Cycle Two Report
The story of what happened.
The second activity in a series of three was a mentoring workshop. This workshop falls under the category of team building and social development.
I chose the Seabiscuit movie because of the varied programming abilities present in the class. In the movie, three very unlikely characters and a horse band together to accomplish what many thought impossible. The horse owner saw the spark of greatness in the jockey, trainer and horse. He did not order his team to perform, or demand long hard hours of work, he worked along side of them to bring out the best in each one.
I waited anxiously as the students began to arrive. Only 30 minutes before my husband had smashed his index finger with a maul while working on our new porch railing. I sent him to the emergency room with my 15 year old daughter driving.
Six of my current 8 students were able to attend. They consumed 6 pizzas, 4 bags of chips and 19 cans of soda before during and after the movie. My principal also attended as a representative of the school administration.
After the movie and before the rush for the door began, we conducted a short discussion about what the story meant to each person. I also asked why they thought I chose this movie to show. The answers were thoughtful and varied.
Documentation
Description of Project
Mentoring Worshop Survey
Mentoring Survey Results
Reflection
I felt it was time the young men started seeing the abilities possessed by each other. After the movie was over we took a few minutes to explore the possibilities presented in Seabiscuit. One student pointed out that just because someone didn't look or act great doesn't necessarily mean they won't become great. I was very impressed with the quality of discussion and depth of thinking.
As I said in my reflection on the description page, I was very moved as I thought of the talent and potential sitting in my family room. Although I planned these activities as a part of my action research, I was astounded in the difference in my own attitude. I wanted to shape and guide my class, but in truth, I was becoming more engaged in our communal learning.
Even though becoming more involved with the development of my students is stressful and time consuming I find it much more satisfying than pretending to be