Read, Write and Talk

Through out this video - above and beyond the education components - you couldn't help but be impressed with the relationship between the teacher and her students.  And while the teacher is modeling effective ways of getting information to her students - she is most importantly modeling building relationships student to student starting with her relationship with the students.  Image the stories that the students will have to share with their parents when they get home about their day because they are learning how to model commnications skills at school that they can teach to their families.  For example:  I was teaching a pretty heavy unit last year on artists that have political statements to make with their art.  Some of the artists that we discussed had been imprisoned, tortured, and victimized for what they believe in and thus created.  We spent about two weeks on this unit and sometime during the second week one of the students started to connect the children of these third world countries in an unusual way - they wondered where the next generation of artists where going to come from - the ones that would continue to spread the word about social abuses if we don't encourage these young people now.  But this student took this even farther and went home and modeled our discussion with their parents and got them involved.  Long story short - we now are involved with a school in Mexico that encourages young artists and we pen pal with them!