. And I enjoyed enforcing it too. :) But more important......when I was teaching, I would now and then revisit this poem for inspiration. I adore this poem, maybe even more than the many favorites I have ever had over my many decades.
Nice to see this after years and years of using that poem . Just FYI, I used to use it at the beginning of the school year to inspire teachers, as head of science at that time, particularly after appointing teachers to the younger years in secondary, when they preferred older groups. I once just sent the link to the poem and one teacher answered that she had been crying for several minutes after watching it. And yes, true, it was a female teacher, although I would love to be able to tell this story with a male teacher. Anyway, interesting to see the kitchen of that wonderful poem, that I heard for the first time in your presentation to the US teachers of the year in 2001 in Hunstville, Alabama. As I wrote to you once, I never found anything that sums up inspiration and beauty as this poem. Cheers,
Coincidentally I was in 7th grade social studies class in 1977 and we were doing debates as part of the curriculum. I was paired off against my academic rival and friend, Ho Jin. The topic was weather gay people should be allowed to teach in schools. At this time I had not knowingly met a gay person. I was assigned the affirmative position, that this should be allowed. I thought I was road meat, but I had a similar experience in exploring the ethics of the question, and became clear in my mind of the truth and power of the position. I humbly kicked my friend’s ass in the debate - as judged by my fellow students and I felt affirmation from my teacher. A year later I would be unofficially adopted by a gay male couple. That made all the difference in my life.
Great that you, Mr. Mali, changed your mind. Respect. I wonder if your poem could take a new twist: "I learned something in this process. If I'm ever going to change the world, it's going to be one eight grade teacher-poet at a time."
I wish people wouldn't argue against gay adoption or non Christian adoption. I have fertility issues and I am an openly pansexual, pagan, liberal who, even though I have a lot of love and nurturing to give can't because adoption in my area is either gatekept by the religious right or ridiculously expensive. I'm so saddened by this as after finally becoming pregnant in 2017 we lost our little Avery a few months in. All this to say. We need more people to think for themselves and open that mind.
I was never offended by the gender of the subject in the poem, and I'd be the first to start a conversation if I had been. It's one of my favorites of yours. Maybe my age is showing, it takes a lot to offend me now, and Like Lily, Like Wilson was so obviously not about the subject being a girl. Even if that girl was in college.
The poem was fine how it was. The "like" word might as well be attributed to girls as well as boys. However, as a student when this poem was published I saw many more girls overuse that word than boys and I'm disappointed to see you revise the poem. I see this as you bending to the culture of the present day for absolutely no reason instead of standing next to your original message.
It is said in the video that the message of the poem is not in any way connected to a gender issue, but is based on education. Since the important part is not the gender of the pupil, how is changing it, not standing next to the original message?
I agree. Taylor Mali has been a favorite of mine for a long. Starting with his poem "What Teachers Make" and I tend to lean to the right with politics. When I see a video like this I can't help but think "is this really an issue?" are there seriously people who have a problem with whether or not the person in the story in male or female? It blows me away that liberal people are supposed to be open-minded but are so closed minded that they can't realize that the story could very well be implying to boys/men as well? I don't feel there is a need to explain yourself as to why you wrote the poem the way you did. I feel like people who make an issue out of something like this are more the problem.
Gacha Gacha Kingdom 🤔 The poem was revised because certain shrill voices accused Taylor of sexism in some abstruse and ineffable manner. Ridiculous people reacting ridiculously to a non issue. Their version is a,so open to the same accusation of sexism in reverse. What Taylor could have done is stand firm on his original work then add his own variation. Then the cackling hens would have had nothing to squark about!
I can see both sides, @GachaGachaKingdom. But I've had enough arguments about INTENTION vs. RECEPTION to have come round to the opinion that when someone says, "You've hurt my feelings," it is not a sufficient comeback to answer, "No, I didn't. Because I didn't mean it that way." You are welcome to continue having that argument, but you'll find yourself keeping company with those who say the Civil War was all about "states' rights," and the Confederate flag is all about "southern heritage." I'm taking a different approach. To those on the left who have said they like the poem EXCEPT for how I appear to be bullying a girl for the way she speaks, I am essentially saying, "Okay, then allow me to bully a BOY for the next 24 years of the poem so we can all keep the focus on the more important issue of changing your own mind through research." In other words, because it was so clearly NOT my intention to write a poem about making fun of the way girls talk, I have NO PROBLEM changing the gender of the student in the poem. Those who lean to the right might call this capitulation, but I call it saving my energy for the more significant fights for equality.
LIKE! Oh no! One of my pet peeves. I thought the character should’ve been a girl, too....but it’s a minor annoyance. Do we believe mostly girls use it, or do we think that because girls simply talk more? Or am I incorrect on both counts? The subject is that horrible speech pattern afflicting too many people for AT LEAST the past 30 years! Or more. I’m thrilled to find an educator fighting it with poetry, grace...and humor. Please don’t let up. It threatens to infect every generation as it approaches its teens....and sticks well into the 20s if not checked.
I love that you recited the poem and then explained how and why it came to be. I hope this becomes a regular feature! Also, I love that you still have the Like Free Zone stickers. Mine is still up in my office!
The point of this brilliant poem was never boy or girl. It's about learning and changing. Growing up learning new things. About the real job of teachers. It's a true work of art in my opinion.
I am recently retired now. But after seeing Taylor Mali at a poetry reading many years ago, I adopted his Like Free Zone campaign and forbade (for the remainder of my teaching career) my grade eight students from using ungrammatical "like." They would struggle the first few weeks after the beginning of school but always become quite adept at eliminating like from their casual and sloppy lexicon. In fact, most enjoyed me enforcing the rule. And I enjoyed enforcing it too. :)
But more important......when I was teaching, I would now and then revisit this poem for inspiration. I adore this poem, maybe even more than the many favorites I have ever had over my many decades.
Nice to see this after years and years of using that poem . Just FYI, I used to use it at the beginning of the school year to inspire teachers, as head of science at that time, particularly after appointing teachers to the younger years in secondary, when they preferred older groups. I once just sent the link to the poem and one teacher answered that she had been crying for several minutes after watching it. And yes, true, it was a female teacher, although I would love to be able to tell this story with a male teacher. Anyway, interesting to see the kitchen of that wonderful poem, that I heard for the first time in your presentation to the US teachers of the year in 2001 in Hunstville, Alabama. As I wrote to you once, I never found anything that sums up inspiration and beauty as this poem. Cheers,
Coincidentally I was in 7th grade social studies class in 1977 and we were doing debates as part of the curriculum. I was paired off against my academic rival and friend, Ho Jin. The topic was weather gay people should be allowed to teach in schools. At this time I had not knowingly met a gay person. I was assigned the affirmative position, that this should be allowed. I thought I was road meat, but I had a similar experience in exploring the ethics of the question, and became clear in my mind of the truth and power of the position. I humbly kicked my friend’s ass in the debate - as judged by my fellow students and I felt affirmation from my teacher. A year later I would be unofficially adopted by a gay male couple. That made all the difference in my life.
Great that you, Mr. Mali, changed your mind. Respect. I wonder if your poem could take a new twist: "I learned something in this process. If I'm ever going to change the world, it's going to be one eight grade teacher-poet at a time."
I remember you giving this reading, or one quite similar, back in assembly in 1995 when I was a senior in High School. I like never forgot it.
I wish people wouldn't argue against gay adoption or non Christian adoption. I have fertility issues and I am an openly pansexual, pagan, liberal who, even though I have a lot of love and nurturing to give can't because adoption in my area is either gatekept by the religious right or ridiculously expensive. I'm so saddened by this as after finally becoming pregnant in 2017 we lost our little Avery a few months in. All this to say. We need more people to think for themselves and open that mind.
2019 - 1995 = 24 years ago, Taylor! You obviously never taught math (except that I DID)!
I was never offended by the gender of the subject in the poem, and I'd be the first to start a conversation if I had been. It's one of my favorites of yours. Maybe my age is showing, it takes a lot to offend me now, and Like Lily, Like Wilson was so obviously not about the subject being a girl. Even if that girl was in college.
This is so cool
The poem was fine how it was. The "like" word might as well be attributed to girls as well as boys. However, as a student when this poem was published I saw many more girls overuse that word than boys and I'm disappointed to see you revise the poem. I see this as you bending to the culture of the present day for absolutely no reason instead of standing next to your original message.
It is said in the video that the message of the poem is not in any way connected to a gender issue, but is based on education.
Since the important part is not the gender of the pupil, how is changing it, not standing next to the original message?
I agree. Taylor Mali has been a favorite of mine for a long. Starting with his poem "What Teachers Make" and I tend to lean to the right with politics. When I see a video like this I can't help but think "is this really an issue?" are there seriously people who have a problem with whether or not the person in the story in male or female? It blows me away that liberal people are supposed to be open-minded but are so closed minded that they can't realize that the story could very well be implying to boys/men as well? I don't feel there is a need to explain yourself as to why you wrote the poem the way you did. I feel like people who make an issue out of something like this are more the problem.
@@kareldolecek5294 If it's not related to gender then why change the gender of the character?
Gacha Gacha Kingdom 🤔 The poem was revised because certain shrill voices accused Taylor of sexism in some abstruse and ineffable manner. Ridiculous people reacting ridiculously to a non issue. Their version is a,so open to the same accusation of sexism in reverse. What Taylor could have done is stand firm on his original work then add his own variation. Then the cackling hens would have had nothing to squark about!
I can see both sides, @GachaGachaKingdom. But I've had enough arguments about INTENTION vs. RECEPTION to have come round to the opinion that when someone says, "You've hurt my feelings," it is not a sufficient comeback to answer, "No, I didn't. Because I didn't mean it that way." You are welcome to continue having that argument, but you'll find yourself keeping company with those who say the Civil War was all about "states' rights," and the Confederate flag is all about "southern heritage." I'm taking a different approach. To those on the left who have said they like the poem EXCEPT for how I appear to be bullying a girl for the way she speaks, I am essentially saying, "Okay, then allow me to bully a BOY for the next 24 years of the poem so we can all keep the focus on the more important issue of changing your own mind through research." In other words, because it was so clearly NOT my intention to write a poem about making fun of the way girls talk, I have NO PROBLEM changing the gender of the student in the poem. Those who lean to the right might call this capitulation, but I call it saving my energy for the more significant fights for equality.
Like Video Like Comment
Please ban basicly.
LIKE! Oh no! One of my pet peeves.
I thought the character should’ve been a girl, too....but it’s a minor annoyance.
Do we believe mostly girls use it, or do we think that because girls simply talk more?
Or am I incorrect on both counts?
The subject is that horrible speech pattern afflicting too many people for AT LEAST the past 30 years! Or more.
I’m thrilled to find an educator fighting it with poetry, grace...and humor.
Please don’t let up. It threatens to infect every generation as it approaches its teens....and sticks well into the 20s if not checked.