[etni] Fw: a response to violence

----- Original Message ----- 
From: sbshai - sbshai@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: a response to violence

Of course Laurie's anti-violence stance makes sense, and her suggestion is 
sound; however, we should realize that before we can hope to find a viable 
solution to this escalating problem, we must first examine the probable 
cause.

 Israelis have long had a reputation for volatile temperments, and this has 
often been linked to the high incidence of "road rage" which can lead to 
traffic accidents.  But the underlying reason for such unacceptable 
behavior -- whether we're bemoaning violence in the schools or on our 
highways -- is, more likely than not, connected to the sad lack of a solid 
system of values in our society.

I realize that words such as 'values, ethics, morals', etc. are not going to 
appear on a list of best loved / most used terms in the 21st century, but 
perhaps in our role as educators we can dare to bring them back to the 
classroom.  As English teachers, we have a unique opportunity to do so 
without appearing to be preaching.  Just by discussing literature that 
presents inner conflicts and moral dilemmas (as, for example, in the stories 
"The Enemy", "The Open Boat" or "The Lie"), we can encourage our students' 
awareness of these concepts and actively involve them in thinking about 
different (albeit difficult) choices and their consequences.

Of course, this will not bring about immediate changes in conquering anger 
and physical or verbal abuse, for instance, but it's a start!  A lively 
discussion / debate will leave students thinking, even those who don't 
actively participate.  (The latter sometimes write the best essays about a 
controversial issue that was dealt with in class.)  And deliberation paves 
the way for positive action.

As a follow-up, we can search for articles in our newspapers that relate to 
the themes brought out in the literature we read.  (This needn't follow 
immediately after our work on a particular piece is over.  It's gratifying 
to see how students will recall what we've done even much later in the 
term!)  This activity has the advantage of making what we talk about in 
class seem more real and connected to our students' lives.

When I recently made a similar suggestion to a colleague in the States, she 
responded that she didn't think her students would be perfectly honest if 
asked to express their opinion about a moral issue or an inappropriate, 
highly emotional  response to a problematic situation; rather, they'd 
probably say or write what they thought the teacher expected to hear.  I 
can't challenge her assessment because I'm not familiar with the atmosphere 
in her class, but I think that as a group, teenagers are refreshingly frank. 
On the whole, they also enjoy discussing 'adult' topics.  So it seems to me 
that we can only gain by bringing thought-provoking material into the 
classroom.

Go for it!

Batya



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