Saturday, August 17, 2019

Reflection: What Are Our Rights In School? What Are Our Responsibilities?

To start with, I really don't enjoy teaching this lesson. It would be fine to do it with one class, but teaching it three times is brutal. The main reason I don't like teaching it is because it is so teacher focused. I spend a lot of time doing direct instruction, which I am not very fond of. 

When it came time to think of students' rights, I think the kids did not have enough time to process the information well enough. All three classes came up with the right to safety, easy enough since it was in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and easily transferrable, but they had trouble with others. They did come up with some good responsibilities to go with the right to safety though. 

While I think having students think about their rights and responsibilities is important, I would really like to make this lesson less focused on me.


In 1776 a group of men were meeting to discuss how to react to their country's lack of response to questions about their rights as citizens. A group of these men decided that independence was the only way to address their grievances, effectually breaking ties with a government they felt was not respecting their rights. Before they could bring their idea to a vote, the decided to form a committee to explain why they felt they needed independence. The Declaration of Independence identified rights that all men have 'certain unalienable Rights, that are among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

In 1789, inspired by the United States, the French National Constituent Assembly created the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Its second article defined the rights of man as, "liberty, property, safety and resistance against oppression."

In 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York the Seneca Falls Convention was held. It was organized by female Quakers from the area along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton. During that meeting the Declaration of Rights and Sentiments was passed, which was modeled after the Declaration of Independence. It stated, "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness;..."
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woman%27s_Rights_Convention.jpg

If we had to come up with our Declaration of Student Rights, what rights would it identify? Let's create a statement that identifies these rights and finish the sentence below.

We the students of Noel Elementary hold these truths to be self evident; that all students are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights: that are among these.......



https://everythingfunny.org/funny-quotes/41193/attachment/today57-4

What does it mean to be a responsible student? Here is the definition of responsibility:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/responsibility

How do we show responsibility in the classroom? In the school? What things should we be responsible for while at school?

Make a list of 5 responsibilities you have at school. We will compare these with the other students. Can we identify five together that we agree are important?

No comments:

Post a Comment