I think it was my last year teaching, right before I quit to move on to greener pastures and save my mental and emotional life, I had a brainstorm. It was around the holiday we are celebrating today, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and I remember that we had an assembly schedule day, which meant that all the class periods were short. On days like this, especially before a holiday, I always tried to do something different than the normal. No, I didn't always show a movie and make the kids just sit and be quiet. I tried to do something inspirational, that they would remember.
It was always important for me to help my students learn to be thinkers - to be original, independent, thoughtful, honest, caring, civically (sp?) minded, etc. A tall order, I know, but sometimes, sometimes I could strike a cord and it worked.
Anyway, I wanted to teach them about Dr. King - not so much about the person, because they knew all that, but about the ideas that he so poetically preached to a hateful nation - be kind to everyone! It doesn't matter what a person looks like, how they talk, where they are from, they are unique, you are unique, and everyone deserves a chance to shine!
I came up with this great mini lesson about independence, thinking clearly and freely, and being bold enough to do something with your life. We talked about what would have happened if generations of people just sat back and took it, and never stood up against hatred and bigotry, injustice and inequality - or anything else that they faced, whether it be big enough to draw the attention of the nation, or small enough to talk to their parents about.
To spur this discussion, we watched a clip from one of my all time favorite movies, Garden State. Lucky for me, as was standard, almost none of my students had ever seen the film so it helped to make more emphasis for my point. (Thank you Youtube - my clip is on the net.)
This line: This is your one opportunity to do something that no one has ever done before and that no one will every copy again throughout human existence. was and is profound for me.
So, what are you going to do with your opportunity to do something no one has ever done before?
What are you, shy?
It was always important for me to help my students learn to be thinkers - to be original, independent, thoughtful, honest, caring, civically (sp?) minded, etc. A tall order, I know, but sometimes, sometimes I could strike a cord and it worked.
Anyway, I wanted to teach them about Dr. King - not so much about the person, because they knew all that, but about the ideas that he so poetically preached to a hateful nation - be kind to everyone! It doesn't matter what a person looks like, how they talk, where they are from, they are unique, you are unique, and everyone deserves a chance to shine!
I came up with this great mini lesson about independence, thinking clearly and freely, and being bold enough to do something with your life. We talked about what would have happened if generations of people just sat back and took it, and never stood up against hatred and bigotry, injustice and inequality - or anything else that they faced, whether it be big enough to draw the attention of the nation, or small enough to talk to their parents about.
To spur this discussion, we watched a clip from one of my all time favorite movies, Garden State. Lucky for me, as was standard, almost none of my students had ever seen the film so it helped to make more emphasis for my point. (Thank you Youtube - my clip is on the net.)
This line: This is your one opportunity to do something that no one has ever done before and that no one will every copy again throughout human existence. was and is profound for me.
So, what are you going to do with your opportunity to do something no one has ever done before?
What are you, shy?
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