Pretty Little Liars - Book 1

Click on the link below to read my responses to Pretty Little Liars (book 1).

Pretty Little Liars - Response

Literary Circles

We are reading The Kite Runner in class in a literary group. Attached are the responses I have had to the four sections of the book. Please feel free to add your comments.

The Kite Runner Responses

Where the Red Fern Grows - by Wilson Rawls

I once knew a teacher who had a great answer for a student who asked her why on Earth she would read a book more than once. To this she answered, "Have you ever had pizza more than once?" The student told her he had, to which she replied, "But why would you eat pizza if you had already tasted it?" He had no answer.

I first read Where the Red Fern Grows in grade 5. I stayed up late, hidden under the covers with a flashlight and cried real tears as the touching events unfolded. (This does blur your vision and makes reading difficult, but it's a worthwhile cry.) It was the first time a book had had such an effect on me. I started to crave that kind of connection with my reading and my book choices became more and more discriminating. Over the years, I have found others, but it takes a great book to bring this kind of attachment to my reading out of hiding.

Every year, I share this novel with my students. I don't expect them all to react in the same way, but I do want them to learn to appreciate literature and to realize that books and writing can have that kind of an effect on you as a reader. It is the best I can do to convince them that reading is worth the investment of their time.

Click on the link below to read my responses as the book unfolds and feel free to leave some comments so that we can start a dialogue about our shared reading. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Values From a Book?

Violence Denied

This one gets to me everytime! The wish is that all people (regardless of age or sex or any other defining characteristic) would refuse to do what they know to be wrong... 

The Giver - A Model Society?

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!

OK! Update! It's been confirmed! With an August release date! Anyone interested? We should make it a group outing!

The Giver - A Model Society?

This Is Our Planet to Care For

For animals and planet lovers alike, this little video will make you think twice about the things we do to disrepect this planet. What it reminds us to do is to remember that we are not alone. The Earth is shared with other living beings and they are counting on us to look after it. To them, that trust is a matter of life and death. What can we do to show we care?

The Advice We Take

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?

Peer Pressure at its Finest

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 these videos?

Lost Generation

This is an example of reverse poetry where the text reads one way forward and a completely different message emerges on the way back up. It's very cool, but it also gets people talking about what they are willing to accept for their future and what they are willing to do to be a part of the solution. I would love to get your feedback on this one.

The Death Crawl

I have seen this video so many times and I never tire of it. I think one of the things I like best about it is that it can be appreciated through so many different perspectives; through the eyes of the coach, the eyes of one of the players, or even through the eys of one of the assistant coaches who watch a master at work.

I love the way this coach teaches this player a very powerful lesson with a firm but gentle activity that makes the player appreciate what he has learned rather than feel that he has been humiliated or treated unfairly. The whole point of the lesson is that the coach had a great deal of admiration for the potential he knew this player had and rather than scolding him, he helped him see that this potential can have a very positive influence on others.

What an amazing role model he was!

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?

To This Day - by Shane Koyzcan

What an inspirational video. I still can't believe the silence that followed in the classroom. On a couple occasions during this spoken-word poem, the author mentions the "Sticks and Stones" riddle. It's very true what they say about the fact that it is completely wrong! It's simply not true that names won't hurt you. In fact, they continue to hurt you long after the bruises would have healed. This explains the title "To This Day" which shows how long that kind of cruelty can last.

The second reference he makes that seems ludicrous now is the statement, "Kids can be cruel". Yes they can, but I maintain that this cruelty is learned. And that saying it doesn't make it ok. What I wonder is where kids learn to be this way.

The expression that comes to mind is the one about fighting a losing battle. I wish it would change, I would love to be a part of the solutiuon, but when I look at all the initiatives of the past, I wonder if it is possible to weed the meanness out of people who don't seem to feel anything for others. I guess, we must simply not lose hope.

What We Sometimes Don't See...

Everyone could relate in their own way to this kind of video. What are the personal themes that you might identify from this one? How can you relate to some of the emotions that are brought out in this video?

Famous Failures

This video gives us so many examples of the humble beginnings of people we know to be successful. There are lots of kids who say, "What's the point of trying? I'm going to fail anyway." or "Why bother? I'll never make it to the NHL." They may be right, but there are tons of NHL players who would never have made it without trying (and failing a whole lot during the process).

Samuel Beckett once said, "Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." This quote inspires me and reminds me that I am not perfect and in order to get better at anything, I have to be willing to fail and learn from my failures, just as many of the famous people in this video once did.

We often think of our heroes being perfect. Well, the truth of the matter is that they were not born that way. They have had many things to learn along the way and failure is a big part of learning. This also makes me think of the importance of CHALLENGE in my life. If things are too easy, we lose interest. We need them to be a little more difficult than we can handle so that the effort gets us to learn something new and to be better and better at what we are striving to learn.

I am anxious to hear what you have to say about these videos and please feel free to leave your comments in the comment section of my blog as well.

Attack on the World Trade Center

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.

Click on the link below to view the video again and to share it with those who read your blog.

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

Attack on The World Trade Center