PUT OUT THE FLAME
Yesterday the entire 8th grade class took time out of their day - 4 hours, to listen to a guest speaker on the Holocaust. Since I am teaching two sections of Pre-Algebra this year I attended the speaker for the first time. I am glad I made sub plans and took the time to attend. It was during his presentation that I was reminded how powerful words can be. The speaker, Tim Scott took the listeners on a journey. While sharing Holocaust history, he told a story and had each student picture him/herself as the main character. He had each student picture his/her own mom, dad, sibling, and grandparents as he told this story. He brought many students to tears with the words he shared. He also made his message hit home, by asking students how the spirit of the Holocaust is still alive today... in the United States, in Wisconsin, in Osceola, and yes, in their school. He shared letters written by previous Osceola 8th graders that spelled it out. His point was clear that the Holocaust began because of people thinking they were better than others, and yes that still exists today. He made students look in their mirror and think about what each is doing to keep the spirit alive and how we can put out that flame of prejudice, racism, and misunderstanding. I was impressed by his presentation, and I thought the kids connected to his message. Words have power.
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