I was preparing for my paper lesson this weekend!
Before I even get here, the first day of school, I show the students THIS VIDEO. We talk about how it'd be nice if we all did nice things for people.
On the second day, I have them see the TED talk the maker of the video did. THAT'S HERE. The students journal about life lines of kindness that they have extended and that have been extended to them.
THEN a couple weeks later, I'm ready for the paper activity.
Last year, I was on Facebook and a friend posted this idea and I loved it, so I did it with my classes last year. Basically, the description was: Have students take a piece of paper from their binders. Then, without ripping, cutting or burning, tell them to wreck it. Destroy the paper. After they have crumpled it, stomped on it etc, you tell them to fix it. Tell them to do whatever they have to in order to make it clean and perfect again. Once they realize they can't do it, you tell them that is exactly what happens when you call someone a name. You can apologize, but you can never undo it and make them new again.
Last year, especially with my freshmen, it became something we talked about all year. When someone would put someone down, they'd say "don't crumple his/her paper" and it really was a great way to bring it up again. "Bullying" is a word that is so overused now, that we need a new metaphor. In my classroom? We use this. I tell them that any time they call someone names, don't talk to them in a group activity, don't include someone in gym class, look badly at them in the hallway, they are WRECKING them. I really make a point of it to show them this. You are wrecking someone and you can apologize and say you're sorry and try to do better, but the damage has forever changed that person. Some people can shrug off a bad comment or mean stare, but no one can shrug off everything and we all hurt when one person is wrecked.
That was last year and I used it in my Spanish 2A and Spanish 4. However this summer, I realized that I can't use the same lesson in my Spanish 4, because some of my kids this year had me last year in 2A. I had to come up with something new and in coming up with something new, I improved the first lesson.
I have purchased throughout the past ten years, special paper that I use for various things. I pick it up in discount stores- pretty computer paper for invitations or letters etc. I use this for these lessons because it's prettier than looseleaf.
With my 2As, after we talk about wrecking people, I'm going to show this THIS AMAZING video to talk about how even if you're not best friends with someone, you can treat them like a human being and not crumple them. Then, they'll write on the paper their name and (in Spanish), In order to pay it forward each day, I promise to... THEN we will hang these promises up in the room. Next, the kids watch THIS VIDEO which is really great. We will talk about every day, they have a change to be someone's hero, even if it's something small. I'm then going to give them the chance to be someone's hero. I have the names of our support staff and I'm going to ask the students to write letters to them that I will distribute.
With the Spanish 4s, they will select a piece of paper that they want to use. I'll also distribute markers, colored pencils and white crayons. They'll write their name in the middle. Then I have a series of things they'll write: pets' names, birthday, age, where they live, siblings' names, parents' names, grandparents, aunts, uncles... favorite bands, favorite songs, favorite movies and tv shows, favorite holiday/celebration, favorite place, instruments they play or want to play, sports they play, hair color, eye color, favorite feature about themselves, adjectives that describe them, favorite memory from childhood, first memory from childhood, stuff animal names, favorite toys, prize possessions, something they're proud of, afraid of, career they want, favorite place in the world, names of favorite teachers, and hobbies. All these pieces of who they are. THEN on the back, I'll ask them to use the white crayon only if they wish, to write down their invisible identities. These will include (and they'll be told they can write them on the front if they wish): religion, race, ethnicity, disability, victim/witness of abuse/tragedy, socioeconomic status, divorce, disease survivor, sexual orientation, gender, anything else of your identity that you keep hidden. They'll be invited to write these in white crayon as they are a part of them but something they keep to themselves.
Then I'll tell them to read it over and BE PROUD of who they are. We will then watch THIS VIDEO. I'll repeat that the paper contains things about you, represents everything wonderful about you and everything you may not have been comfortable writing- it's who you are and you should be proud. No one has the right to take that away from you. Would you ever let someone rip that apart? I want them to celebrate who they are and be proud of every part of them. We'll watch THIS VIDEO. I want them to be the best version of themselves and be proud of every version of them. I want them to appreciate who everyone else is. I decided we'll also watch THIS VIDEO in both levels because it's important to include everyone. And if they do appreciate everyone and treat everyone with respect, they'll be in the hall of fame. We'll watch THIS VIDEO next. They will also be invited to hang their paper on my walls.
It's really important to me to make these things explicit to my students and call them on it when they cross these boundaries of human kindness.
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