Wonder Lessons
Friends stick together forever. Some people are different you just have to accept it. It’s not about your face it’s about what’s in you and thats so important. Some people are different some people are mean and some people you just need to meet. It’s always good to have friends who really care about you.If you have nothing good to say then don’t say it.People should read this book it’s amazing and there’s lots of lessons here and you should watch the movie to.
Filling or dipping?
We’ve been thinking about the importance of filling others’ buckets for a long time at our school. I’m not sure if the child in the picture here is filling a bucket or dipping from a bucket. Sometimes we don’t realise (or even think about) whether we are dipping from someone’s bucket. Yesterday we talked in class about how we could plan to do a little more bucket-filling. Some ideas some of us suggested were:
I’m sure you have more ideas, and I’m also sure that if we make an effort to take some of these small steps, we will make our days and our relationships better.
Today we had a visit from some folks from the Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society. Among the aspects of their presentation that I appreciated most was how clearly they made the point that ALL of us, all of our brains, are very much alike but also unique. I think most students there would have heard and talked about a similar message before, but I’m sure all of us could do more to get to know and understand each other better.
To that end, they left us with a very practical tool in their 7 friendship tips. While the tips may have been created with certain needs in mind, they provide good advice for all of us to use in all of our friendships & to help build our communication skills. I’m wondering what thoughts or question others might have about today’s presentation, about how our brains and experiences are different, about how to practise self-regulation when we’re over-stimulated (or under-stimulated), or about friendship in general. Your replies would be welcome.
Every time I read this chapeter of Wonder, at least a few tears come to my eyes. I start imagining how all of the characters would be feeling and what thoughts would be going through their minds., but soon my mind moves on to remembering the dogs we had when I was growing up. One of the many things I loved about having dogs was that a dog is always happy to see you. I found it next to impossible not to feel at least a little bit better once greeted by my happy, furry, tail-wagging friend.
Dogs don’t care about the petty things people get all bent out of shape over. A dog can be the best listener, best companion and best friend to have around, especially at those times when you feel like you just really need a friend.
I think including Daisy in this story was a great move by R.J. Palacio. A person like August might really need the kind of friend that maybe only a dog can be. A friend who is completely accepting of everything about you and who doesn’t care what anyone else said to or about you. Daisy could show August that the part of himself that sometimes seems like his biggest problem is not at all the most important part of him, and maybe isn’t important at all when you come right down to it.
August’s medical condition and his various trials & tribulations make that point very clear, but I don’t think the Augusts among us are the only ones who need to hear that lesson’s message. Maybe the rest of us, the Jack Wills, the Charlottes, the Julians, the Mrs. Garcias… maybe we, each one of us, needs that reminder. We are OK. We have value. Our problems, flaws, and imperfections do as much to make us just like everyone else as they do to set us apart. Everyone else feels the same frailty that sometimes makes us feel alone, frustrated, afraid, or in need of a friend. And we all need a friend who will accept us the way we are, who lets us know that we make them happy, and who lets us us know that everything is OK. Or maybe what we need most is to be the kind of friend who helps others feel that way.
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How appropriate that it snowed after we worked on kirigami recently in art. Look carefully; you may find a few critters in the snowflakes pictured here. And if you’re pining for a snow day, ask the kids to teach you some snow dancing! (Seems like it worked!)
We are in the middle of reading R.J. Palacio’s now well-known book, Wonder. Some of us have finished reading it on our own. Some have even already been to see the movie, which is never as good as the book, right‽ As a group, however we are currently in the section from Jack’s perspective.
Jack is an interesting character. They all are, but what I find interesting about Jack is the particular set of flaws and challenges he has. Jack’s flaws are different from and less obvious maybe than August’s or less infuriating than Julian’s, but he has them. I find Jack’s challenges interesting to think about because they are familiar and common. How does one actually manage to do the right thing when it would require confronting friends and other peers, would draw a lot of attention and could mean being excluded?
Conflict is unpleasant, but to take on the kind of confrontation Jack might face were he to take a stand and declare his loyalties, especially as an adolescent when peers, friendships and social standing take on new significance, would require not only courage but the ability to think clearly and weigh big issues. Are there any of us who hasn’t avoided having an unpleasant conversation? It might be easy, reading a story, to decide what a character should have done, and that’s one great reason to read novels. Characters & stories give us a chance to think through conflicts that help us figure out who we are and who we want to be. But if I was facing Jack’s situation, as a 5th-grader, I’m not sure exactly how I would have dealt with it. I would hope I’d have done the right thing, but doing the right thing when we are called to act and in the face of all the complications of relationships & emotions is not so easy.
I do think Jack deserves a little of our scorn, but I wouldn’t want to be too quick to condemn him for having a very normal difficulty negotiating the kind of challenge we are all likely to struggle with. His character, his situation, and this whole story all help me reflect on important matters, and that is what draws my interest.
I’d like to know which characters you find particularly interesting. Who do you think is facing a particularly interesting challenge that wouldn’t be so easy to handle? What do you hope you might have done in the same situation? What do you hope the character would have done or will do?
