Just when I begin to wonder...

Teaching is such a challenge, and a lot of times I find myself frustrated because I don't feel like I'm really reaching my kids. Today was one of those days when I stopped questioning and wondering, and realized that I am definitely doing more good than harm.

My freshman and I have just started a unit on nonfiction. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to incorporate some human rights issues into my class. I started sharing with them one of the most important books that I have read to date: Growing Up Empty: The Hunger Epidemic in America by Loretta Schwartz Noble. I wasn't really sure my kids would get into this book because of the way it is written and some of the terminology used. But I was so wrong. We had a discussion on what they read yesterday...an excerpt from the book that discusses the life of a 23 year old with four children. Talese (the 23 year old) has four children, and receives a mere $400/month in food stamps which comes out to be like $20/person/week. You should have heard the debate that was going on. The students were talking about fairness and ethics on their own, and also our messed up welfare system. Then they asked me if they could start a food pantry and have clothing drives for homeless people, and even go as a group to feed the homeless during Thanksgiving, and have a toy drive during Christmas...all on their own. A discussion that was only supposed to last 15 minutes lasted an entire 90 minutes. I was so moved because all of my kids live in poverty, but they realized that there are some that are living far worse than them. Since the beginning of the year I have been trying to teach them that they coexist on this planet with billions of others, and they should be aware of that at all times. Tolerance is always a huge topic in my everyday class. Based on previous behaviors, I didn't think they were really grasping what I was trying to teach them. But after today's debate, and comments like "I wish all of our teachers taught like you" and "We should discuss these kinds of issues in all of our classes; if we don't know these things, how can we be expected to change them," I realized that I am doing something right. In sharing these things with them, they really understand that I care...that teachers can really care. It was such a rewarding day. I am so proud of them.