Reading, Writing, Teaching, and Living Tools for Impassioned People
An art teacher’s reflections on learning empathy through his relationship with his grandmother, and his tools for teaching empathy in the classroom. “The root of empathy lies in awareness,” which means we must understand ourselves before we understand others. He discusses talking with young children with their emotions in mind, focusing on students’ reactions to events in their lives rather than just the events themselves.
In this sweet, inspiring short documentary, an elderly man writes a song for his wife following her passing. A studio decides to turn his lyrics into a song, which is put to photographs of his past relationship. I've used it to illustrate the power of written word, and the importance of telling others how you feel. Note: Have the Kleenex box handy! 😢
"Somewhere in America," a spoken word performance by three teenagers from Los Angeles. The girls discuss problems with the education system in the United States and what the experience is truly like for American students. I have used this to illustrate the power of spoken word poetry and performance, and it creates a wonderful discussion regarding problems in schools. You can use this for high school!