Proving that he's a poet as well as a history scholar, Dr. Bailey composed these helpful and insightful verses to introduce his students to history class on the first day of school.
A Poem for Students Moving toward a 2020 Vision of History,
or Getting a New Pair of History Glasses on the First Day
By Clay Bailey, August 18, 2019
Sunday morning comin’ down, as wheels on bus go ‘round and ‘round.
Syllabi and info sheets, lesson plans and meet and greets.
This year’ll be different though, I have gained perspective mo’.
Vilnius, Kaunas, Portsmouth too, I have grown and you can too.
You must learn for learning’s sake, electronic devices don’t partake.
Every day prepared to learn; be in the moment, feel the burn.
Bring your book and pad and pen, don’t make me say this over again.
Respect each other every day, and yourself by your do and say.
We learn through history ‘bout world and self, don’t leave those lessons on the shelf.
It ain’t just the what, but the how and why, not just about old guys who’ve died.
It’s also about the meek and lowly, and why the sign said for whites only.
Who’s to say what’s true or fake? Historians must for humanity’s sake.
Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jew, seek to understand each point of view.
Does history change? Of course it does, as we reinterpret the what was.
