"The Roots of Self" Units & EQs - from Laura

Today in our small groups, we spent some time talking about unit ideas for organizing our curriculum.  Personally, I find this to be a really great way to teach both my required content and the content I want to share (nonviolence and peace).  It also helps students make connections between works of literature, often in meaningful ways, as opposed to simply being able to list characteristics of a particular time period's literature.  Anyway, the group asked that I share the units and essential questions, so here they are.

At the start of the year, I ask my students what shapes who they are.  They brainstorm for a few minutes, and then we share out.  As they share their answers, I write their responses on the board.  I'm doing it strategically, though, although they don't know this.  Without fail, every answer can fit into one of three categories:  Community, Self, or Family.  And these are the units senior year is centered on, and the overall theme is "The Roots of Self."

Community Unit Overview

Over the course of the term, we will discuss the following works:
The Visit by F. Durrenmatt
Various speeches by Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Long Night's Journey Into Day (film)
“The Things They Carried,” “Love,” “Speaking of Courage,” “Notes,” “In the Field,” “Good Form,” and “Field Trip” from The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

As we read/view these works, we will consider how each one illuminates issues of community.  Review the “Essential Questions” (EQ) below.  These questions will guide our class discussion of the stories.

Essential Questions
1. What is a community?
2. What communities are represented in the story?  Which are communities of choice?  Which are involuntary (by reason of circumstance)?
3. What is valued by the community?   Who determines the values?
4. What does the community provide to its members?
5. What does a member lose by being a part of the community?
6. How important is exclusion of others to the sense of community?
7. What are the responsibilities of the individual to his or her community?
8. What are the responsibilities of the community to the individual?
9.    What happens when an individual faces competing demands from two communities to which he or she belongs?  What happens when the demands of the community are in opposition to the individual’s beliefs?
10.   How do you restore a broken community?

Family Unit – Overview 

Sometimes Fern thinks she thinks too much about family. She lives, it’s true, in a time and place of rampant psychotherapy (in which she spent several years herself), but even so, she cannot help looking at people in a perpetual context of mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters. Especially brothers and sisters.

Often, she imagines herself wearing several leashes, each quite long but held by another member of her far-flung family. She senses various pulls and tugs at various times, never feeling altogether free.

-from Three Junes (Glass 304)


During our study of family in literature, we will consider the “leashes” that our families put on us, and those we may put on them.  In this unit we will study poetry by various authors and Death of a Salesman, a play by Arthur Miller.

Consider the questions below as we read and discuss these works.  Essential Questions:

1. What is a family?
2. What does an individual need from his or her family?
3. What are the potential sources of conflict and stress in a family?
4. What strengths and weaknesses arise out of family conflict and stress?
5. What do individual family members owe each other?
6. How do our families shape our identities?
7. What are our expectations of each other in a family, and what happens when those expectations are not met?
8.  How, when, and why do we choose between responsibility to ourselves and responsibility to our family members?


Self-Unit Overview
In this unit we will be exploring the forces that shape individual identity, both external and internal, and we will continue to look at the consequences of an individual’s choices both on his or her own development and on the world around him or her.

We will read and discuss the following works:
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

As we read, we will consider how each one illuminates issues of the self.  Review the “Essential Questions” (EQ) below.  These questions will guide our class discussions.

Essential Questions
1. What is “self-fulfillment?”
* Does the idea of “self-fulfillment” vary among cultures?
* What experiences are necessary for a “fulfilling” life?
* What is the difference, if any, between fulfillment, happiness, and success?

2. What is “self-identity?”
* Are there “steps” one must take in order to find self-identity?  If so, what are they?
* Is there a gender difference in the self-identity journey?

3. What part(s) of one’s identity is within one’s control? What is outside of one’s control?
* Why is this (the idea that some parts of one’s identity are involuntary) important to consider?
* Can you change your identity?

4. What choices most significantly shape one’s identity?
* What role do others have in the shaping of your identity?  (e.g. their perception of you)
* Who and what outside of the individual are affected by the choices he or she makes?

5. Does reading constitute experience? Can you be affected by something you read or are taught in the same way as you are by your own direct experience? Can teaching or reading permanently affect you, or does it just affirm a path you are already on?



I alter the questions slightly every year, but I've really enjoyed teaching the senior curriculum through this lens.  And I think these EQs are ones that can be adapted for the younger grades; in fact, some of them probably don't need adapting!  :)  I hope this helps in some way.  Thank you, group, for asking! :)

Reflections & Resource for studying nonviolent conflict

One thing that has come up repeatedly at this program is that it's hard to teach about nonviolence when we haven't been taught it ourselves.  Most of us grew up with Social Studies classes that were more like lists of violent conflicts than actual "social studies."  One of the most profound moments for me, in my own journey of nonviolence, was learning that there IS another way.  And I honestly believe that our students are looking for a better way, too.  Even those who are invested in the military or who have loved ones in the military-- our work is so that they don't have to put their lives in danger for a living.  One of my best friends is a veteran of the Iraq war, and he is headed back to Afghanistan this summer, and I constantly tell him that he's the inspiration for so much of the peace work that I do.  I hear the horrific stories he shares with me, and I want to help build a world where those nightmares don't happen.  And while I know it seems idealistic, I can't believe that it is just an ideal.  I, after all, am part of a statistic -- before 2011, I did not, in any way shape or form, believe in the power of nonviolence.  I would have been one of the many who think that it's impossible for a minority to gain power over a majority, and that war was how we had always done things, and there really wasn't an alternative.  All it took to convert me was an exposure to nonviolent conflict its strategies.  It made sense.  Gandhi's Hind Swaraj made sense to me.  I want to share an excerpt from Hind Swaraj that particularly resonated with me (Gandhi is the "Editor" and his detractor(s) is the "Reader":

Reader: From what you say I deduce that passive resistance is a splendid weapon of the weak, but that when they are strong they may take up arms.

Editor: This is gross ignorance. Passive resistance, that is, soul-force, is matchless. It is superior to the force of arms. How, then, can it he considered only a weapon of the weak? Physical-force men are strangers to the courage that is requisite in a passive resister. Do you believe that a coward can ever disobey a law that he dislikes? Extremists are considered to be advocates of brute force. Why do they, then, talk about obeying laws? I do not blame them. They can say nothing else. When they succeed in driving out the English and they themselves become governors, they will want you and me to obey their laws. And that is a fitting thing for their constitution. But a passive resister will say he will not obey a law that is against his conscience, even though he may be blown to pieces at the mouth of a cannon.

What do you think? Wherein is courage required -- in blowing others to pieces from behind a cannon, or with a smiling face to approach a cannon and be blown to pieces? Who is the true warrior be, who keeps death always as a bosom-friend, or he who controls the death of others? Believe me that a man devoid of courage and manhood can never be a passive resister.

This however, I will admit: that even a man weak in body is capable of offering this resistance. One man can offer it just as well as millions. Both men and women can indulge in it. It does not require the training of an army; it needs no jiujitsu. Control over the mind is alone necessary, and when that is attained, man is free like the king of the forest and his very glance withers the enemy.

Passive resistance is an all-sided sword, it can be used anyhow; it blesses him who uses it and him against whom it is used. Without drawing a drop of blood it produces far reaching results. It never rusts and cannot he stolen. Competition between passive resisters does not exhaust. The sword of passive resistance does not require a scabbard. It is strange indeed that you should consider such a weapon to be a weapon merely of the weak.

How powerful is that? I teach all this literature that defines courage and heroism as using violence -- but really, when you step back and think about it, it's so clear that it's not. We've been conditioned to think that not fighting is cowardice, and this is an education we can reverse. Students know that to be a "man" isn't to be violent, despite what society suggests. Whenever I read Harry Potter (or watch it!), I think of this -- notice that Harry never uses the violent spells, but always the disarming one.  He's an example of nonviolence in action! :)  But our students also need affirmation in the real world... they need to be made aware of the "real men" they see every day.   But that these are in fact, "real men" is so rarely validated. One thing we can do is to validate that opinion is to show we feel it ourselves.  And to ask them about it.  Ask them to think about who some of the bravest people they know are -- when it comes down to it, in all of our hearts, I believe we share the same nonviolent values.

Cesar Chavez once wrote, "Perhaps we can bring the day when children will learn from their earliest days that being fully man and fully woman means to give one's life to the liberation of the brother who suffers. It is up to each one of us. It won't happen unless we decide to use our lives to show the way."  He also said, "You know, if people are not pacifists, it's not their fault. It's because society puts them in that spot. You've got to change it. You don't just change a man - you've got to change his environment as you do it." And this is part of our job, right? To help change the environment. And part of changing this environment is bringing to light all of those examples of nonviolent conflict that history textbooks ignore, and all those examples of "real men" that students need to see. How else will anyone see nonviolence as an alternative? How else will students listen to debates about entering a war, and be able to say, "Hey, what about nonviolent alternatives? Have we exhausted all nonviolent possibilities before resorting to violence?" This dialogue can't happen unless someone shows them that it's a real possibility -- and this is something we can do, because it's been done before.  I stand as an example of the power of simple exposure to nonviolence; 3 years ago, I couldn't say more than a sentence about Gandhi, had never heard of nonviolence or ahimsa, and confused Cesar Chavez for Che Guevara (true story).  And now I consider it one of my core values, and simple awareness has transformed my teaching.  That's the beauty of nonviolence -- it fills the gap so many of us are searching for, and it does it without force or coercion -- it does it simply by existing.  

I'm so fortunate to have the opportunity to be with you all to share our passions and questions and support, because one of the most important elements of nonviolent resistance is community support.  5%, right Kristy?  :)  So thank you for listening to my rant (it wasn't my initial intent!), and thank you for being here in India.  Love you all :)

And now, the original point of this post, haha, was just to share that link to learn more about nonviolent conflict, both as a strategy and to learn more about examples is history:  http://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/

Rocks, ritual

I had e-mailed with some of them beforehand, or answered questions on Facebook. But really, they were strangers—13 other women, mostly from the US, mostly schoolteachers.

I had returned to Delhi on the night train from Varanasi; most of the scholars from the six week program had departed or were in the process of departing. In charge of this last journey, I had gone back and forth between our four cars, checking and double checking that everyone had a seat, was settled, had dinner, had water, and was calm. I answered questions about lodging for the last night before they went to the airport. I answered questions about wifi, food, availability of ATMs, printing boarding passes, pick ups from the train station, and cost of auto-rickshaws. I mediated a few little conflicts, mostly cranky and tired nerves, and people weary of one another after six long weeks of travel and complicated academic research.

We said our farewells. One student was vomiting, sick. I kept problem-solving, sharing wipes, water, medicine, reassuring words, information.

The start of the teachers’ program: new people, new energy, new questions. Finally, an art teacher led us in a simple activity. We each chose a small rock. She had provided paintbrushes and acrylic paint. In silence, we were each to paint our rock, however we liked.

What a simple task. I don’t think I’ve done something so simple since I left home in May.

I looked at the colors, and chose white, pearl, bronze, dark copper, and pale pink. I painted my entire rock white, first, and then waited while it dried. I immediately found a flat side of the rock, and thought about ways to use that side, and whether I wanted to paint words, or a design, or another object.

It felt so good to paint! Everyone painted, including both Jain professors. The room was quiet for a long time. I loved seeing the pearlized surface of the rock once I used the pearl color, and then appreciated—my mouth watered—the sensation of laying down the paint with the wet curve of my cheap paintbrush.

It was so satisfying to see the surface of the rock change, to make my creative mark on it, to be left alone to work with pretty shades of paint, chosen only by me.

The rocks are radically different. One person painted a really great tiny portrait of a face, another did an elegant and minimal flower, following the grain of the marble in the rock. Some people used every primary colors, others used restraint. Each morning, we bring our rocks and place them on white cloth. At night, we take them back to our rooms with us.

Sometimes, I place my rock colored-side down so only the golden-pearl side shows up. Sometimes, I put my rock so it slightly touches my roommate’s. It’s such a tiny ritual, and it’s not very intellectual or complicated at all…and yet, it satisfies me.

One of the challenging things about travel is that we have so little of our familiar home routines. And actually, this can be transformative, as we practice the posture of hands open, ceding control.

It’s a kind of balance: I always decorate whatever room I’m staying in. I hang maps and make collages out of wrapping paper, newspapers, and mantra cards. I put up photographs, patterned paper, and letters above my bed. I hang scarves and put out objects, stacking my books under a make-shift paperweight. I like to walk into my room and see something home-like, something recognizable as “Stephanie’s room.”

And small rituals reassure us. It’s interesting that something as elemental as rocks, paint, silence, and routine (carrying home, carrying back) can provide a touchstone for the group, a marked beginning and a little melody to carry us through the day.

Ahimsa Center @ Cal Poly's K-12 Curriculum Site

In 2011, Kristy Smith, Gina Pagel, and I attended a 2-week summer institute at Cal Poly Pomona called "Journeys of Nonviolence."  It was the inspiration behind this entire program, and it has transformed the work that I do in the classroom.  Dr. Tara Sethia started the program and is incredibly inspiring and passionate about her work.  During the two-week institute we completed ample reading, writing, viewing, and reflecting about Gandhian nonviolence and its impacts on other nonviolent movements in the United States (particularly Cesar Chavez and the farmworkers' movement.  In 2007, the institute focused on MLK Jr., and this year it focuses on sustainability).



Anyway, a requirement for the institute is the creation of 2 standards-based lessons plans incorporating course content.  Professor Sethia then has TAs give us feedback on the lesson plans, which we revise, edit, and resubmit -- and then they are published at the Ahimsa Center website.  I thought you all might be interested in using it as a resource, so here it is!  Again, each lesson is standards based, and includes a content essay to help build your background knowledge.

Click here for Ahimsa Center K-12 Nonviolence Curriculum

Some examples of lessons on the site:

• "Gandhi's Self-Rule and Democracy in the Classroom," by our own Kristy Smith!  (grades 5-8, Social Science)
• "Interculturalism and Immigration: A Nonviolent Approach," by our own Gina Pagel! (K-8 Social Studies/Spanish)
• "Gandhi and Lord of the Flies: Does 'the apparel proclaim the man'?", by yours truly :) (HS English)

Other Lessons:

"Need vs. Wants in Creating Sustainable Communities," 9th grade Earth Science

"Ahimsa in the Real World: Truth, Love, and Nonviolence," 2nd grade

"Cesar Chavez as a Role Model for Creating Responsible Citizens and a Caring Community," K-2 (by Jami Arnst, who was here in India with us last summer!)

"Unpacking Nonviolence: A Family Night Activity," Middle school family night event

"The Way You Dream: Gandhi and King’s Visions of Nonviolence," HS Humanities

"Integrating Gandhian Principles of Communal Unity in Mathematics," Grades 4-6

"Consumer Confusion: Wants versus Needs and Gandhi’s Wisdom," Grade 4 Social Studies

Our official group photo!

TED Talk referenced today by Dr. Kamla Jain: Is violence decreasing?

In today's lecture on the history of ahimsa, Dr. Kamla Jain referenced Stephen Pinker's assertion that as a society, we're actually becoming less, not more, violent.  In case anyone wanted to hear more, I thought I'd post his TED Talk on the topic.  Enjoy!  :)

 

Laura's Presentation & Related Materials

Hello, all!  I just wanted to share the link to my Prezi presentation, along with some supporting materials.  If you have any questions, just let me know :)

Link to Presi Presentation: Positive Peace in the Classroom

Readings Referenced in Presentation:

Curriculum:
Tim O'Brien, The Things They Carried
Herman Hesse, Siddhartha
Film:  The Long Night's Journey Into Day

Readings on Nonviolence brought into the classroom:
MLK Jr.'s "Loving Your Enemies" A beautiful sermon on forgiveness
MLK Jr's "Pilgrimage to Nonviolence" An overview of nonviolence and its merits; very accessible
Article about a professor asking his students to go a week without their cell phones -- Used as inspiration for students creating their own "Siddhartha Experience," in which they gave something up for a week
Gandhi's concept of "oceanic circles" explained




 

Speaking of disequilibrium...

I've been thinking a lot about Piaget's concept of "disequilibrium" these last few weeks-- both because we are educators, and because we sure are experiencing a lot of it here in India.

Here is a reflection I shared on my personal blog-- I think one way that I process peace in my own self is to cultivate gratitude-- in this case, gratitude for the delightful things that catch me by surprise and bless me when I least expect it.

"Throughout my work in education and inter-religious dialogue, I refer to Piaget’s idea of “disequilbrium.” The uncertain, nerve-wracking, unpleasant feeling that happens when we encounter something new in the world.

I think my knowledge is intact, I encounter something previously unknown, and things shift for me…eventually, I am able to incorporate my new understanding, and then I have learned it. We cannot learn without disequilibrium.

India is a place par excellence for experiencing disequilibrium. And yet, I also experience so many moment so grace, or delight, or unexpected pleasure. Some examples:

Moments of disequilibrium:

• Eating the same brown chipati and cooked vegetables at every meal
• Wanting to stick to a time schedule, but things running too long, later, or not happening at all
• Sitting on my bed and watching a woman clean my floor by hand, crouched constantly, wiping every bit of the surface
• Being stared at, hearing “hello, hello,” by vendors and touts who want to get my attention, being photographed with or without my permission
• Haggling: the weary, constant pressure of not knowing if I’m paying too much, compounded by the guilt that I could probably may more than they ask
• Having access to places poor Indians or other women are not allowed, given my status as a white, Western woman
• Not having any control over where or when or what I eat
• Attending very long lectures with no discussion, not the educational style that is common for me
• Communicating with the few Hindi words I’ve used, and few English words a driver or cook (for example) know, and feeling exhausted, unsure, and frustrated all at once
• Riding in a bicycle rickshaw: feeling too heavy, guilty as we go up hills, a deep and panicked guilt that another human is sweating and straining to carry my weight—and yet, he eagerly sought out my business, and is happy to receive my fare
• When I buy a votive from a little boy on the ghats, and a little girl of age seven, also selling votives, says to me accusingly (and correctly), “Oh buying from the boy but not the girl! That is not right!”
• Hearing of progressive campaigns in the north that work to educate families that “Two girls equal one boy”
• Feeling guilty when I throw trash on the street at the train station, but I don’t feel guilty when I throw larger amounts of garbage away in the US because I don’t see it
• Begging: being told that we shouldn’t give money to child beggars, but they touch my hand and follow me when I avoid looking at them
• Hearing that the woman who cleans my room has had to remove her daughter from school because she can no longer afford tuition; yearly tuition is $200 US
• The washerman won’t wash my underwear; he will wash men’s underwear only
• I am restricted from visiting temples if I’m on my period
• Sour yogurt drink: I don’t like it, but people seem happy and eager to give it to me, so I drink it
• The bird hospital: I don’t see the point of keeping dying and injured birds (mostly pigeons) alive and feeding them
• Educational style: I feel torn between wanting to give advice on how things could be “corrected” (ie, made more Western) and learning to get along in a new style
• I don’t like taking off my shoes to go into the dining room and eat. I hate the feeling of food and dirt on my feet as I stand in line to get food.
• Non-Western toilets, especially on the train

Moments of delight:

• Finding food I like, complimenting the cook, and he remembers that I like it and makes it again
• Coming across a wedding procession
• Talking to children about their school, showing them pictures of my family and home, sharing songs
• Fresh mangoes that have been chilled all afternoon
• Clean sheets on the train, falling asleep and sleeping soundly on an overnight train
• Strangers anticipating my question or need for directions, and helping me
• The reverence for books: the highly cared-for libraries, with old texts behind lock and key, the solemnity with which the librarians let me take out individual books
• Being welcomed into worship at the temple every time I go, getting to anoint the statues, placing fruit, singing, clapping, and praying
• Looking at children’s work and art in schools
• Feeling grateful for my healthy body
• Feeling grateful for my education and opportunities
• Feeling inspired to teach and learn
• Having a shop-keeper move heaven and earth to find me a container of peanut butter
• Experiencing Bollywood movies
• Following Gandhi’s footsteps at the place of his martyrdom
• Meeting teachers in their 70s and 80s who still have a deep passion for teaching peace and justice
• Singing old gospel songs along with table and saringi

When I look at this list, the moments of discomfort seem small, individually, but being so long in a strange place—they all add up. They all work together to remind me, constantly, that I am [not yet?] at home here. I can encounter something completely unexpected at any given moment, and so must maintain a posture of possibility.

And, it’s this openness to possibility, paradoxically, that leads to many of the things that delight me. A willingness to try to keep talking, or to sing, or to dance, or to sit down and talk to children. To try yet another new food. To get on the train, the boat, the rickshaw, without knowing where it goes next.

One of my professors wrote a book about social activism; she posits that those who spend a great deal of time outside of their own country become fundamentally changed. This change informs the way they work for justice. I pray that I will not lose my willingness to try new things; basically, I hope that each day, I am conscious enough of delight to live through the disequilibrium.
 

Peace in Self

We've been learning a lot about personal peace, equanimity, the way peace begins inside our own Selves. I saw this image on Pinterest and was reminded of our work:


I noticed that many of the children's books we looked at yesterday included characters who were on personal journeys of some kind. Similarly, we are on a journey as well-- individually, and as a group. It can be hard, in a foreign place with so much disequilibrium, to attend to our interior spaces.

What practices sustain us? What resources are we finding to support the young people in our communities?

July 18, 2013 Pictures!

 

Here are some pictures -- text to come tomorrow!  :)

 

Dr. Shugan Jain's morning lecture:  The history and evolution of ahimsa

 

 Hannah conducting some summer tutoring for Kristy during a break 

 

Julie & Dr. Jain chatting during a break

 

 Hannah, keeping us in suspense before her presentation :)

 

 Alyxa, leading a discussion on why we became teachers

 Hannah, sharing her journey to becoming a teacher

Tessa, sharing her experiences and why she became a teacher

 Hannah, leading a presentation on Morning Gatherings

Our Morning Message!

 

Hannah & Lindsey:  Candy Crush champs :)

 

 

 

The Prince and I! A budding artist right here on the campus!

The Artist otherwise known as Prince!

TED Talk: Can Violence be Cured?

I had planned on seeing if we could watch and discuss this together, but some of what is discussed in this video came up in discussions today, so I thought it was timely and that you might be interested in this TED Talk.  Enjoy!  :)

Published on May 14, 2013

Does violence spread like a disease? Epidemiologist Gary Slutkin of Cure Violence says the issue has been misdiagnosed, and instead created science-based strategies that aim to stop violence before it erupts.

 

Link to Recommended Reading!

Hi, all!  Here is a link to a GoogleDoc where you can share any texts you think participants would enjoy or find useful.  Please peruse, and add resources as you think of them!

Click here for GoogleDoc!

Photos of Day 1!

 Dr. Jain giving an orientation to the program

 The group making their totems (thank you, Lisa!)

More totem-making :) 

 Dr. Jain and his wife participating

 Julie gets to work!

 Stephanie, creating her lovely piece!

 Two of the Gina's :)

 Some finished products!

 Lisa, our totem-making-leader, talking about the purpose of the activity

Hanging out and relaxing after our first completed day :)

Day 1!

 

7/16/13

So today the program began! This is the program's second summer, and we're looking forward to a warm, inspiring, productive program. We have 14 participants this year, 13 of whom have arrived, and one is arriving on Wednesday (eagerly awaiting your arrival, Brandi!). We're mostly recovered from the jetlag, and had a lovely first day,

The day started bright and early with a delicious 8AM breakfast, and we got to take it easy and relax a bit before our 10AM start time. Our day began with our fearless leader, Dr. Shugan Jain, who introduced the program, its history, and our schedule. We then got to spend a few minutes talking about who we are, where we are from, and what brought us here. Among us we have a professor of education, an education policy advocate, and a variety of teachers, new and experienced, elementary and secondary, from all over the country -- South Dakota, New York, Wisconsin, California, Massachusetts, and Texas. The expertise this group brings with them to India is inspiring, and I (for one) look forward to growing both personally and professionally, as well as making some new friends in the next three weeks.

 

 

Before lunch, one of our participants, Lisa, who in addition to being an experienced teacher is also an art therapist, led us all in a totem-making exercise. Wit Stephanie's help, Lisa gathered stones from India for each participant to transform into their own personal totem -- their center. It was a meditative exercise, and each participant took the next 15-20 minutes to create whatever they wanted on their stone, something either meaningful or playful. The exercise and accompanying silence let us have a few minutes with our own thoughts, a few minutes to reflect on just being here, and to let out some of the energy we had stored up.

 

 

After lunch, we watched the film "Two Eyes Twelve Hands," which is the story of hardened criminals transformed by ahimsa. In the film, murderers are taken in by a prison guard who is convinced that by treating these men with love, by treating them as flawed humans rather than monsters, they could be restored and healed. The criminals in the film make mistakes, but he always believes in the power of redemption, and never punishes the criminals -- they see how they've disappointed the guard, and they punish themselves. This is how they learn and grow -- through the guard's use of nonviolent tactics, the criminals' broken moral compass is restored. After the film, teachers reflected on various connections they saw to their own classes. One teacher recalled a scene where the prisoners chose to sleep in chains, even if they were told they didn't have to, because chains are what they are used to. Stephanie connected this to students who are used to being given worksheets and "filling in the blank," who, when given more freedom, often act out or get frustrated. Like the prisoners, these students have become accustomed to a life of "slavery" -- of being told what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and so when they are given freedom and choice, they sometimes recoil at it. Something we want to do is reverse that education, to bring choice and love and passion back into education.

 

 

Another teacher, Lindsey, reflected on a scene where the audience saw that not only has society and the typical prison guards dehumanized the prisoners, but the prisoners has even dehumanized themselves. They lost their names and became numbers and handprints. This reminded Lindsey of how we teachers can sometimes get lost in the pressure of high-stakes testing and Race-to-the-Top testing for funding, and instead of seeing a room full of artists, writers, poets, mechanics, and scientists, we see a room full of students who need to pass a test. Instead of seeing 20-30 individuals, the group becomes one mass that needs to move to the next level. This is the kind of thinking we're trying to remain aware of, as the environment sometimes makes it hard to remember.

 

 

Another teacher reflected on the way the film showed an alternate definition of family. The guard was often referred to as the criminals' father, and it is this type of relationship that proved to be transformative. It wasn't about authority figures or the guard being feared -- it was about the respect that comes from familial love. Tessa reflected on how this reminded her of the roles teachers and schools could play when schools function as families. When the outside community and the community within the school all work together, that experience, too, can be transformative. Students work hard when they know their teacher cares about them and their growth, selflessly, just as the criminals worked hard for the guard because they knew his motives were pure.

 

 

It was clear the connections could have continued. Teachers talked about what brought them here, and many of them shared stories of students from broken homes, students who need a family, to be seen as human, and to be given the kind of freedom education is meant to provide. It was a beautiful day, and we look forward to more in the coming weeks :)