"Call it Courage" Final

This week, I finished the book "Call it Courage". I have to say, I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. Because it was written so long ago, there was some terminology that I did not understand and had to look up. Additionally, it could be a tough read for some students because of the type of wording the author uses. Nevertheless, this is one of those old time, just for fun stories that I love!

I loved the images I got as I read. Mafatu, the young boy who was teased for being afraid of the ocean, finally gathered enough courage, or simply got tired of being bullied, that he braved the sea alone with only his dog by his side. Though his plans were simple, a raging storm took over the canoe leaving Mafatu and Uri, his dog, stranded in the ocean for days barely staying afloat on the canoe. Eventually, Mafatu reached land. He bravely explores this strange land, encounters nightmarish events (and people), and learns a lesson about courage.

The ending is a happy one, but this book will have you experiencing things with Mafatu and will place you right there with him in each scene. For students, this book can be mature. It deals with death, cannibalism, and claiming lives of animals, but it does teach a good lesson on overcoming your fears and proving people wrong. Excellent read!

"Call it Courage"

I picked up this book at a book fair at my job. "Call it Courage" is a children's book that was published back in 1940. This book takes place in the Pacific Islands and tells the story of a young boy named Mafatu who witnessed his mother die at the fury of the sea. Sucha traumatic event would cause anyone to be fearful of the sea. The people of his native land worship courage and bravery, however. This puts shame on Mafatu's father and Mafatu himself as he struggles to overcome his fear of the ocean. I am currently reading where Mafatu is conflicted on whether or not he should go out to the reefs for work. I see a sense of humiliation as he does not want to confront his fears nor does he want to be the laughing stock of his tribe and shame to his father.

"Call it Courage" could be a great text for students to teach them what it is to overcome fears and face what they are afraid of. I can also see it as a way to teach man versus self, man versus man, man versus society, etc.

This is a great book thus far. The pacific island language and names may be difficult to pronounce but the story itself is riveting and will surely be something everyone can enjoy.

"We Beat the Street" Cont.

I am still reading "We Beat the Street"; a story about three, African American men from a rough neighborhood who grew up to become Doctors. So far, what I am loving about this book, along with "Wonder", is the different perspectives and different accounts the book gives across the line. I feel that I am personally getting to know each man as boys, to teenagers, to young adults, all the way up to their lives now. For me, this is a unique way of getting invested in each character. I truly cannot imagine having to live in some of the conditions of these young men. Here is an excerpt from one of the Doctors as he reflects on his youth:

"You learned to grow up quickly around the Dayton Street Projects, where I lived when I was a boy. It was necessary to prove how tough you were, especially in the eyes of older boys. Hanging out with the older boys was always cool, and I loved being a part of that group, even though it sometimes got me in trouble."

I feel as though, through this account, that we can gain a glimpse into the lives of these boys' upbringing and how it truly influenced who they are today.

The lesson I feel that I am learning this week is this: Life has a way of giving you many experiences. These experiences can either make you or break you but ultimately, the choice is always yours. I have more reasons than I can count to not work, or go to school, or try to better myself; but for each reason I have against me, there are two more that I have the power to turn in my favor.

These men were taught many hard lessons along the way and developed a variety of experiences. The beauty in this story is that instead of letting the negative control them, they took coal and made it into diamonds. In the end, I feel their message is loud and clear. Make no excuses, anything is possible, and success begins within.

"We Beat the Streets"

There is a message that I one day hope to get across to my students and a message that I personally need to learn myself, at times. That message is - no excuses. "We Beat the Streets" is a compelling, eye-opening autobiography written by three Doctors: Dr. Sampson Davis, Dr. George Jenkins, and Dr. Rameck Hunt. As three young, black men from the rougher side of Newark, NJ, the odds are almost completely against them to ever get off the streets. Raised in broken homes, in shattered environments, in dangerous neighborhoods, these three young men beat all the odds to become successful, Medical Doctors.

What I love most about this book so far, is that it is a true story. As fiction, this book would be heartwarming; But, as nonfiction, this book brings me to a new level of inspiration and encouragement. I feel that as I read through each page of their hardships that I am constantly being reminded that there are no excuses. Call it luck, call it whatever you want but the only thing that got these boys off the streets was their determination to do so.

Though I am not far into this book yet, I am already encouraged by the lesson I feel this book holds. As cliche as it may sound, this is a true example of how anything is possible if you work hard enough and want it badly enough.

"Wonder" Final Post

This will be my last post on the book "Wonder" as I have just finished reading it and let me say, this book was packed FULL of emotions from beginning to end. The voices I heard inside these pages gripped me from the beginning. I grew to truly love and appreciate August as a kid brother or a student. He never ceases to amaze me. As I read, I watched a young, shy boy grow into an inspiration that learned a few tough lessons along the way. My appreciation for life and the little things can not be understated since reading this book.

The author approaches this book in such a unique way through the use of perspective outside of the main character. It is as though the main character changes from time to time and you get to read the story through his or her own eyes. This is also a huge teaching moment for me to incorporate point of view and perspective in reading.

I cannot fail to mention that I believe this book, through it's literary approach, is vital is teaching kids valuable life lessons. If I were to use this book in a classroom someday, I feel that I could make use of writing letters to the characters as they each tell their story. My hope would be that my students will begin to think critically about what is taking place, problems and solutions, cause and effect, point of view, etc. I would incorporate reading and writing skills but my underlying lesson would be also be to always choose kind. I want my classroom to have an atmosphere where everybody is equal and we are all friends despite differences. I want them to make relationships with the characters in stories. "Wonder" gives such clarity to that opportunity. A lesson of courage, growth, acceptance, equality, friendship, and kindness cannot be underestimated in days like today. I love this book!

"Wonder" Cont.

Unfortunately, I was not able to read as much as I had intended to this week. But, I found this picture that I feel grasps the main idea and lesson that I would want to teach students and that is, essentially, don't judge a book by it's cover. This stuck out to me because the entire book follows the life of a boy too used to being judged for his appearance. How often do we, even as adults, pass judgement on people for various reasons? As teachers, we are to be the example. We are to be the role model. We are held to a higher standard because it is our obligation as education professionals to not only teach children foundational academic skills, but now more than ever it is vital to incorporate skills on how to be a decent human being.

"Wonder" has me re-evaluating my outlook on people and has me looking at my own teaching practices through critical eyes. It is opening my eyes to, once again, teaching basic human skills. We spend so much time perfecting the methods of teaching kids how to read, write, learn math facts, etc., that I fear we may lose touch with the raw, real issues that our students face everyday because our students are people. They will be leading us one day. "Wonder" is full of emotions and it is the perfect opportunity to sit back and talk about these issues with your students. Bullying, self-esteem, perception, perspective, consideration, peer pressure, communication, the list goes on! My hope is that this book inspires students and teachers alike to take a step back and look at the critical issues that this book brings to light. August has captivated me.

"Wonder"

"Wonder" by R.J. Palacio is an inspiring, heartwarming story about a young boy named August Pullman born with an incredible amount of facial deformities. A new chapter is about to take place in Auggie's life as he enters middle school for the first time in a school with other children. As you read through the story, you will learn more about Auggie's condition and the multiple surgeries and trials he had to endure just to stay alive. You will surely fall in love with August and the wonder that he is.

I am nearing the end of this novel and I have to say, it took me a while to get into it but as I read, I find more depth within each character and find myself rooting more and more for August and wanting to see him succeed. What I love about this author is how she creates the story in the perspective of different characters ranging from August, to his sister, and to his friends. There are many instances of misunderstanding and bullying that I think will open up the eyes of students to the harsh reality of bullying and how it effects people. My hope with this book in the classroom is that it could be used to demonstrate how beauty is only skin deep and how it will come to end. I want to emphasize to student's that character and the heart of a person is what truly makes up that person. I believe another important lesson to be learned here is that everybody has faults and it does not matter what those faults may be, it is what is inside that people will remember you as. As cliche as that sounds, I feel it is never too early to instill these outlooks in children and encourage them to look beyond what is on the outside and get to know a person's character.

I look forward to finishing this book and seeing what wonderful things August will accomplish in his story!