As an introduction to Night, I posed several questions to my students in order to promote discussion. While all of my students generally knew that the Holocaust was bad and we needed to know about it, none of them could really tell me why. In fact, most wondered why we should read the book, since we had already discussed the events of the Holocaust as a class. I asked them to think about why it is important to read and learn about the experiences of others when we don't know those people and probably never will. I was shocked when the reply I received was generally, "Well, I don't know, it isn't really that important. We already know bad things happen to people, so I don't know why we have to talk about it. It's depressing."
This transitioned into some of the most wonderful discussions I have ever had with my students. We talked about how our lives connect with the experiences of people we had already read about, and why reading and learning about these experiences allows us to connect. The importance of empathizing with others and making sure we as humans are aware of injustice was discussed, and hearing my students express their insights was amazing. Students who rarely contribute shared their thoughts, and everyone really got involved in and excited about the discussion.
When I told my classes that events such as the Holocaust and other instances of oppression still happen today, many of them were completely shocked. They all knew bad things obviously happen, but they had no idea that horrible acts of genocide and oppression were currently occurring in the world. And they all wanted to know, HOW? Don't we all? Listening to my students discuss reminded me that, as teachers, we are responsible for so much more than just educating. Our students are forming their personalities, beliefs, and character as they sit in class, and it is important to focus on how we all operate in this world as members of the human race. Sometimes it's easy to just stick to the facts and skip over why they are connected and how they resonate within.
An article I saw on edutopia.org was addressing this idea, and it offered some great insight and explanation about the importance of character development in the classroom. I personally view social and emotional learning as a very important part of education, and strive to incorporate this type of learning in my classroom. In the article Traci Vogel states that, "Good literature has long been a window into our psyches. As historian Barbara W. Tuchman put it, 'Books are humanity in print.' Incorporating SEL lessons into reading curriculum can put students in touch with the universality of literature, its power to transport us to different experiences and to connect and even change human beings."
"Books are humanity in print." I just love that. And it's completely true!
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