The Giver - Response

Well, we are over half way through the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry and I feel so mean. I have stopped the reading for the next week and I am watching, with more than a bit of guilt I might add, as my students mope about resentful about the wait. I really am sorry, but we have to respond in the middle to consider some of the elements of a response midway through a novel as opposed to one done at the end of the book.

With this in mind, remember that your thoughts (good and bad) help to show me the meaning you are making from the text as we stop and discuss the themes we are finding as we plug away. I have attached my own response (just one of many possible ideas) so that you can get some ideas about responding to a longer story. Just click the link below to read it and to add your comments.

Don't hold back. Be creative and have some fun with this one. Remember that it will be as interesting as you make it. This novel is great for providing some controversial topics about controls in society. What would you accept? What wouldn't you? Back it up. Be specific. I'm anxious to read your thoughts and I hope you respond to mine as well.

Also, just to see who is actually following my blog from time to time, I have read a rumour (and it is a rumour because it is as of yet unconfirmed), that the Giver is being made into a movie starring Jeff Bridges!!!! Keep your fingers crossed people! We could all meet up at the theatre on opening night!

The Giver - A Model Society?

The Girl Effect

For those of you who missed it, here is the little video we watched and talked about on the day of the Volleyball tournament. It made me think a lot about the opportunities we have in this country that allow us (girls in particular) to reach our full potential, especially knowing that some places on this big beautiful planet have the urge to deem them less worthy than our male counterparts.

This is not to say that girls are superior, but simply to say that they are entitled to all the same praise and value and esteem as any other person. Imagine what could be accomplished in those countries if we encouraged the help and ideas of ALL its inhabitants! Hope to hear some of your thoughts on this one. You can respond to this on your own blog or comment on mine if you like. Either way, I will read it.

Bon repos, Mme Bérubé

J'ai toujours su que cette journée viendrait, mais je ne voulais pas l'avouer. La mort de Mme Bérubé me laisse fatiguée, bouleversée, et perdue dans mes pensées et mes souvenirs. Je la connais depuis l'âge de sept ans. Mes parents m'ont envoyée prendre des leçons de musique avec elle. En la rencontrant pour la première fois, je me suis tout de suite sentie à l'aise et accueillie chez elle.

La musique était la moindre chose que j'ai apprise avec toi. En te connaissant, j'ai fait un apprentissage de la vie, beaucoup plus puissante que toute autre formation possible. Ton opinion de moi était importante et ce que tu m'avisais essentielle dans ma formation personnelle. Je suis devenue enseignante pour être plus comme toi, et en me préparant pour le jour de tes funérailles, je me demande si je suis assez avancée dans cette formation.

Je n'ai jamais vendu mon violon comme je le voulais. J'ai toujours pensé que je ne pouvais pas le faire pendant que tu vivais. Maintenant je sais que je ne le ferai jamais. C'est le seul lien qu'il me reste pour tenir ton souvenir dans mes mains. La senteur de la colophane et le son du violon qui a témoigné tant de larmes avec nous est maintenant plus précieux que jamais. Je pense même reprendre l'habitude de le jouer. Je me souviendrai toujours de tes conseils d'accepter de jouer pour les autres "et avec plaisir".

Je ne suis pas allée te voir une dernière fois. J'y ai pensé souvent, mais les pensées ne sont pas assez. Maintenant, je dois vivre avec ce fait. J'ai un peu peur d'aller à tes funérailles demain. À la fin de cette cérémonie, ce sera officiel et certain. Je suis forte depuis lundi (quand j'ai appris que tu étais décédée en fin de semaine). Je n'ai pas pleuré beaucoup de larmes. Je ne sais pas si ma force me soutiendra demain, mais je dois espérer qu'elle le fera.

Pour l'instant, j'attends et je fais une petite prière. Je t'aime fort, fort, Mme Bérubé! Tu me manqueras beaucoup. Je ne t'oublirai jamais. Lorsque je dis à mes élèves, "Prends ton temps. T'es capable," ou bien, "C'est la tête qui mène, pas les nerfs," je penserai à toi et je saurai que tu vivras longtemps par l'entremise de l'influence que tu as eue dans ma vie et dans mon développement personnel.

Ton époux t'a attendu assez longtemps.Bonne réunion et bon repos!

J'attache un lien de l'histoire que j'ai composé afin de te dire à quel point tu as touché ma vie.

The Front Step (About the importance of Mme Bérubé's influence in my life)

Credo

I have read the "Everything You Need to Know" essay many times over the last several years and I have never taken the time to sit down and write my own Credo. Finally, I am going to give it a shot. I will keep it as honest as I can so that in a few years, I can look back and reflect on who I was at the time and see if my thoughts and beliefs evolve as much as I do. Here goes..

1. I believe that we don't even come close to reaching the potential that is within our grasp.

2. I believe that I can learn anything I choose to learn, as long as I set my mind to it and work at it when it does not come easy.

3. I believe bullying is not only a school years problem. Some people never outgrow it and they bring it with them to the work place.

4. I believe that children sometimes know better than adults. As they age, they forget what they knew as a kid and slip into bad habits.

5. I believe youth is a treasure we don't appreciate until it is long gone. How I would love to have fun like a kid again.

6. I believe laughter is a cure for many things (sadness, loneliness, even some physiological diseases).

7. I believe running is a good way to empty my heart of worries while I take care of my body.

8. I believe there is a lot more beauty surrounding me than I acknowledge. It's a little like the "Take the time to smell the roses idea". We need to really look at what is in front of our eyes in order to see the beauty there.

9. I believe there is nothing more comforting than a disgustingly thick peanut butter and jam sandwich for supper.

10. I believe a little piece of heaven seeps into my dreams when I nap in the sunbeam that floods my living room on a Sunday afternoon.

Two Choices

Today, we watched this video in class. I have seen such a variety of reactions to it that I am never sure what will come out of a viewing. The first thing that struck me after showing it to the 7-1 group was the absolute silence that followed. I was impressed with the respect and compassion they displayed and the discussion that followed led me to think a little more about the three principle players of the bullying scene.

First of all, we have the bully. This is not a tough one to figure out, but they do come in different types. There are those who physically bully others, those who prefer to inflict emotional hurt, and those who redefine what they will socially allow for their victims. I am not sure why some people feel entitled to decide what happiness or comfort others should be allowed to enjoy, but there seem to be an awful lot of people who give themselves this liberty.

The second player is the victim. I know that there are many reasons a child (or adult) is targeted but are any of them valid? A person acts, dresses, talks, or behaves differently. Is it my place to ridicule them, or to correct them based on my definition of what is acceptable? Is it up to me to remind them that they are different, to point out to them that no one likes them the way they are? Sometimes they are easy targets. They are shy or physically weak, or even slower at accomplishing tasks (academic, athletic, musical or other). Again, is this a good enough reason to belittle them? What does any bully stand to gain by making someone else feel worthless or unliked or unpopular? If the answer is nothing, then WHY do they keep doing it?

The third (and possibly most important) player is the witness. We do not give him or her the attention he or she deserves. By deciding not to get involved, the witness is saying that what they see is OK. If it wasn't OK, they would surely do something about it. You disagree? It's more complicated than that? I would love to know why. Some will answer that others would look down on them for being a snitch. Shouldn't they worry more about others looking down on them for allowing the bullying to continue? Would others really say, "Yeah, we don't like him (or her) because they don't stand by and let people get bullied"? If they would, are these the kinds of people you really care to impress?

The behaviours we value sometimes baffle me. People say they are just not getting involved. The fact of the matter is that you are involved the minute you witness it. The question remains...

What are you going to CHOOSE to do about it?

Think about it carefully. Your response (translated through your actions) is spelled out in two ways.

1. I choose to get help (or do something myself) because what is happening is wrong and I will not stand by and allow it to continue.

2. I choose to allow this to continue by doing nothing.

Either way, it is your choice. Either way, your actions speak volumes about your character and your compassion towards another human being who has just as many feelings and rights to feel safe as you do. Either way, it defines you. So I ask you...

How would you rather be known?

La débrouillardise

Ce qu'il manque parfois dans le monde est un peu de débrouillardise chez nos jeunes (et franchement chez nos adultes aussi). Je vous partage une vidéo que nous avons visionnée à la conférence divisionnaire la semaine passée. Bien qu'il y a toute une liste d'adultes que je connais qui se trouvent dans cette catégorie, j'espère que cette petite scène encouragera un petit réveil chez mes élèves aussi.

Nous avons des façons de faire les choses. Nous voulons faire les choses comme il faut. Nous voulons réussir. Mais le problème qui existe souvent est le suivant. Nous sommes tellement conditionné d'être dépendants des autres, que nous ne nous fions pas à notre propre créativité, à notre jugement, et à notre initiative. Si je fais une erreur... Si ce n'est pas ce que mon enseignante voulais exactement...Si j'ai mal compris les directives...

Laissez-moi vous dire quelques choses au sujet de votre enseignante. Elle apprécie vos idées (justes et fausses). Souvent, ce sont les idées fausses qui donnent des idées pour la prochaine étape, ou pour de futures leçons, ou des moyens pour mieux vous connaître. Elle veut savoir ce que vous pensez. Elle veut savoir comment vous vous sentez vis-à vis un concept ou une idée. Elle veut vous accompagner pendant vos échecs autant qu'aux moments de vos réussites. Elle valorise l'apprentissage (qui est beaucoup plus puissante parmi les erreurs) et votre croissance personnelle et académique. Elle reconnaît que vous avez des expériences variées. Elle veut vous aider à comprendre leurs effets dans votre jeune vie. Elle a des attentes très élevées - et elle croit que chacun et chacune parmi vous a des réussites formidables qui vous attendent cette année. Elle vous aime assez pour vous faire travailler fort, même si cela vous cause de l'aimer moins.

Le lien que j'essaie de vous partager ici, c'est que la débrouillardise est le début d'un séjour incroyable. N'attendez pas que quelqu'un vienne vous dépanner. Prenez l'initiative. Prenez des risques. Prenez votre futur entre les mains et acceptez le défi de rendre l'année scolaire et personnelle inoubliable.

My Rambling Autobiography

I was born just early enough to be called a child of the sixties, two months before Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the surface of the moon. I used to get nervous on the first day of school. I have a weakness for my dad’s soggy tomato sandwiches. There’s something nostalgic about the way the juice soaks into the bread. I used to read under my covers with a flashlight at night until my mom (also an avid reader) told me I had no bedtime if I was reading. A first-grader once told me he would not tell the « Santa secret » because he understood that the others needed to believe. I once wanted to run away from home so I hid under the front porch to see how long it would take my family to miss me. My grumbling stomach never allowed me to find out. When I was 9, I saw my first dead body as they pulled a bloated seven year old from the public swimming pool in the park down the street. When I grow up, I want to be a writer, but I still get nervous on the first day of school.

Photography

I took this picture while lying
on my back in a park in Portland.

This summer, I took up photography and my vision of the world has changed. I have been rifling through samples of photos taken by professional photographers and I am made aware that they are capturing life and art in our midst. I am forever in awe of the images that they bring to life by seeing the potential behind the scenes that appear before them every day.

When I started learning more about techniques and composition, I started to see what they see. People wear art on their faces, in the wrinkles they have inherited over time and in the expressions their eyes cannot mask. I now see why the eyes have been called the windows to the soul.

 I have a ways to go, but I will never again miss the opportunity to appreciate the beauty that surrounds me every day as I try to capture the moments that render life immortal - through my lens.

This one is still a work in progress, but feel free to leave me your comments. I have included the link below.

Through the Lens (about the way photography has helped me to see the world with new eyes)

Running

OK, this is something new for me. I teach poetry, but I don't usually write any of my own. This year, I have had so many changes in my life and I have been swimming in my own thoughts. Tonight, while I enjoyed one of my last nights of running for the year, the poems wove themselves through my brain. It was so impiring, I even hit a personal best with my running time.

These are the first poems I have ever shared with my students. Click on the links below to read them. I hope that they live up to the lessons I have taught you about the craft of poetry so far. I would love to hear what you think. Please feel free to leave comments.

Night Run (about why I love to run at night)
Companions (about the sounds that accompany me on a run)
Loss (about the end of outdoor-running season)

Michael Jordan - Failure

It sure is encouraging to hear from a leader in his field that failure is a necessary part of success. This video goes nicely with the Famous Failures video. See the post below for topic ideas.

Famous Failures

It's hard to believe that so many famous people have not always been the best at what they do. I think that we need to be reminded once in a while that to get to where we want to go, we're going to have to make a few mistakes, learn from them, and fail better until we finally succeed.

What have you failed at? What have gotten good at? Have you always been good at it? Have you had to make sacrifices in order to get good? Have you needed help? Was it sometimes hard to believe in yourself along the way? What got you through? Are you still working on something? What keeps you going?

Directives pour Googldocs

Créer un Googledoc et l'afficher dans votre blog est assez simple. Le document attaché ci-dessous vous l'explique en étapes faciles à suivre.

Directives

The Lost Generation

The first time I saw this video, I was apalled at what I was hearing. I kept waiting for the message to become more positive and when it reached the end, I wondered how they could ever fix such a negative message. The twist sure impressed me. Poetry and a creative mind can sure come up with some interesting products.

Which lines in this poem speak to you? Do you see the world as being more like the first reading or like the second? Do you think this generation has enough care and inspiration to see to it that our world heads in the right direction? How does this make you feel about the future?

Cold Case Videos

Peer pressure is a very real issue that affects people of all ages, although it is more known for its effects on teenagers. Some face it head on and others skirt the issue by going along with the expectations of others. How we stand up to it (or fail to) often defines us as we allow or resist others in controlling us. Who would you relate to in this video?

Les gestes et les interactions parmi les comédiens

Deux vidéos comiques pour démontrer l'importance des gestes (parfois exagérés), les expressions du visage, et les interactions avec les autres comédiens pour rendre un scène vivante. Visionner ces scènes afin de vous faire des notes d'études pour énumérer les caractéristiques d'un comédien de qualité.

Choisissez une des vidéos postées et faites une liste de gestes, expressions, et interactions avec les autres comédiens qui rendent la scène drôle.Écrivez votre rapport dans un message de blogue. Les libellés sont: Comédiens, Expressions, Gestes, MrBean.

The Sunscreen Song

This video has at least one lesson for everyone. I can watch it several times and find something new each time. What you get out of it will depend on a number of things: What you believe about life right now, what you believe about the future and what you have already lived. Different people will smile at different points during the video based on those factors.

Take the time to rewatch this one a couple times. Which of the gems of advice speaks to you? Why? Does it change the way you see the future?

The Deathcrawl

The first time I saw this video, it gave me goosebumps. There is nothing more powerful for a teacher than to recruit an influencial student to be the advocate for whjat you are trying to teach. I love the way this kid was shown how far his influence could go. The other players would no longer doubt their willingness to give it their all and the entire team will benefit from the example the coach made of the player in question.

I also love that the coach got right down on the ground with this kid when the kid was ready to give up on himself. He was reminded that he is not alone and that he would always have others on his side in life.

This is a football video, but the message reaches much farther than the field of play. It is a life lesson in disguise. Can you see through it?

You Walk, The Country Walks

This little video has remained my favourite for several years. Every time I watch it, I get something new out of it. The themes are endless and the effects chosen by the director are obviously very well thought out. The way the rain symbolizes the problem and the sun signifies the resolution of the problem...

Most people would be able to identify with at least one character in this video. Who would you be? The kids who believes enough to inspire all those who stand by? The first one to join in? Those who want to help in the efforts of a child? One who complains, blames or looks the other way? One who waits for someone else to solve the problem? One who sleeps through it, yet benefits from the work of others.

Another inspirational part is the fact that there are so many types of people who are a part of the solution. There are children and adults, modern and tradtional, men and women... It doesn't matter who you are, you have a part to play. What would your part be?

Don't Give Up

A little gem shared with me by a former student. This one is gripping, whether or not you are an animal (or even a nature) lover. It is not just about whether or not you care about those things but could you live without them.

What stands out for you in this one? What do you walk away with? Does it make you aware of things that you (or others you know) need to change in order to avoid this kind of situation?

Did You Know?

The music in this video attracted me at first and the speed and collection of random facts complimented it well as the whirlwind we live in was accentuated! There are so many thinks to learn and know that it is a wonder we are able to keep up at all.

What I ask myself when I watch this is, "Do I need all this information?" and "Now that I know what I know, what should I do about it?" What will stand out for you in this one. One suggestions might be to watch it a few times and choose a couple points mentioned in this video that are most important (or interesting) to you. Try to explain why it matters to you and how it changes what you think.

Children See, Children Do

I show this video every year hoping students will see beyond the parent/child relationship.The responsibility we all share in shaping future generations is made obvious in this clip and it is my wish that it will stick with you somehow.

In a world where we idolize Family Guy and Homer Simpson, we are forgetting that very young children are very impressionable and that what we consider funny or cool becomes what they strive for. Is this what we want for them?

We also laugh or scoff at the image of a child displaying a traditionally adult behaviour (smoking, drinking, swearing, etc), but why is it less funny or disturbing when an adult (who is supposed to know better) does it?

Food for thought anyway. Anxious to hear what you have to say about this one.

Attack on World Trade Centre

On the anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, we viewed this video to educate and remind students about this historical event. As you were too young to remember it, I would like to make you aware of this tragic event so that it will not be forgotten in the future.

You are encouraged to consider the perceptions of the various participants and spectators of this event and to understand the impact it will have for generations to come. Those who lost their lives, those who survived, those who lost loved ones, those who watched from afar - all affected in one way or another.

 I am anxious to hear what you have to say about this one.

Jason McElway - A Basketball Hero

A former student shared this inspirational video with me a few years ago and I have been showing it to students ever since. It is loaded with so many personal themes that most students can connect one one level or another.

Some of the themes identified by students this year were about acceptance of others despite significant differences, giving value to the talents of others, and the importance of encouragement vs criticism. My only hope is that it had enough of an impact to reach farther than the response notebook. Time will tell.

The Power of One

This video includes some great examples from our world's history when courageous individuals remained strong in the face of adversity to stand firm in their beliefs. How many of them can you identify? What can you learn about their circumstances?

These examples also make us analyse our reality as we become aware of how easy it has become for us to sit back and wait for someone else to take that first step. Ask yourself what you would be willing to make sacrifices for. Would it be your family, your friends, your country or your religion? Do you think the world will continue to change for the better?

Do you think there are enough people who inspire change to make a difference in the world? Do you see yourself one day being one of those people? Explain why or why not.

A Dozen Things You Probably Don't Know About Me

First of all, I would like to start off by telling you a few "little known" facts about me - things that you would not normally know just by being in my class...

1. I am the second in a family of 6 children. Being one of the oldest certainly had its advantages, but the example I had to set for the younger ones could cramp my style just as easily.

2. I studied the classical violin for 12 years, starting at the age of 4. By 11, I was certain I would one day be a concert violinist.

3. One of my obsessions as a child prompted me to become a teacher. Would you believe it has something to do with new school supplies every September?

4. I LOVE to read and I am never without a book. (OK, this one will be very obvious to you if you are in my class - or even in the same school.)

5. I have recently taken an interest in photography. I see the world so differently now that I can picture everything immortalized on film.

6. I would one day like to be a published writer. I'm certain there's a story in me that's itching to get out.

7. I love to laugh. Except when in church. My sister can certainly back me up on that one.

8. I have never had a cup of coffee in my life. Am I the only adult in the natural world that cannot stand the taste?

9. I plan to run the half marathon (at least) in the Manitoba Marathon next June. OK, I never in a million years thought I would be doing this in my lifetime!

10. I would love to travel the Earth. There is far too much to experience in one lifetime and I am already so far behind!

11. When I read, I sometimes forget who I am. I experience guilt and shame, embarrassment and joy through the characters in the stories before I remember that I am not really there.

12. I was almost kicked out of a Bon Jovi concert for smoking pot. Just remember, things are not always as they seem!