School Bells – Current affairs – Grade 8 – Week 20
Although a break from the school routine is always fun I think that everyone is glad to be back to a more normal routine. I have missed the students although I did have some time with Sam and Paul during the holiday break.
I had suggested to the students that during the break they and their families think about three or four topics they would like to discuss and have the class discuss. I am eager to hear what topics they will recommend.
Here come the students now.
Me: Good morning class. I hope everyone had a nice time with loved ones during the break. Before you ask, there are cookies. In fact, Paul and his sister helped bake them. Ann and John would you pass them out please?
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. Thank you Paul!
John and Ann pass out the cookies which are quickly consumed.
Me: I am eager to hear what topics you and your extended families thought it would be good for us to discuss this semester in class.
Susie: My grandparents brought up the topic which we ended up calling manners or etiquette. Grandma said that when they were growing up everybody had a copy of the Emily Post book of etiquette. Mom and dad then said that Ms. Manners was the guide they grew up with. Grandma suggested we talk about how young people today know about etiquette. That is not a word I have thought much about Mr. Jim.
Me: Great topic Susie. Let’s put that on the white board.
Etiquette – What is it? Who decides?
Abdul: Mr. Jim our family talked about what it means to be living in the United States. We used to live in another country and now we live here. What does it mean to be patriotic when we can change countries?
Me: Another great topic. Thanks Abdul. I will put it on the whiteboard.
What does it mean to be patriotic when one can change countries?
Me: It seems that perhaps each family came up with one primary topic which covers a range of questions. That is great. Who else wants to share?
Tom: Grandpa asked how I know what it means to be a man. He says that it is more confusing than when he was growing up. Part of him likes that there is not so much pressure to be a certain way. He also said that in some ways it was better when women stayed at home and men went to work. Then there was a big argument about work over if work at home counts and if men or women should stay at home.
Me: Another great topic Tom.
What does it mean to be a man or a woman? How does this change the family? Who stays at home?
Paul: We talked about whether young people like us will ever want to run for office and have everyone say terrible things about us. It is also very expensive Uncle Jim.
Me: Great question Paul. What is different about today? Did candidates always say mean things about each other?
Paul: That is what our grandparents said, but they did not have twitter and all the other ways of being mean.
Me: Yes, some things have changes. Let me put the topic on the board.
Amena: Our family talked about coming to this country, starting a business and hiring people. My parents said that refugees add to the economy because they hire people also. Sometimes when someone is a doctor or something in another country and they come here, they will not allow them to be what they trained for.
Me: I hear you suggesting that we figure out if we are better or worse off financially when we take in refugees and I hear you asking if we need to make it easier for refugees to practice their professions. Let’s put that on the board.
Do refugees add to or drain the economy? Can it be made easier for refugees to practice their profession in their new country?
Me: Anyone else?
Ann: One of my cousins died from a drug overdose over the holiday. We talked a lot about drug addiction and why there seems to be even more of it. What can we do?
Me: I am so sorry about your cousin. We certainly need to figure out a new approach to reducing drug addiction and deaths from addiction.
New approaches to reducing drug addiction.
Me: These are also important topics. Who else?
Will: My aunt and my cousin were talking about decisions about having children and who is going to take care of children. It is illegal to leave a child home alone and, yet, everyone in family works.
Me: Great question Will. It is very expensive to hire someone but then the child care person also has to live.
Should we have children? Who takes care of the children?
John: My aunts and uncles who live far away were really surprised by our class. They said that their school does not have this type of class. They wanted to know how we could help other schools get them.
Me: That is wonderful. Perhaps when we have that discussion we can ask Mrs. Sanford to come in and explore if we can use our Facebook page to share how other schools could get such a class.
I write on the board:
Helping other schools start a current affairs class. Use of social media. (Invite Mrs. Sanford for that discussion.)
Me: I am so happy to be back in class with you. You continue to impress me and make me so proud of you.
Will and Paul will you pass out another cookie to everyone. Next week we will discuss the question of etiquette: What is it and who decides? I am printing off the list. Amena will you please pass out a copy to everyone?
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Me: Have a good week everyone!
Class: Bye Mr. Jim
Written January 4, 2017
Although a break from the school routine is always fun I think that everyone is glad to be back to a more normal routine. I have missed the students although I did have some time with Sam and Paul during the holiday break.
I had suggested to the students that during the break they and their families think about three or four topics they would like to discuss and have the class discuss. I am eager to hear what topics they will recommend.
Here come the students now.
Me: Good morning class. I hope everyone had a nice time with loved ones during the break. Before you ask, there are cookies. In fact, Paul and his sister helped bake them. Ann and John would you pass them out please?
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. Thank you Paul!
John and Ann pass out the cookies which are quickly consumed.
Me: I am eager to hear what topics you and your extended families thought it would be good for us to discuss this semester in class.
Susie: My grandparents brought up the topic which we ended up calling manners or etiquette. Grandma said that when they were growing up everybody had a copy of the Emily Post book of etiquette. Mom and dad then said that Ms. Manners was the guide they grew up with. Grandma suggested we talk about how young people today know about etiquette. That is not a word I have thought much about Mr. Jim.
Me: Great topic Susie. Let’s put that on the white board.
Etiquette – What is it? Who decides?
Abdul: Mr. Jim our family talked about what it means to be living in the United States. We used to live in another country and now we live here. What does it mean to be patriotic when we can change countries?
Me: Another great topic. Thanks Abdul. I will put it on the whiteboard.
What does it mean to be patriotic when one can change countries?
Me: It seems that perhaps each family came up with one primary topic which covers a range of questions. That is great. Who else wants to share?
Tom: Grandpa asked how I know what it means to be a man. He says that it is more confusing than when he was growing up. Part of him likes that there is not so much pressure to be a certain way. He also said that in some ways it was better when women stayed at home and men went to work. Then there was a big argument about work over if work at home counts and if men or women should stay at home.
Me: Another great topic Tom.
What does it mean to be a man or a woman? How does this change the family? Who stays at home?
Paul: We talked about whether young people like us will ever want to run for office and have everyone say terrible things about us. It is also very expensive Uncle Jim.
Me: Great question Paul. What is different about today? Did candidates always say mean things about each other?
Paul: That is what our grandparents said, but they did not have twitter and all the other ways of being mean.
Me: Yes, some things have changes. Let me put the topic on the board.
Amena: Our family talked about coming to this country, starting a business and hiring people. My parents said that refugees add to the economy because they hire people also. Sometimes when someone is a doctor or something in another country and they come here, they will not allow them to be what they trained for.
Me: I hear you suggesting that we figure out if we are better or worse off financially when we take in refugees and I hear you asking if we need to make it easier for refugees to practice their professions. Let’s put that on the board.
Do refugees add to or drain the economy? Can it be made easier for refugees to practice their profession in their new country?
Me: Anyone else?
Ann: One of my cousins died from a drug overdose over the holiday. We talked a lot about drug addiction and why there seems to be even more of it. What can we do?
Me: I am so sorry about your cousin. We certainly need to figure out a new approach to reducing drug addiction and deaths from addiction.
New approaches to reducing drug addiction.
Me: These are also important topics. Who else?
Will: My aunt and my cousin were talking about decisions about having children and who is going to take care of children. It is illegal to leave a child home alone and, yet, everyone in family works.
Me: Great question Will. It is very expensive to hire someone but then the child care person also has to live.
Should we have children? Who takes care of the children?
John: My aunts and uncles who live far away were really surprised by our class. They said that their school does not have this type of class. They wanted to know how we could help other schools get them.
Me: That is wonderful. Perhaps when we have that discussion we can ask Mrs. Sanford to come in and explore if we can use our Facebook page to share how other schools could get such a class.
I write on the board:
Helping other schools start a current affairs class. Use of social media. (Invite Mrs. Sanford for that discussion.)
Me: I am so happy to be back in class with you. You continue to impress me and make me so proud of you.
Will and Paul will you pass out another cookie to everyone. Next week we will discuss the question of etiquette: What is it and who decides? I am printing off the list. Amena will you please pass out a copy to everyone?
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Me: Have a good week everyone!
Class: Bye Mr. Jim
Written January 4, 2017
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