…and sometimes an unexpected depth.
Keep in mind, I teach kindergarten, 5-year-olds. Yesterday something memorable happened, something
rare in an age of prepackaged lessons with a timer ticking on the mini-lesson,
planned questioning techniques and differentiated responses.
It’s called a teachable moment, and this was a classic. After a brief look at the calendar, we
launched into an impromptu discussion of Martin Luther King, Jr., to explain
why we celebrate his birthday. I wasn’t
planning to get into the details of how he died--not just then--but someone asked
and I told the story briefly. I told it
with raw emotions to a rapt audience.
Then the questions came.
·
Why did that man shoot him?
·
Was he (the shooter) born like that?
·
Where is Martin Luther King now?
·
Is he still on the balcony?
·
Can he see us?
·
Why did Martin want to help people?
…and to most of those questions,
my answer was a thoughtful and quiet: I don’t know; it’s a mystery. Others
chimed in with their hypotheses, as I’ve taught my kids to call on classmates
and ask, “What do you think?” but the atmosphere was thick with wonder.
I told the kids that we might not
always get answers, but that those are really, really great questions.
Deep questions feel like a journey without an end. And a reminder that powerful moments can arise from
organically generated questions that blossom from genuine emotions.
I'm wishing you many teachable moments, and many questions without clear answers.
If you’d like to create beautiful photo montage display pieces about Martin Luther King, and also spark discussions on kindness and brotherhood,
please take a look:
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