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Students' identities and them developing them through a culturally relevant lens has always been one of my main priorities when it comes to my future career. Using the pedagogical culturally response lens, I will be able to create an environment where all of my students can thrive, and include all of their diversities and cultural backgrounds. This includes making a safe and welcoming classroom, surrounded by multiple means of support; my knowledge of how to create such an environment has greatly expanded in these last few months. Two of the most influential pieces of literature that I have read this semester are España & Herrera (2020) and Muhammad (2020). España & Herrera (2020) really introduced how to actually create lessons surrounding the histories of different cultures to create a better community and be supportive of all students. All students should be able to connect to different teachings in the classroom, instead of feeling left out, ignored, or invisible. I have to be able to give my students a sense of agency in their education, so that they know that they are valued and are fully capable of directing their education in whatever ways they want; I want to be a guide for my students on the long journey of their education. The resources I have selected will be own sort of guide, giving me the best opportunity to bring out the best in my students.

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Using Music to Encourage Student Learning and Identity

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Using Music to Encourage Student Learning and Identity

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This website gives a list of songs that will help students to further value and understand their school and learning journeys, and to realize just how many people have popped up along to the way to encourage, value, and support them towards their full potential. Music can help students to feel emotions about school in a completely new and different way, while also being fun and enjoyable.

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FlourishAnyway believes there is a playlist for just about any situation and is on a mission to unite and entertain the world through song.
Never Stop Learning

Education can open so many doors of possibility, although not everyone appreciates its life-altering potential. As I watch soon-to-be minted high school graduates, I wonder if they understand the value of their schooling and how many people have supported them along their path to success? Just as importantly, do they realize that some of the most important lessons in life can never come from a classroom?

Perhaps you're celebrating the start or end of the school year or looking forward to graduation. If so, why not make a playlist to celebrate school and feeling smart? We've got a long list of pop, rock, and country songs reflecting a variety of angles on education, including:

school spirit

intelligence

dropping out

memories of classmates

changes after high school

joy of summer vacation and

what was learned.

1. "We're Going to Be Friends" by The White Stripes

Remember the kids you once played tag with on the elementary school playground? It was a time when school was the center of your small universe. And making friends was your biggest priority. This delightful alternative rock song from 2001 describes childhood schoolmates as they embark upon a new school year of experiences together.

2. "Another Brick in the Wall" by Pink Floyd

One of Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time," this 1979 rock song protests overly restrictive schooling and boarding schools. According to the song, thought control and dark sarcasm are among the tactics that teachers use to control students, and students are better off without them. I've had teachers who name-called students and hated their jobs, and I sure remember them, but not in a good way. How about you?

3. "Good Girls" by 5 Seconds of Summer

This 2014 pop song describes a smart high school girl who is headed for Harvard. She's a straight-A student who has her parents convinced that she's spending all of her time with her nose buried in the books. However, she acknowledges that good girls are bad girls who haven't been caught.

4. "High School" by Kelsea Ballerini

The guy in this to-be-released country song is stuck in a time warp. He still drives the hand-me-down truck that he did back in high school. He lives for Friday night football games, still wears his football jersey, and calls the girl he dated back in high school.

But her heart has moved on and so has the rest of his life in the five years since he has graduated. The world can be cruel when you're stuck in an emotional vaccum, too immature to move forward.

Facts and Statistics About Education, Schools and Intelligence

By 1900, 31 American states required children ages 8-14 to attend school. By 1918, each state mandated that students complete elementary school.

The following countries have 100% literacy rates: Finland, Greenland, North Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, and Vatican City.

In the U.S., high school dropouts are 8 times more likely to be incarcerated. They are also 50% less likely to vote, not eligible for up to 90% of jobs, more likely to need public assistance, and they earn less than half as much as college graduates.

IQ test scores have increased an average of 3 points from one generation to the next from 1930 until the present. This overall improvement applies to every modern industrialized country, age range, and ability level.

Only 11-12% of Americans can read above an eighth grade level, whereas 14% of the American population cannot read at all.

American students who are not reading at grade level by the third grade are four times more likely to later drop out of school.

5. "School's Out" by Alice Cooper

Woo-hoo! This celebratory 1972 hard rock song was named one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Capturing the sheer elation of school vacation, it's become an anthem for the the best two and a half months of the year. (The song actually claims that there's no more school forever because the school has been blown up.)

The hit has been so widespread that Alice Cooper sang it with The Muppets and allowed it to be used by Staples office stores to promote back-to-school items.

6. "ABC" by Jackson 5

The narrator in this 1970 R&B pop song thinks he can teach his honey how to love, so he sits her down and explains how simple it is. He convinces her that it's as easy as learning the alphabet or counting to three.

7. "Fifteen" by Taylor Swift

The narrator in this 2008 country song describes life as a 15 year-old high school freshman. It provides perspective about false promises, changing priorities, and the process of discovering who one is.

All of this identity-searching happens during those four glorious (and sometimes terrible) years in high school. I'm so glad to be an adult!

8. "Beauty School Dropout" by Frankie Avalon

It's a sad situation when you have the dream but not the drive to finish beauty school. This 1978 pop song from the movie Grease makes light of Frenchy of the Pink Ladies who flunks beauty school. The narrator, her guardian angel, urges her to return to high school.

9. "The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades" by Timbuk3

In this 1986 pop song, a future nuclear scientist boasts that he's got a great future in front of him: a good-paying job lined up after graduation, good grades, and he loves his field of study. He's one of the in-demand STEM students who can just about name his price. What an enviable position to be in!

10. "High School Never Ends" by Bowling for Soup

This 2006 rock tune reveals the truth about high school: that it's a microcosm of the bigger world. People gossip about others' attire and sexual relationships, social connections and appearance, addictions and emotional disorders. Truly, high school never ends, and only the players change.

11. "(What a) Wonderful World" by Sam Cooke

The poor sorry sucker in this 1960 rock song admits that he is no A student, and he rattles off all the subjects he's performed poorly in: history, biology, science, French, geography, trig, and algebra.

However, he is certain that he loves the girl in his life, and it's his hope that if he tries hard enough to be an A student, maybe she will love him in return.

12. "School Days" by Chuck Berry

Long live rock and roll! The teeny boppers of the 1950s looked forward to heading to the juke joint to dance and cut loose with friends.

This 1957 song became a rock anthem. It describes how after a stressful day of tests, dealing with teachers and trying to find a seat in the lunchroom, music provides a welcome release for students.

13. "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" by Cake

I like the narrator in this 2001 rock song because he sees intelligence as sexy. You have to love a man who can appreciate a woman's mind as much as her behind.

The guy describes his ideal woman. He's looking for one with a short skirt, but he also wants one

with a mind like a diamond

with the right allocations and good dividends

who's fast and thorough

and sharp as a tack.

14. "Don't Be a Dropout" by James Brown

The narrator in this 1967 rock song tries to convince the listener of the necessity of an education by relating a story about a friend. When he went to a job interview he was told that without an education, one might as well be dead. Seems like a harsh way to make a point, don't you think?

Even so, he's right that dropouts face an uphill battle in that they don't qualify for a majority of available jobs, earn substantially less in their lifespan than their more educated counterparts, and experience higher rates of unemployment. So as James Brown encourages, stay in school!

15. "Be True To Your School" by Beach Boys

There's a lot of " rah, rah, rah" and " sis, boom, bah" in this peppy pop song from 1963. It urges students to show some school spirit. The narrator defends his school's honor just as he would stick up for his girl. Do you show pride in your school?

16. "Too Cool For School" by Fountains Of Wayne

This 2000 rock song from the horror comedy Scary Movie describes a truant who is an instigator, eliminating his enemies when the lights go down:

He's got his own way of getting things done
He's always looking out for number one
Don't try to beat him cause he's already won
And he's too cool for school.

17. "No Such Thing" by John Mayer

In this 2002 rock song from John Mayer's early career, he speaks out against guidance counselors and others who advise students to embark on careful and sensible career paths. Instead, he'd rather follow a long shot dream, something that makes him completely happy, even if others consider it less practical:

They love to tell you
Stay inside the lines
But something's better
On the other side.

18. "School Is Out" by Regina Spektor

Empty schools can be lonely, reflective places. The narrator (a student? faculty or staff member?) walks the bare hallways of her school in this unreleased pop song. She makes note of the pennies that litter the floor, the bathroom graffiti, and items left behind, feeling disconnected and out of place without the crowd of people around her.

Reader Poll

19. "Don't Stay in School" by Boysinaband

The narrator in this 2015 rock song laments that he learned about isotopes, the American West, Shakespeare, physics, and the solar system. Instead, he wanted to learn more practical things in school, such as:

how to vote

how to look after his health

the laws of the land

how to budget his money

what to do if he has a headache

how to be a good parent

He comes to the senseless conclusion that his childhood was wasted inside those four walls. Hey, we can't be spoon fed all of the information we need in life, big guy. Express some curiosity and go get the practical information you need for yourself.

20. "Smarter Than You" by The Undertones

The know-it-all narrator in this 1979 rock song claims to be an intellectual. Within just a few minutes of meeting a girl, he claims that he is smarter.

Anyone who is this impressed with himself is probably hiding some monumental insecurities. He's a case in point for the old saying by Mark Twain: " It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

Even More Songs About Education, School, Intelligence, and Feeling Smart

Questions & Answers

Question: Can you give me the name of other female singers who have songs like Loretta Lynn and her song, "Coat of Many Colors," please?

Answer: The singer and songwriter of that tune is actually Dolly Parton rather than Loretta Lynn. Similar singers might include Reba McEntire, Barbara Mandrell, Tanya Tucker, The Judds, Lorrie Morgan, and Emmylou Harris to name a few.
© 2017 FlourishAnyway
FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on April 19, 2020:

Peggy - Exactly. Is anything really 100%? There are always the unwell, unable, etc. who cannot be taught.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on April 19, 2020:

That is a pretty sad statistic regarding the percentage of Americans who can read above an 8th-grade level. I also found it fascinating that North Korea has a 100% literacy rate. I wonder who verifies that? It is not exactly an open environment.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on October 14, 2019:

Anonymous - Perhaps try "The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades" by Timbuk 3 or "Pi" by Kate Bush.

Anonymous on October 13, 2019:

I need a song about a boy that is smart in school?

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on October 09, 2019:

Nithya - I'm glad these songs bring back the memories. Have a wonderful week!

Nithya Venkat from Dubai on October 09, 2019:

A great selection of songs reflecting on school experiences. These songs brought back memories of school back in the good old days.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on September 30, 2019:

Marietta - This doesn't strike a chord with me, but I'm hoping a reader can offer some assistance.

marietta on September 30, 2019:

i'm looking for the name of a song writer. She sings about being poor, of not fitting in because of her clothes, her haircut, her lunches. can you help me?

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 18, 2017:

Suhail & K2 - Glad you enjoyed! Have a great week! Thanks for stopping by!

Suhail Zubaid aka Clark Kent from Mississauga, ON on May 18, 2017:

Great play list! Pink Floyd, Van Halen, and Alice Cooper featured, and Motley Crue, Pearl Jam and Nirvana also listed, this was perfect.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 15, 2017:

Genna - Thank you so much for the kind compliment. I believe so much in education. If I could have stayed in school forever, I would have. I love learning. Have a wonderful week ahead!

Genna East from Massachusetts, USA on May 14, 2017:

This is an interesting combination. "Education can open so many doors of possibility..." One of my favorite words is "possibilities..." You always create new ones with your song lists. I just love them.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 13, 2017:

Nell - Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!

Nell Rose from England on May 13, 2017:

Awesome article and facts as always! And I remember most of these, and some I just didn't know. But now I have go another brick in the wall in my head! LOL!

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 12, 2017:

Rasma - Thank you for stopping by. Have a great weekend!

Gypsy Rose Lee from Daytona Beach, Florida on May 12, 2017:

Another awesome hub and fantastic music. Always really enjoyed Alice Cooper's School's Out.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 11, 2017:

Linda - I used to be an HR manager at a manufacturing plant where a lot of employees hadn't graduated from high school and were illiterate or read at very basic levels. We started a GED program. It was very humbling to think that they had gotten that far not knowing how to read but they'd come to me for help with reading their divorce or legal related papers, etc. Some went to great extents to hide it.

Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on May 11, 2017:

I found the news that 14% of Americans can't read at all both surprising and alarming. As I've said before, I appreciate the fact that you share educational information as well as music in your playlist articles.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 11, 2017:

Bill - They're both actually on there! Thanks for stopping by!

Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on May 11, 2017:

I did better on this one. I got Pink Floyd right off, but then my mind went to "Smokin' in the Boys Room" LOL Not quite what you were after.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 10, 2017:

Martie - Censoring something is the quickest way to make it very, very popular! Thanks for stopping by.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 10, 2017:

MsDora - Glad you enjoyed this. Thanks as always for reading!

Martie Coetser from South Africa on May 10, 2017:

Lovely Playlist! Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd was banned in SA for years. And this has made the song even more popular among the kids.

Dora Weithers from The Caribbean on May 10, 2017:

Missed out on all these songs except the Jackson's ABC. Bet they influenced the school kids back then. I like the Learned, Mississippi address.

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 10, 2017:

Heidi - That song sure does have endurance. I cannot imagine the Muppets being associated with school being out forever and being blown up! Thanks for stopping by!

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 10, 2017:

Linda - That's what I was thinking on North Korea. When you're starving, are you really motivated to learn to read? Hmm.

Linda Lum from Washington State, USA on May 10, 2017:

This must have been a tough one to put together; what an amazing list of songs on what I thought would be an impossible topic. I can't think of one that you missed (and you included a LOT that I had forgotten about).

But...I'm not sure I would believe any information (i.e. propaganda) that comes out of North Korea. 100 percent literacy rate? I sincerely doubt it.

Heidi Thorne from Chicago Area on May 10, 2017:

Alice Cooper's "School's Out" has got to be this month's theme song with the semester ending. And glad you added one of my fave Van Halen tracks. ;) Another fun playlist! Have a great day!

FlourishAnyway (author) from USA on May 09, 2017:

Shyron - You are quite the musical and theatre library! Wow! These were actually pretty tough to find the lyrics for. You should consider doing some music hubs of your own!

Shyron E Shenko from Texas on May 09, 2017:

Don't want to be Teacher's Pet - Frankie Avelon

I want to be Teacher's Pet - I have the song on one of Elvis' albums

Teacher's Pet is a song for Teacher's Pet: The Movie. It was performed by Christy Carlson Romano of Kim Possible and Even Stevens. This version of the song is actually a remake of Doris Day's song "Teacher's Pet" from the 1958 film "Teacher's Pet" starring Clark Gable and Doris Day.

Blessings always

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40 Songs About School, Intelligence, and Feeling Smart

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FlourishAnyway believes there is a playlist for just about any situation and is on a mission to unite and entertain the world through song. Education can open so many doors of possibility, although not everyone appreciates its life-altering potential.

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Movies that Work to Improve and Inspire Student Identity

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Movies that Work to Improve and Inspire Student Identity

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This website gives twenty five different movie options that give teachers the opportunity to allow students to watch movies in the classroom that better depicts some areas of study that are just too difficult to understand with only text book assignments. The list includes movies that may change the way students see the world around them and help them to live their lives as better individuals.

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In this digital era, education is not just lecture and blackboard sessions within the four walls of a classroom. The influence of handy gadgets, education apps as well as smart school software are taking education to a new level. The role of teachers changes from just one side dictators to more of a guidance and support giver when students utilize the pros of digital era to learn on their own.

Moreover, schools are taking good initiatives to utilize the advancements in technologies to give their students the best benefits of smart classrooms. With the use of projectors and friendly apps, they are giving an opportunity for students to watch movies in classrooms that better depict some areas of study that are difficult to understand with just text book assignments. The watch list also includes some really inspiring movies that can change the way students see the world and helping them to live as better individuals.

For schools which are looking forward to set up a movie show for their students, here is a short list of the best movies that help to educate and inspire students.

1. Freedom Writers: This inspirational movie depicts the story of a young teacher who took effort to encourage her students to receive higher education despite their challenging early school days. Freedom Writers teaches you to always have your ultimate end goal in your mind and work towards achieving it. Students who watch this movie are sure to live their dreams with tolerance and hard work.

2. The Paper Chase: Are you finding it difficult to keep the motivation to meet your dreams alive? The Paper Chase which was directed by James Bridges in the year 1973 can be really inspiring for you to achieve your heights despite all struggles and hurdles. This movie is based on the story of James T. Hart who overcame all his challenges during the first year life in Harvard and came out successful.

3. The Pursuit of Happyness: It is the real-life tale of a person who was just a salesman at first who used to sleep on the subway and later used his will power and hard work to overcome the obstacles and turned out a wealthy man. The Pursuit of Happyness gives the message that one should not give up on his dreams despite whatever hurdles come on the way. His hard work and perseverance and his keenness of not missing any opportunity that came his way at last paid him in the end.

4. Precious: This American drama film made in 2009 was based on a book that depicted the story of a young girl who was harassed mentally, physically and sexually in her early days. Precious discusses how a high school teacher inspired her and how she manages to fight back and improve her life as well as her children's life. This movie is really inspirational for students to fight their life and reach successful heights.

5. Life of Pi: The American drama made in the year 2012 was a visual master piece with a brilliant execution which is really inspiring for students. This amazing movie came under the direction of Ang Lee and tells the story of a young boy who survived a shipwreck at the age of 16 when his family expired. Life of Pi in fact gives not just a single message but many rethinking ideas for students such as to learn how to let it go, importance of having faith in yourself and the universal need of survival.

6. Dead Poets Society: This movie directed by Peter Weir is based on the story of an educator who motivates his students to confront the norm with his poetry teaching. Dead Poets Society was released in the year 1989 and Robin Williams played the role of teacher who inspired students with his unorthodox teaching methods. This is one of the best American dramas you must show your students to help them improve their learning life and find their individuality.

7. It's a Wonderful Life: This is an American drama released in the year 1946 directed by Frank Capra. It's a Wonderful Life gives really good lessons for students such as learning to see how blessed you are when compared to those around you and accepting and being happy with what you have. Students can also get a good message on how to understand the actual purpose of your life.

8. Good Will Hunting: It is a 1997 movie that depicts the story of a mathematical prodigy named Will Hunting who was an underachiever at first who didn't give importance to studies. And later he was inspired by the determination and hard work of a therapist who fight life despite his limitations. He then found out his hidden talents and utilized his potential to solve difficult mathematics problems. Good Will Hunting can help students to take an effort to do what they really can rather than stepping behind.

9. Legally Blonde: This is the story of a young girl who overcame her inferiority feelings and insecurity to get her education from the most prestigious Harvard school. Legally Blonde is really inspiring for those who fail to recognise their talents and keep on standing backwards. This movie makes it to the point that a good effort and a deterministic mindset can help anyone to utilize their potential and achieve good heights and gain more respect in life.

10. Searching for Bobby Fischer: It is a 1993 American drama film from the pen and direction of Steven Zaillian. This movie tells the story of a young chess prodigy who was encouraged and motivated to reach the best spot. Pomeranc plays the role of chess player Joshua Waitzkin. Searching for Bobby Fischer gives the challenge to the society about how to act rightly to motivate gifted children and help them get their best.

11. Stand and Deliver: This movie is based on a real life story of a teacher who went out of normal way to teach mathematics. His effort helped a group of students who were struggling earlier to come out successful. If you find yourself hopeless in handling a subject, then spend some time to watch Stand and Deliver and the story of Jamie Escalante is really motivating to see the possibilities to overcome past failures and be top achievers.

12. The Great Debaters: This movie retells the real life story of a professor who encouraged a group of students to taste the success. The theme of the movie is the way he moulds the students to give a strong challenge during debating championships. The Great Debaters can obviously lift your study spirits and motivate you to challenge yourself and others to win in life.

13. A Beautiful Mind: This American biographical drama film made in the year 2001 gives a strong message of enjoying every moment of your life. A Beautiful Mind directed by Ron Howard tells the story of a great mathematician scientist who considered him the best after a great discovery and failed to enjoy life but lived in fantasies. The movie depicts the journey of his self-discovery and how he realised the little joys of life.

14. The Manhattan Project: This 1986 movie hit the screens under the direction of Marshall Brickman. The Manhattan Project tells the story of teenagers whose school science project came out in a much bigger way than the norms. The making of nuclear bomb by the students with the information gathered from the internet is inspiring in terms of what a teenager can do with will power and hard work and at the same time gives the alert of how badly the technology can inspire youth.

15. The Blind Side: This American sports drama under the direction of John Lee was released in the year 2009. The Blind Side tells the real life story of Michael Oher who went through many rough patches in life. His blessing came in the way of a loving family who offered him shelter for a day and then adopted him for life. The family gave their true kindness and love to motivate him to find his skills in football and he utilized this opportunity to come up as a successful football player.

16. Harry Potter: This is a British-American film series in the time period of 2001 to 2011 based on the Harry Potter novels from the great author J. K. Rowling. Rather than spending hours in front of computers to play video games, the Harry Potter movie has really inspired students to come out and accomplish challenging tasks. Teachers are also adopting many Harry-Potter themes as part of their classroom activities to encourage and inspire children to learn and live successfully.

17. Lean on Me: This 1989 movie showcase the real life story of an unorthodox teacher who utilized his second chance to come out successful. His come back to the idyllic high school from where he was first fired from the role of principal witnessed a strong success tale. Lean on Me can really lift your spirits in the middle of struggling studies and gives the message of how to wisely use your extended chance in your education or career.

18. Remember the Titans: This movie showcases the importance of team work, a true leader and perseverance to achieve success. Remember the Titans tells the story of a good coach of a school's football team who used his leadership qualities to bridge the cultural gap among his students to help them perform as a team and win the championship. This American sports movie came to screens in the year 2000 and was directed by Boaz Yakin.

19. I Am Kalam: This 2011 Indian movie from Nila Madhab Panda can be said as a guide for students to show them the importance and value of education. The plot of the movie is based on a young boy who admired Kalam and wished to follow his path. Harsh Mayar who played the role of Chotu was brilliant with his performance who became a favourite for many students. I Am Kalam gives a strong message to the society on the value of education and the right of every student for achieving it.

20. WALL-E: This is a science fiction movie that hit the screens in the year 2008 which was directed by Andrew Stanton. This computer-animated film came under the production of Pixar Animation Studios. WALL-E teaches to improve our focus on relationships to find true meaning to life and to face the problem rather than sitting with it. And at times it is important to live the life rather than surviving and it is good to make decisions based on the current status of the situation rather than going with the past experiences.

21. Stand by Me: The movie directed by Rob Reiner is a journey of four kids in which they discover themselves and their real identities. Stand by Me is a 1986 movie from the director, Rob Reiner which was made based on a book 'The Body' by Stephen King. The movie throughout showcases how kids handle the unfair expectations on their way to find their missing friend.

22. Dangerous Minds: This American drama film that hit the screens in the year 1995 came under the direction of John N. Smith. Dangerous Minds is the story of a marine turned teacher who got the job to deal a class of tough students with distinctive back grounds. With her wise way of teaching to suit the class, she succeeded in her job of turning it out a class of studious.

23. Start Wars: This is an American film series from renowned George Lucas. The series of movies started early back in 1977 and is still continuing the journey. Star Wars series have a strong base for giving life lessons to kids. For the last three decades, the movie is gaining the acceptance of the students of the respective eras. More than space ships and explosions, the movie is teaching kids to have the determination to accomplish anything in life and to learn to distinguish right from wrong.

24. Schindler's List: This historical period drama was released in the year 1993 which was directed by Steven Spielberg. Schindler's List gives students a deeper understanding of the Second World War scenario and the hardships of the people. The movie tells the real life incidents of Oskar Schindler who was a hero who saved the lives of about 1,100 Jews at the Holocaust. This movie also helps students to value the importance of love than war for handling things.

25. Cinema Paradiso: This is an Italian drama film that came out under the direction of Giuseppe Tornatore in the year 1988. Cinema Paradiso teaches students to grow up with an imaginative mindset which makes life really beautiful. Students will also get the message that learning is never completed and it is a life long journey to be accomplished. Kids will also learn about how sharing and caring can give them the ultimate joy.
Final Thoughts
This is just a few among the lots of movies that help students to motivate and inspire and create a better world for them and others. These inspirational movies for school students and teachers are really going to boost their studies and educate them about the importance of hard work, determination and teamwork in their life. This new phase of smart classroom education with education apps and smart school software are creating a novel learning experience for students.

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25 Movies that Educate and Inspire Students [What's Your Favorite]

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For schools which are looking forward to set up a movie show for their students, here is a short list of the best movies that help to educate and inspire students. The watch list also includes some really inspiring movies that can change the way students see the world and helping them to live as better individuals.What's your favorite movie?

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This is a full lesson plan including vocabulary and activities for students to participate and engage in to help them delve into their identities and what characteristics make them who they really are. This lesson plan takes on more of a social justice standpoint, and encourages these students to accept and love themselves for where and who they came from.

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Students will be able to describe their various group identities.

Students will be able to analyze how people's identities are represented in books.

Students will be able to write a book review evaluating how characters' identities are similar to and different from their own.

Enduring Understandings:

Everyone has multiple identities.

Peoples' identities are similar in some ways and different in others.

It is important to see my identities as well as the identities of others in the stories I read.

What makes me who I am?

How are other people similar to and different from me?

What do stories teach us about identity?

Vocabulary

race [reys] ( noun) one way to group people, usually based on characteristics like skin color, facial features, hair texture or geographic ancestry

( Note: There are many different ways to define the term "race." We provide a working definition, but one of the goals of this lesson is for students to come to individual and collective understandings of the term that make sense to them and satisfy their personal and developmental needs.)

Procedure

Warm-up Discussion

1. Talk with your students about their identities and what makes them who they are. List words that help describe a person's identity such as: gender, race, religion and ability. Help students define any words they may not be familiar with.

2. Pick a well-known character from a book that the class has read recently or a historical or famous figure. Brainstorm words that identify this person. Briefly highlight stereotypes and caution against making assumptions or judging people based on a single characteristic. For instance, being a girl doesn't necessarily mean you like to play with dolls; being a boy doesn't necessarily mean you like to play sports. You can find ideas to help facilitate this warm-up in this Let's Talk! resource.

Main Activity

1. Show students the NJTV News clip, then discuss these questions:

* What is the goal of Marley's campaign?
* Why did Marley start this campaign?
* Thinking back on the identity terms discussed earlier, what were some of the things Marley looked for in the books she read?
* Why is it important to read about how people's identities are similar and different from our own?

2. Visit your school or local library and check out an assortment of illustrated children's books featuring racially diverse characters. You can also find free excerpts of diverse stories in our Student Textslibrary.

3. Ask students to form small groups. Give each group three or four books or Student Texts; ask the group to read and review them. Have each student record their observations in their Book Review Graphic Organizer. Tell them to mark down on the organizer whether they would recommend the book to someone else.

4. After each small group of students has read their stories and completed their graphic organizers, bring the full class together to share their findings. Based on the prior discussion of identity characteristics, ask students how they are similar to and different from the characters in the stories they read. Ask how that made them feel.

Do Something

1. Have students choose one book from their first handout and follow the notes from their Book Review Graphic Organizer to fill out the Reading Diversity Checklist handout.

2. For an extended activity, students can use these tools to compose a book review about why they would or would not recommend a certain book. Students should explain their recommendations using one or two questions from the Reading Diversity Checklist handout. Consider making these reviews available to students in other classes.

3. Send the book reviews to Marley Dias via the Grassroots Community Foundation.

Alignment to Common Core State Standards/College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.3.2, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.3.4, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.4

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In this lesson, students will describe aspects of their identities such as race, gender, ability, religion and more. Then after exploring Marley Dias' Black Girls Books campaign, students will analyze book illustrations and write their own book review noting how characters are similar and different from them.

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Lesson Ideas to Promote Student Identity

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Lesson Ideas to Promote Student Identity

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This website provides five individual lesson plan ideas to use in the classroom when encouraging students to look further into their own identity. It dives into the teacher's role in promoting student identity, and how educators should be leading students to grow into themselves, not forcing them into an idealized box in which they feel trapped and suffocated.

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Your personal identity refers to who you are as a human being. It gives you support and it guides your way when making important and less important choices in life. Everyone develops his or her identity at a young age. But developing a personal identity isn't always an easy quest. A lot of students struggle with finding out who they really are and what really matters to them as a person. Even more importantly, school has a huge impact on the development of a student's self-identity.

Katja Schipperheijn talks about identity development in her new bookDigital Citizens. In this blog post, I will share lesson ideas on self-identity from this book. I'll show you how you can encourage your students to speak for themselves and to be open about who they are, and you'll learn how to help them discover their self-identity and self-image.

The teacher's role in finding a student's self-identity

Every aspect of the life of a student plays its own role in identity development. It's important to keep a clear mind and to follow up on a student to lead them in the right direction, without deciding what kind of person that students should be.

As a teacher, you can teach your students the right and wrongs in the world, but never impose a biased opinion. Figuring out what opinion they have and how students interact with certain topics are a huge part of discovering out their self-identity.

That is, if they have their own opinion. It's very common that students just don't really know what they stand for. These students often follow the stream and collapse under peer-pressure. That's why helping students find their self-identity is very important.

Lesson idea 1

Finding out what a student stands for is part of finding self-identity. What opinion a student has and how they react on certain topics reflects a personality immediately.

Gather around in a circle and ask your students to find a small object that represents them. Put a bottle or tall object in the middle of the circle. Now bring out different statements about common and light topics. Students now have to place their object in the area before them. They can place it in front of their feet, or place it next to the bottle in the middle. They can also place it somewhere in between.

Here's an example:

"It's easy to talk to new people and get to know them." If the student finds it very easy, they have to place their object next to the bottle in the middle. If that student finds it very hard, they have to place their object right in front of their feet. Of course, the student can also place it somewhere in between.

As a teacher, you'll see that the objects of your students are in different positions. You can quickly distinguish student personalities from each other. You can also bring up topics like bullying, discrimination, climate change, politics, and so on to spark a discussion and find out about your students' opinions. It's very important to state that everyone has their right on an own opinion. Ask your students to elaborate on their move regarding a particular statement.

Developing a basic self-identity - Who Am I?

When we ask young primary school students to present themselves and say who they are, they often refer to facts. I live there, I have ... siblings, my mom works..., my dad is a..., my pet is.., and so on. Katja Schiperheijn finds this is a missed opportunity, as students don't think about who they really are in this exercise.

Lesson idea 2

Push students to dig deeper. Ask about their interests and expertise. Give them two cards:

One for their interests: whatever they would like to know or do, but can't yet; someone/something they adore and want to know everything about; a country they want to visit desperately.

One for their expertise, something they are really good at.

Let your students write both down on the cards. Start a conversation and let your students explain what they've written down. Then, hang the cards on a classroom wall. Let students look for other cards that might interest them to start a conversation. Let them open up to other students by talking about their interests with each other. If your students need help, they can look at the expertise cards and ask that particular student to lend a hand.

The impact of Social Media on a student's self-identity

To encourage a student developing a self-identity we must take into account that social media doesn't make things easier. We live in a society that rewards having digital friends, and we would go through great lengths to get more and more and more. Having Instagram followers and Facebook likes nowadays directly aligns with being popular or not. And yes, students value that more than they value themselves. So it's hard to develop a self-identity in a world with identities you think you know or that are "filtered".

This is an important lesson to teach your students. A discussion that needs to be held. How much do they value digital and social acceptance over being themselves? Who is the real person behind that social page? And how can you reflect it on your social page?

As Social media plays a huge role in our students' lives, we might as well include it in our lessons. Teach them how to digitally profile themselves in an honest way. Debate on what "an honest social profile" actually means.

Lesson idea 3

Let your students introduce themselves, online, in 250 characters. It's harder than you'd think. There are a lot of online learning environments on which students need to create a profile. If you don't have a safe environment like that, just use little cards that are drafted to look like an Instagram profile or another social platform.

Your students have to present themselves as unique as they are. Why would anyone want to be friends with them? What would it mean to have that student as a friend? Look at it as making a profile for a dating website. They'd want to present themselves in the best way possible without overdoing to avoid disappointments.

Lesson idea 4

Think about how photoshop and photo filters on social media distort a person's true image. Those filters can make students think that they're not as beautiful as others.

When you teach your students at an early age that filters are unrealistic (and even funny), your students' self-confidence isn't influenced that much. A way to do this is to browse the internet with your students (in groups) and look for photoshopped pictures and wrongly edited YouTube videos. Then make a top 10 and show it to everyone. Fun guaranteed! Moreover, this exercise sharpens skills for online search.

You can also take pictures in class and let your students edit them by using Snapchat or other image editing app. What about letting your students edit the teacher's profile picture. You get to choose the winner!

Using avatars to reflect self-image

An important of a student's self identity is its self-image. Students need recognition, confirmation, self-confidence and the feeling of being competent and valuable. How students perceive these things reflect directly on their self-image, the image they have about who they are, who they want to be and who they should be.

A student quickly understands the difference between the actual self-image and the ideal self-image. The difference between both images determines a student's self-confidence and wellbeing.

Truth is that it's very hard for everyone to recognize and acknowledge their self-image, even for adults. And as you know, social media doesn't contribute positively to our self-image either: they give an unrealistic image of reality. Perfectionism becomes the new benchmark.

Of course, online media can positively contribute to our self-image as well. Think about using avatars for instance.

Lesson Idea

Start the first lesson of the year by presenting yourself using an avatar that looks just like you. Ask your students to do the same. An avatar reflects the looks of the students, and thus the self-image. In a lot of cases, a student can also choose its avatar's powers.

When students finished creating their avatar, let them talk about it and explain why they decided to give their avatar that particular look. Make sure to moderate the conversation in a positive way and encourage compliments.

Never force a student to show their avatar, and don't mind starting an individual conversation with a student if you see some tension with a student. This lesson brings into the light a lot of emotions and feelings students have about their self image.

5 Avatar creator tools for your classroom

To help you with this activity, here are some free avatar maker apps you can use in your lesson about self-identity or self-image.

If you're curious to see how this looks, here's me:

Bitmoji is integrated into tools such as Snapchat. It shows your Bitmoji in different settings, which makes it even funnier! When creating a Bitmoji or any other avatar, you could use a picture of yourself as help. It's harder than it looks!

As Avatar Maker is a web-based tool, you don't need your smartphone for this, making it easy to get started. Like Bitmoji, it gives you more choices to add details, and has many possibilities.

Avaracha is another web-based avatar creator just like the one above. Your choices in color are rather small, but you should manage to create something that represents yourself, even if it's just a little bit.

If you want to create a fun avatar without having to choose too much, this avatar creator is the best fit. It has limited choices and is configurated in just a few minutes. The fun thing about this tool is that you get to do a personality quiz afterward, and it shows you what kind of person you are. A good activity when you're teaching primary school students about self-identity.

This one is harder to configure, so it's better to use it with some older students. It doesn't have many choices, and that can be an advantage when you see students find it an uncomfortable activity.

Wrap up

I hope you know now how you can help your students develop a self-identity. Let them positively discover their self-image by using avatar apps. Of course, there are many more inspiring things you can do to cope with your students' wellbeing and personalities. If you want to help them express their own emotions check out this post.

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5 Powerful lesson ideas to help students find self-identity

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Your personal identity refers to who you are as a human being. It gives you support and it guides your way when making important and less important choices in life. Everyone develops his or her identity at a young age. But developing a personal identity isn't always an easy quest.

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How Schools Can Help Cultivate Learner Identity and Agency

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How Schools Can Help Cultivate Learner Identity and Agency

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This blog posts gives insight on to how we can create an environment that promotes students' learning identities and their own agencies. It tells us how to create a learner-centered classroom and how to successfully approach and implement this practice. Students' learning identities are an essential aspect of creating a prosperous classroom that encourages engagement and motivation towards the curriculum.

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How Schools Can Help Cultivate Learner Identity and Agency

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The Brooklyn Laboratory Charter Schools team shares how educators can cultivate opportunities to develop a strong sense of identity and agency.

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This Q&A helps current and future educators to challenge themselves when it comes to encouraging and supporting students to have pride in their disabilities. Students who have disabilities have no need to be ashamed of them, and can actually look at them as a positive identifier in their individualities. Being able to look at disabilities as something that makes students unique in an amazing way is the only way to have an effective inclusive classroom, and I believe this Q&A fully supports that ideology and helps us to further work on it ourselves.

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11 Strategies for Helping Your Students Develop Disability Pride - Brookes Blog

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If you teach in an inclusive classroom, here’s one critical way you can support your students with disabilities: by helping them strengthen their sense of pride and self-acceptance. Authors Margo Vreeburg Izzo & LeDerick Horne issued this challenge in their Inclusion Lab Q&A a few years ago: “We are…

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11 Strategies for Helping Your Students Develop Disability Pride

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This video focuses on successful ways that educators can support and affirm their students' identities, including students of minorities, students who have learning disabilities, students coming out of or are in poverty, and students in the LGBTQ community. The role of identity makes such an impact on students and their education, and whether or not they will believe in themselves and their potential.

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The importance of affirming student identity | Jeewan Chanicka

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Using Children's Books To Develop Student Identity

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Using Children's Books To Develop Student Identity

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Reading is the perfect way for students to see versions of themselves that they can relate to and connect with. “Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange … Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection, we can see our own lives and experiences as part of a larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often see their mirrors in books.”

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Sulwe, by Lupita Nyong'o

Carter shared another example of a human-centered theme in the book, Sulwe. In this book, a girl thinks she's not as beautiful as her mother and sister because she has darker skin. Her mother tells her, "Real beauty comes from your mind and your heart. It begins with how you see yourself, not how others see you."

"That's what cultural authenticity gives students," Carter said. "Doesn't every child need to internalize this message?"

Not all children worry about their skin color, but everyone has something they feel insecure about. By sharing this beautiful story with students, educators help children develop positive self-esteem.

And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

In this children's book, based on a true story, two male penguins in a zoo bond, and want to have a family together. The zookeepers give them an abandoned egg, which they help hatch together.

While representing the LGBTQ community, this book focuses on the importance of family.

"All children deserve to be loved, all children deserve to have a family community," Carter said. "And sometimes, for whatever reason, family or community doesn't turn out the way you planned, or thought it would. But we can find ways to support each other, rally around each other, build community, and have relationships."

This book will make students who identify as LGBTQ, or have parents who do, feel welcomed in the classroom. For other students, this story helps them recognize different types of family units, and think about how they can support people in their community.

Romana Acosta Bañuelos

As another example of a human-centered story that helps students explore their identity,
Carter shared a Studies Weekly article on Romana Acosta Bañuelos.

Bañuelos came from a poor family who immigrated from Mexico to California. She started a successful tortilla factory. Then, to help the Hispanic community, she founded a bank and later became the US Treasurer.

"The beautiful thing about this story is that her background was no longer a liability, but a sign of strength and an opportunity," Carter said. "If she had not had those fundamental experiences, she would not have known how to help the people that she did."

Not only does this story give Hispanic students representation into the classroom, but it also inspires students from all backgrounds to turn their challenges into opportunities.

Exploring Identity Activities

Carter shared two teaching strategies to help students use cultural inventories to explore who they are and develop their voice.

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Helping Students Develop Their Identity Through Children's Literature

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Sulwe, by Lupita Nyong'o Carter shared another example of a human-centered theme in the book, Sulwe. In this book, a girl thinks she's not as beautiful as her mother and sister because she has darker skin. Her mother tells her, "Real beauty comes from your mind and your heart.

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How to Promote Diversity in the Classroom:

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How to Promote Diversity in the Classroom:

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This article helps me with creating ideas on how to outwardly support and encourage diversity in my classroom, and how I can teach my students about all different kinds of cultures. An essential part of a students identity is where they come from and how they celebrate such, and I believe that these 10 promotions are only just scratching the ice, but lay a wonderful foundation. I want my students to feel comfortable sharing all different aspects of their cultures, and know that they will be accepted and celebrated not only by them, but by all of us.

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10 Ways for Promoting Diversity in the Classroom

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10 Ways for Promoting Diversity in the Classroom help you and your child. Play dress-up. Dressing up lets children literally step into someone else’s shoes.

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10 Ways for Promoting Diversity in the Classroom

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2nd Grade ELA Lesson Plan - US Letter by Blake Belden

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Helping Struggling Students Develop a Growth Mindset:

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Helping Struggling Students Develop a Growth Mindset:

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This article gives me multiple examples of how to help my students who are struggling with themselves, their identity, and their education. Students need a positive mindset when it comes to their learning, or else everything they are experiencing in school everyday will seem like a passing blur. These methods will allow them to find joy in knowledge again while experiencing positive reinforcements to encourage them along the way.

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Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

Veteran researchers present five strategies-like maintaining success files and allowing choice-to help struggling students develop a positive attitude needed for success.

© Shutterstock.com/VLADGRIN

As researchers and teacher educators, we have found that a gift many effective educators give struggling students is a practical and optimistic mindset coupled with strategies that help them learn successfully. Over the last two decades, we have supported teachers in teaching students about their brilliant brains and in showing students strategies to support positive outlooks about their learning capabilities.

Our research aligns well with Carol Dweck's work on growth mindset, or acting on the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. In a previous post, we discussed the importance of growth mindset for teachers.

Now we turn to the benefits of helping students who find school difficult maintain a positive mindset as they persist in the sometimes hard work required for learning. When failures mount, it's easy to give up. A positive mindset focuses on the gains that are possible when students persevere through learning challenges. Here are five strategies to help struggling students develop a growth mindset.

Model practical optimism and point out examples of this approach in action; for example, say, "We knew this would be a tough project, but we stuck with it and worked hard. Just look at what we've accomplished!"

Share examples of how you have overcome learning obstacles. It's helpful for struggling students to realize that everyone occasionally faces learning challenges.

Share stories that illustrate the benefits of practical optimism.

Maintain a positive learning atmosphere by posing questions such as "What was the best thing that happened today?"

Encouraging Optimism About Learning

This outlook helps struggling students become more motivated, alert, and ready to learn, so that neurotransmitters that enable learning can be released. Many students who have learning challenges become pessimistic about school and lose hope that they can make academic progress. These teaching strategies help reinforce how useful it can be to develop a state of practical optimism:

In previous posts, we've discussed cultivating practical optimism in the classroom and in schools generally.

Teaching Students to Learn More Effectively

When struggling students learn how to "drive their brains" through the use of cognitive strategies, they're more likely to be able to learn and think at higher levels. Teachers often tell us they need strategies for helping students learn how to increase their attention. Our post " Strategies for Getting and Keeping the Brain's Attention" offers tried-and-true strategies to support teachers with this common classroom issue. And Edutopia's " Resources on Learning and the Brain " features other easy-to-use strategies for assisting students to learn more effectively.

1. Give every student a folder to use as a success file.

2. Ask students to write the word success on their file and/or draw a picture that represents success for them.

3. Every day, when possible, ask students to add to their folders examples of successful learning, such as tasks completed, examples of learning gains, and assignments that support their personal definitions of success.

4. At the start of each school day or class, remind students to look through their success file. The more students can reconnect to their previous achievements, the more positive their mindsets can become and the more successful they'll be in the long run.

Maintaining Success Files

A success file is a continually updated collection that provides ready evidence to help students internalize and remember their learning successes. Here is one way to use this strategy:

Using Growth Assessments

Growth assessments is the term we use for formative assessments that help guide student learning and monitor progress. Students with learning challenges benefit when teachers check in often and provide additional instruction and feedback when necessary. Growth assessments help students identify their strengths and areas of weakness that need further practice and reinforcement, and may include class discussions, interviews with individual students, consultations on drafts of work, and observations of how students are applying what they've learned. Students may use self-assessments such as journal entries and personal checklists so they can be prompted to monitor their progress. Keeping track of their growth, including learning challenges they have overcome, helps to foster a growth mindset.

Letting Students Choose

When students can choose topics of personal interest to study or make the subject of a learning project, they are more likely to maintain interest and motivation. Giving students choices also underscores that they are in charge of their learning.

One of the greatest thrills for teachers is to see the light bulb switch on for struggling students as they learn something new and internalize the belief that through effort and the use of sound strategies they can keep growing their skills and knowledge.

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Helping Struggling Students Build a Growth Mindset

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Veteran researchers present five strategies-like maintaining success files and allowing choice-to help struggling students develop a positive attitude needed for success.

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My Story and Artifact: A Personal Narrative

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My Story and Artifact: A Personal Narrative

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I feel that my story is similar to many students' experiences. I learned to talk very quickly, logged into computers and picked TV shows to watch by the time I was two, and could read at a very early age. I was creative and smart. Because of this, I was considered "gifted." This led me to obtain a perfectionist complex, and anything below an A was unacceptable. I was in all of the accelerated classes, performed high above average on standardized testing, and never studied for anything. I won school spelling bees, went to states for Power of the Pen, and played sports year round. I loved reading, and would go through a book a day, all the way until high school. Throughout high school, I played all varsity sports, maintained a 4.5 GPA, and did tons of extracurriculars. However, I began to feel the burnout very quickly. I did not find joy in reading anymore, I was tired all the time, and was losing weight very quickly. Nothing felt meaningful, and though I cared less and less everyday, my perfectionist complex forced me to keep going. Everything surrounding school became overwhelming, and every purpose I had felt when I was younger now was pointless. School took a lot out of me and was wearing me down at an exponential rate. I was still performing well in my education and sports, but I dreaded every minute of everything. I believe this is something that is not addressed in education enough, and that students who feel this way do not receive the help they need. It is never good for a student to not care about what they are learning, and I think all measures should be taken to prevent this from happening to more students so that they actually learn and develop instead of just doing what they need to to get by.

I chose a personal narrative because I feel as though written words are my easiest form of communication. I have never been good with speaking, but writing has always come easy to me. I love keeping a journal to write down my thoughts and feelings, and I wanted this narrative to feel similar to that; nothing too formal, more like an insight into my life.

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Perspectives from field – Students.  Teachers.

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Perspectives from field – Students.  Teachers.

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I believe that I got very lucky in terms of a diverse classroom for my first field placement. I also got lucky in the aspect that they were very open with me as well. I had students tell me their sexualities, without me prying of course, as well as students wearing clothes with pride flags on them openly. It was very enlightening for me to see because I went to Catholic schools from kindergarten to senior year of high school, and I had friends who told me about their sexualities but did not want to come out until they graduated because of the environment we were in. Seeing this difference and the level of acceptance from the other students was a new world to me. Also, the diversity of race was very different than what I was used to. My school was predominantly white, and most of my peers identified as conservatives who regularly made racist jokes that I had to combat. Seeing students of different races be friends with no discrimination was such a welcome change, and I wish I grew up in an environment like that. Class systems were not even a thing at my field school, and I never experienced any conversation surrounding that area. I believe that the educators at this school were very open to this diversity, and incorporated it into their literacies. They included different historical figures of varying cultures to teach lessons on, so all of the students had figures they could connect to. This is so important for a child to see as they are growing up so that they believe that they can be successful too, no matter the color of their skin. My host teacher taught science, and shared scientists of all different backgrounds and their accomplishments with the students depending on the content they were learning.

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My senior year of high school, I took AP English. Because of this, I spent a lot of my time reading very short excerpts and writing essays a lot. My writing improved a ton, which was very beneficial to my education, and I appreciated it a lot. I was much more engaged than I had been for the previous few years, and because our readings were so short and actually enjoyable, I did them. I was able to actually delve deep into their meanings, and was given a safe place to discuss them and how I felt about them. I was in a class with a female teacher for the first time, with eleven girls and no boys, so it really was a place I could talk about the struggles women had to go through and be able to accurately represent them in my writing. My teacher made sure to engage us, and ask us about our opinions and perspectives so that we all felt heard and respected, which is something I had not really ever experienced before. This year was a turning point in my education, and I was grateful to have this experience before college.

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This year of high school was definitely the worst for my language arts curriculum. My teacher was not a great man, and spent a lot of time targeting students and going after them for things they cannot help. At times, he would basically call me a narcissist and that there isn't much to me, and I spent a lot of time being upset in the class. This even further pushed me away from language arts and I only performed the bare minimum in his class to make sure that I did not have to participate. This teacher discouraged me from anything happening in this class, and I cannot really recollect anything we did except read the Canterbury Tales, Shakespeare, 1984, and Edgar Allen Poe. I remember being tested on details of Shakespeare's life, but that is about it. I gained little from this year, and it is difficult for me to think and talk about it because of the way my teacher acted towards me. Nothing motivated me to engage or think deeply, and everything felt very surface level.

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Freshman Year and Sophomore Year High School Language Arts

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Freshman Year and Sophomore Year High School Language Arts

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In my freshman year of high school, I remember being very engaged and ready to learn. I participated a lot in class, and tried my hardest to read the assigned books. However, this is when I started using Sparknotes and using that to really be able to perform on tests and have the correct answers. A lot of class time was spent listening to my teacher read, silent reading, and talking about what happened in the previously assigned chapters. I recall reading The Grapes of Wrath, The Great Gatsby, and To Kill A Mocking Bird, but I did not actually fully read any of them. I managed to collect the important details needed to perform well, but by my sophomore year I was totally disengaged and did not participate in class much, if at all. The teaching method was the exact same, as I had the same teacher both years. There was no social justice or CRT involved in my curriculum, and the deepest thinking I really ever had to do was with the green light in The Great Gatsby. It did not take long until I was uninterested in the lessons being taught to be, because there was nothing that actually intrigued me; everything felt very surface level.

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To be completely honest, I do not remember much from my middle school language arts curriculum. I do remember reading The Outsiders and watching the movie, but I do not remember any assignments for it. I also remember reading a book about a boy in seventh grade during the Vietnam War I believe, and I enjoyed it. However I do not remember any life changing lessons that really stuck with me. Book reports were common, but that always felt like a lot of summarizing. In my mind, there was not a lot of ground breaking development made in the classroom, and a lot of my time was spent reading outside of class for my own enjoyment.