The Importance of Empathy and Perspective-Taking
More than almost anything else, exercises in perspective-taking in which students need to consider other points of view beyond their own, are critical to developing empathy. In turn, empathy is the skill most needed to promote an accepting classroom environments and safe schools. It is this skill that will help shape our students into the thoughtful global citizens we want them to become.
This fun TED talk from artist and innovator, Raghava KK, helps demonstrate the ways in which creativity can be used to promote perspective-taking and empathy.
This fun TED talk from artist and innovator, Raghava KK, helps demonstrate the ways in which creativity can be used to promote perspective-taking and empathy.
Creative Writing Exercise for Boy Meets Boy
In order to increase our understanding for the experiences and points of view of the characters presented in Boy Meets Boy, I invite you to work through the following creative writing exercise. Have fun and please post your completed poem to the D2L classroom discussion space!
1. Choose one supporting character from the novel Boy Meets Boy. Joni, Tony, Infinite Darlene and Noah are all excellent choices, though they are by no means the only choices available. (Feeling brave? Choose Chuck or Tony's mother!)
Example: Kyle
2. Choose three key events that occur for this character.
Example: encounter with Paul at the video store, kissing Paul in the janitor's closet, talking with Paul in the dowager's tomb
3. For each event, return to the book to identify key descriptive phrases. Supplement these with your own words about the event.
Example:
video store: Spiff's Videorama, cassette chaos, Noah with a pizza, Breakfast Club, watching Noah and Paul, apology
janitor's closet: scrolling stock ticker, mops and brooms, story of Aunt Maura's end, asking Paul to come back, holding, crying, shivering, a kiss, reality of a moment, separate calm, isolated reality, whispers, comfort
dowager's tomb: crypt, elfin mansion with a fire in the grate, key to her memory book, holding hands, embracing, holding in tears, blowing out candles, shivering, sound of leaving, a beginning becomes an end
4. Now imagine the character's emotional response to each event. Choose words and phrases to capture his or her emotions. Mining the text is a great way to get started.
Example:
video store: uneasy, awkward, hoping for forgiveness, confessing guilt, desperation, "I can feel you hating me," wondering who Paul is with, wanting to be that boy
janitor's closet: afraid of being alone, wanting love and security, reality of mortality, a chance to regain what has been lost, Paul is so tender and kind
dowager's tomb: hopeful, tentatively starting down the path to love again, shock, trying to understand, sad, "you make me feel so low when all I want is to be with you"
5. Next, the events that you chose from step two will form the three stanzas of your poem. Combine the words and phrases from steps three and four for each event and form them into your stanzas.
Example:
In the cassette chaos of Spiff's, I spy him.
Everything is awkwardness and confusion as I say his name.
I confess my guilt, hoping for forgiveness and desperate to repent.
This boy I loved whom I have felt hating me. Hating my cowardice. My betrayal.
He absorbs my words. My confession. My heart.
And leaves me in Foreign Language,
Watching him walk away.
In the close confines of the darkened closet,
I shiver, cry and contemplate the fear of being alone.
In the isolated, reality of this moment
Paul offers a separate calm.
His arms shelter me and his lips are kind
In this moment, all is right.
Descent into a tomb: elfin mansion, fire in the grate.
Flickering candles reflecting deep blue walls,
And the first steps taken down the path that returns to love.
I hold his hand and hope, and it happens.
And I am left low when all I want is love.
Alone. Adrift. Again.
6. Finally, craft a final thought from your character's point of view. Capture his or her voice in a reflection on the past or a hope for the future. You should also create a title for your poem, hopefully incorporating the character's name. Publish your completed poem on the D2L discussion for our class to enjoy.
1. Choose one supporting character from the novel Boy Meets Boy. Joni, Tony, Infinite Darlene and Noah are all excellent choices, though they are by no means the only choices available. (Feeling brave? Choose Chuck or Tony's mother!)
Example: Kyle
2. Choose three key events that occur for this character.
Example: encounter with Paul at the video store, kissing Paul in the janitor's closet, talking with Paul in the dowager's tomb
3. For each event, return to the book to identify key descriptive phrases. Supplement these with your own words about the event.
Example:
video store: Spiff's Videorama, cassette chaos, Noah with a pizza, Breakfast Club, watching Noah and Paul, apology
janitor's closet: scrolling stock ticker, mops and brooms, story of Aunt Maura's end, asking Paul to come back, holding, crying, shivering, a kiss, reality of a moment, separate calm, isolated reality, whispers, comfort
dowager's tomb: crypt, elfin mansion with a fire in the grate, key to her memory book, holding hands, embracing, holding in tears, blowing out candles, shivering, sound of leaving, a beginning becomes an end
4. Now imagine the character's emotional response to each event. Choose words and phrases to capture his or her emotions. Mining the text is a great way to get started.
Example:
video store: uneasy, awkward, hoping for forgiveness, confessing guilt, desperation, "I can feel you hating me," wondering who Paul is with, wanting to be that boy
janitor's closet: afraid of being alone, wanting love and security, reality of mortality, a chance to regain what has been lost, Paul is so tender and kind
dowager's tomb: hopeful, tentatively starting down the path to love again, shock, trying to understand, sad, "you make me feel so low when all I want is to be with you"
5. Next, the events that you chose from step two will form the three stanzas of your poem. Combine the words and phrases from steps three and four for each event and form them into your stanzas.
Example:
In the cassette chaos of Spiff's, I spy him.
Everything is awkwardness and confusion as I say his name.
I confess my guilt, hoping for forgiveness and desperate to repent.
This boy I loved whom I have felt hating me. Hating my cowardice. My betrayal.
He absorbs my words. My confession. My heart.
And leaves me in Foreign Language,
Watching him walk away.
In the close confines of the darkened closet,
I shiver, cry and contemplate the fear of being alone.
In the isolated, reality of this moment
Paul offers a separate calm.
His arms shelter me and his lips are kind
In this moment, all is right.
Descent into a tomb: elfin mansion, fire in the grate.
Flickering candles reflecting deep blue walls,
And the first steps taken down the path that returns to love.
I hold his hand and hope, and it happens.
And I am left low when all I want is love.
Alone. Adrift. Again.
6. Finally, craft a final thought from your character's point of view. Capture his or her voice in a reflection on the past or a hope for the future. You should also create a title for your poem, hopefully incorporating the character's name. Publish your completed poem on the D2L discussion for our class to enjoy.