I successfully finished my summer with InspireSTL. During our final four weeks, we read To Kill a Mockingbird. Many schools still include Mockingbird on their curriculum for middle school. For those students who do not read TKAM in 7th or 8th grade, we read it so they can have another book in common with their peers when they attend their future college-prep high schools. |
While our first book, Night, takes place during WWII throughout Europe and includes a teenage, male narrator (Elie Wiesel), TKAM takes place in the 1930s in Alabama. Scout (Jean-Louise Finch) is our tom-boyish narrator and we get to learn about this town and famous court case through her eyes and youthful innocence.
Although these books seem very different, they are surprisingly similar. They share a few themes: prejudice and racism, relationships between family members, and especially, loss of innocence.
I think the theme of "loss of innocence" applies to a lot of the students I came into contact with this summer. Elie is forced to quickly grow up as WII takes over his community, and he is forced into a concentration camp. As he loses his family and continues through the horrors of the Holocaust, he realizes he does not recognize himself anymore (physically, spiritually, and emotionally). Scout's brother, Jem, starts recognizing the racism in his small town through a case involving rape. He sees people that he believed were good act discriminatory, and how the class system in Maycomb really works.
Just like both of these young teens were forced to grow up quickly, some of the students I worked with were dealing with difficult situations at home. Many did not have stable home lives or financial situation, rides to school, or be emotionally available to learn.
Below is a project from a student who was picking symbols to explain his life, and then explaining his symbols in two sentences.
Although these books seem very different, they are surprisingly similar. They share a few themes: prejudice and racism, relationships between family members, and especially, loss of innocence.
I think the theme of "loss of innocence" applies to a lot of the students I came into contact with this summer. Elie is forced to quickly grow up as WII takes over his community, and he is forced into a concentration camp. As he loses his family and continues through the horrors of the Holocaust, he realizes he does not recognize himself anymore (physically, spiritually, and emotionally). Scout's brother, Jem, starts recognizing the racism in his small town through a case involving rape. He sees people that he believed were good act discriminatory, and how the class system in Maycomb really works.
Just like both of these young teens were forced to grow up quickly, some of the students I worked with were dealing with difficult situations at home. Many did not have stable home lives or financial situation, rides to school, or be emotionally available to learn.
Below is a project from a student who was picking symbols to explain his life, and then explaining his symbols in two sentences.
The top left symbol states, "This is a Uhaul truck. This symbol stands for my unstable housing."
Out of this student's life, a Uhaul truck symbolized him enough to use in his assignment.
Not only were they eye opening, but those two sentences reinforced the importance of using empathy in the classroom. This particular student missed a lot of days, which frustrated me when he would come and be five chapters behind. He did well when he was present, but I always thought he was setting himself up for failure because he was always absent. He helped remind me that students are battling problems just like all people, and we need to recognize when students are doing the best they can given what they are dealing with. For him, even just showing up once might have been the best he could do if he was moving from house to house all week.
Just like our teenage characters, Jem and Elie, the students were all battling various problems that forced them to grow up quickly.
I was lucky to work with determined, young teens who, even while dealing with hard, life situations, not only wanted to be in school, but who recognized that the importance of education could eventually help get them out.
One student has already come and shadowed Vianney, and I hope I continue to stay in touch with the students and program.
These are our stories.
Out of this student's life, a Uhaul truck symbolized him enough to use in his assignment.
Not only were they eye opening, but those two sentences reinforced the importance of using empathy in the classroom. This particular student missed a lot of days, which frustrated me when he would come and be five chapters behind. He did well when he was present, but I always thought he was setting himself up for failure because he was always absent. He helped remind me that students are battling problems just like all people, and we need to recognize when students are doing the best they can given what they are dealing with. For him, even just showing up once might have been the best he could do if he was moving from house to house all week.
Just like our teenage characters, Jem and Elie, the students were all battling various problems that forced them to grow up quickly.
I was lucky to work with determined, young teens who, even while dealing with hard, life situations, not only wanted to be in school, but who recognized that the importance of education could eventually help get them out.
One student has already come and shadowed Vianney, and I hope I continue to stay in touch with the students and program.
These are our stories.