Reading: Through the Lens of Courage

For the next month we'll be working on several essential skills and strategies, which will be applied across different genres. The centerpiece of this unit will be the theme of courage. Working with a broad theme such as courage enables students to find examples in almost every text they encounter. It always amazes me to discover our students' perception of what it means to be courageous.  When we first began discussing this behavior it seemed that the majority's felt that in order to be courageous one must save a drowning puppy while putting out a fire. We, of course, intend to grow these misconceptions.

Courage can be found on the soccer field, in our favorite sitcoms, or at family dinner.  By tuning in to all the different ways courageousness can show itself will help students to build a wider definition.  If we're able to diversify this concept together, hopefully our students will recognize it in themselves.  Recognizing one's own courageousness, in turn, will ideally inspire more courageous acts.

Our unit kicked off with an interview of my good friend, Julie.  Julie grew up outside of Paris.  At a young age she became enthralled with ballet, wanting to peruse it as a career. Her father had other plans.  Today, Julie lives in New York City, she dances professionally and is attending college.  Her journey from Paris to New York took immense amounts of courage at every turn.  Below is the interview that's found its way into almost every discussion we've had since.  Whether it's small group, individual conferences, or when we're talking as a class, students continue to reference Julie's story and relate it to their life.  I couldn't be more proud of these discussions.  Students truly seemed to internalize that courage isn't necessarily on large act, but rather the culmination of a lot of small choices.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be channeling the courage discussion through the following questions.  They can serve as a great jump off point for discussing your student's independent reading, family favorites, current events, or anything else you have time for.

• What inspires people to act courageous?
• How can nature challenge us?
• How do people survive in the wilderness?
• How do we face personal challenges?
• What challenges do immigrants face?

Student Responses:

There's clearly a lot of sacrifice involved with following a dream.  Knowing Julie, I completely empathize with her father, she's one of the most brilliant people I've ever met.  It may have been an easier life if she just listened to her father, attended school in Paris, and went into law, business, or politics.  She's certainly more than capable.  But Julie chose to follow a dream.

Julie's story is a lesson to us all.  While her father may come off sounding harsh, he did exactly as he should have.  He made it hard.  If dance was what she wanted, it had to be after academics.  He presented her with an immense amount of challenges; long hours, long commuting, and he did not indulge in her passion.  Here's my guess why.  He knew the numbers were not in Julie's favor; that becoming a full time artist isn't the wisest choice.  And as a loving father, he didn't want to see her struggle her whole life, especially when academics came so naturally.  The path that Julie has taken was born out of persistance, courage, and grit.  In the end, Julie proved she deserved a shot and when the opportunity came, while he may not have been pleased, her father backed out of her way.  A courageous choice in and of itself.