This week is tough. We are in the month of no breaks and we have a month until Spring Break. I’ve been fighting off headaches due to fatigue, illness, allergies, or all of the above. But today I had a great conversation with a student about the recent cancellation of the Netflix show One Day at a Time. My student shared with me his frustration about the decision especially with a lack of Latinx representation on network television. He shared how the variety of issues from harassment to LGBTQ relationships to single parenting. This student also remarked how in his opinion, Fuller House is not a show relevant to issues today and does not represent diverse perspectives. This student raised so many great points and I was pleased to give him the space to be heard. A Netflix show may not seem like the most important topic, but I was so inspired by the passion my student had and the real examples he used to highlight his points. I hope for my student and for all fans of the show that Netflix or another network give it another chance.
If you give students the opportunity to debate and you’ve prepared them with a wealth of resources, Will they participate successfully? Today my answer was no. I found that my best laid plans were unsuccessful. Some students were well prepared with notes while others had no idea we were doing a debate. My success rate is not particularly high with this class, but at our second attempt at a more formal class discussion I had high hopes. I’m feeling down on myself like I let them down. But I’m trying to take the unsuccessful lesson in stride and use what happened today to improve the next time. If at first you don’t succeed, revise your lesson plan.
What a complex and mature thought process. Good for the student! That’s such insight on his part and shows he’s really thinking about these issues deeply.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading!
DeleteI've heard such great things about the show, I'll definitely have to check it out! Your student must have felt amazing that you took the time to talk to him about something he was interested in outside of school. What a great teacher you are!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading Laura! Yes, I want to check out the show now too!
DeleteSometimes a great conversation is all it takes to forget about everything else that's happening in our lives.
ReplyDeleteYes Stacey! I love taking time to get to know students better as I can.
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