Friday, January 18, 2013

One Last Chance

If you want extra credit to go on this marking period's grades - this is your last chance.  For real.  The marking period ends today.

Class today went pretty well.  We're discussing the religions, and I wanted to point out that - yes, there are a lot of different religions out there, but even inside religions they are very diverse.  I used a bellwork created by a colleague, and we discussed it - bringing up some controversial topics as we went.

Again, I was impressed by how respectful the classes were.  I felt good about the future of our nation.

That said, again today there were some students who felt awkward talking about some of the topics we brought up today.

I mentioned Dr. King - as Monday is a celebration of the man's life.

Photo credit: HERE.

I asked if any of them had heard any of his speeches, and a number said they had.  Dr. King was an effective communicator.  The topics he discussed were often awkward or taboo - yet he knew what he believed, and how to articulate it.

It's true, there will never be another Martin Luther King, Jr.  But perhaps we can keep ourselves informed and articulate, so that when the time to speak comes, we'll be adequately prepared.

If you want the extra credit, for reading and discussing the blog with an adult: great.  In honor of Dr. King, write a couple sentences telling me what you know about the man, and have the adult sign the paper.  Turn it in on Tuesday.

*Side Note* We don't actually teach about Dr. King in the 7th grade curriculum.  I'm holding on to the idea that students know something about him from previous years.  They certainly seemed to.  If not, hopefully next year in U.S. History.

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