A Reflective Learning Journal

For the past couple of months, my Gr.8 English class has been involved in book clubs. Each book has a different theme. Each theme is a social issue that our class feels compelled to talk about and take action. Yesterday, one book club presented their thinking about the book “Out of My Mind” by Sharon M. Draper.

This is the type of book that opens your eyes. My students spoke with empathy about seeing people with cerebral palsy (or any disability-really) in a whole new way. There were moments in the book that hurt their hearts. There were pages where they felt mad. There was hope in the end. There was a new understanding about differences. At the end of it all, there was the question: “What is normal?”

Tonight I watched the following video and it made me think about my small band of compassionate students. These young people have hearts that will challenge the status-quo of the world. I can hardly wait!