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SPRING
1999One common problem for Woodstown’s First-day School classes has been the fluctuation of attendance as the cycle of the year progresses. It becomes disappointing for teachers when they have prepared lessons, materials, and so on for half a dozen students, only to have one; or, expecting one or two, to have none.
We usually begin in the fall with good attendance, and then the anchor of Christmas season probably ensures solid attendance until the end of the calendar year. January and February, however, can be very dry times. In recent years, we have made a midwinter First Day School Film Festival a regular event. So far we have screened (via the magic of video) To Kill a Mockingbird, The Karate Kid, and Searching for Bobby Fischer.
Someone has to select the movie, preview it to decide how best it can be serialized, and then think of some good guiding questions to spark discussion. Don’t forget to include aspects of movie making and movie watching in your class. We spend time in Sunday School learning music, doing art projects, practicing dramatic presentations. Why not also explore cinema as an art form?
Be slow to be turned off by the apparent audience to which you think a film might be appealing. Obviously the selection must have some worth, but middle schoolers can be quite perceptive when viewing films made for older audiences. Even potboilers like The Karate Kid contain a wealth of material upon which a teacher can capitalize.
One final word: These can be great intergenerational activities also. That means your class and a few adults. We oldies like to gab, can monopolize a discussion quickly, and our children, while they really don’t mind hearing our opinions, have not yet figured out a diplomatic way of telling us to shut up.
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Last modified:
Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:19 AM
