In "Shrinking Violet," Cari Best introduces us to the main character, Violet. Violet is a very peculiar girl. She absolutely hates attention. Whenever anyone looks at her she cannot help but fidget and itch, especially when Irvin takes it upon himself to embarrass her in front of the whole class. No one really knows the true Violet, except for her good friend, Opal. Opal knows that Violet has so many amazing talents, but Violet is too shy to be herself, that is until she gets a part in the class play. Violet must overcome her backwardness, and save the classroom play when everything goes amuck.
The story of a child having to come out of their shell, and not be afraid to be who they really are is a great life lesson to teach our students. Though this is not a typical education lesson, it is something that needs to be taught. As teachers, we need to make sure that each one of our students feels valued for their strengths and talents. We must work to encourage students to be themselves, and show that each unique individual in the classroom is what makes our classroom community so great. By doing this, we are able to combat the fight against bullying and strengthen the bond between our students in the classroom.
Though I am sure that there is an educational lesson that could be compiled from "Shrinking Violet," I could not help but see a teachable moment of helping our students build their self-esteem. I cannot wait to read this book with my future students and help them realize just how special each one of them is.
Until next time,
Ashley
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this book before, but it does sound like a great read. I love that you pulled the lesson you did out of it. I agree that teaching students that they're all good at different things and that that's okay is important. People of all ages always find themselves comparing them to someone else. I think it's so important to build up children's' confidence and self-esteem from a young age as well. This book would be a good tool to teach some of those things, great job!
Hey Ashley!
ReplyDeleteFor starters, yay for getting that great deal! You'll have an awesome classroom library in no time. This book sounds cute! I had never heard of it before, but it would be something I would enjoy reading. This week I wrote about something similar, I love finding books that send great messages to the students reading them. You talked about self-esteem and I talked about not comparing yourself to everyone else! I think when students can relate to what they're reading, they are more engaged and get more from what they're reading. This book would definitely be a great pick for elementary students. Great post!