Tagged With "refugee"
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Trauma is Messy
I will always remember the day that, as a student teacher, I watched as a student entered my second-grade room covered in blood. After quickly establishing that he was not injured, we learned that the blood was that of his brother who had been shot the night before. No parents were around that night, so this second grader became the sole caregiver of his bleeding brother. My student would never be the same. We didn’t care about grades or test scores. We just knew that this moment would...
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Re: Trauma is Messy
As a teacher, keep in mind the great potential role of Theatre as enabling people to speak about the unspeakable: "Hey, I'm not talking about me! We're talking about what's up there on the stage." So, what if you were to ask a class if they've ever written a play. No? "So let's write a play today. Let's write a play, Hmm, let's write a play about someone who's growing up in a house where someone's getting hurt. What's his or her name? And where's the house: In town or out in the country? And...
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Re: Trauma is Messy
Thank you, Jon. This article is so inspiring. I am sharing it as widely as I can on social media and sending it to teacher friends who are so desperate to help their kids succeed. I love how you have let the students work, as best you can, at their own pace and space. Kids are rushed so much, and every experience of being rushed is a little reminder that they aren't fast enough; good enough. Allowing choices takes a little pressure off. A little pressure relief in the form of movement from...
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Re: Trauma is Messy
If you were to question a group of students whether or not any of them have ever written a play. No? "Therefore, let's sit down and create a play today. Let's write a play, shall we? Hmm, how about writing a play about someone who is growing up in a home where someone is often getting hurt? What is the person's name, please? Where exactly is the house located — in the city or in the middle of nowhere? funny shooter 2