Saving the World, One Student at a Time

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In class this week, we're talking about inspiration and dreams. For one activity, I asked my students to tell me about someone who inspires them and why.


Me to male student: Who inspires you?
Male student: You!
Me: Really, wow! Why?
Student: Because you have such beautiful eyes.
Me: I'll be sure to thank my parents. What does that inspire you to do?
Student: Well, my English is so poor...
Me: uh-huh.



Part of Dreams and Inspiration includes talking about how they would change the world and help people. One group wrote the following:


1. We'd make much money.
2. Marry a beautiful girl.
3. Then we'd make lots of children.
4. The children and the money will protect the environment.

I pointed out that I couldn't and didn't want to marry a beautiful girl or have children with a beautiful girl. They replied, "But you ARE a beautiful girl!"
To which I replied, "So your plan is to marry a beautiful girl, have lots of sex, and then make your children do all the work?"
While everyone else roared with laughter, the looks on their faces said, "Oh, crap, I guess that is what we wrote."



As part of my change the world topic this week, I ask students to make a list of ideas of how to do this. Then in their groups, I ask them to discuss which is more important, most difficult, and easiest. Then I ask them about it.

Me: Vic, which is most difficult?
Vic: Planting trees.
Me (confused): why?
Vic: Because the trees cost money and stuff.
Me: Vic, which is easiest?
Vic: Planting trees.
Me: You just said that planting trees was most difficult.
Vic: Sometimes it's difficult, sometimes it's easy?
Me: When is it difficult?
Vic: It's difficult when you have to climb a mountain. When you don't, it's easy.



One group listed the following for their ideas about how to change the world:

Black will donate his heart.

Bruce will donate his lung.

Tom will donate his eyes.

Sam will donate his liver.

When I asked which was the most difficult, they replied, "Black will donate his heart." When I asked which was the most important, they replied, "Tom will donate his eyes." When I asked which was easiest, they replied, "Sam will donate his liver." I pointed out that it's not easy for Sam, but they stuck with their answer.

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