Another "Yoooo!!" Moment When Teaching About Ruby Bridges

There was that familiar gleam in their eyes, followed by sounds from their mouths that went something like "Yooo!!!! Wow!!!"

In the beginning of the school year, we read The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles. Each child had his/her copy and we read, discussed and enjoyed!

Today, we boomeranged back to Ruby Bridges with the film itself. The session began with a brief review and then the film. When the actor portraying Ruby's psychologist came, I asked a few times what his name was (this was intentional). The kids responded each time. On target so far. Get his name in your brains boys and girls (said Mr. Flemming to himself).

I strategically stopped at a few different points to discuss what we were seeing and the reality of life for Ms. Bridges at the time. But that's not the focus of this post as it was the focus of our talks today, which were insightful, by the way!!

I already had my Google Chrome taps marked with: the cover of the book we read, "Robert Coles", "Mrs. Henry, Ruby Bridge's teacher" and Norman Rockwell's The Problem We All Live With. I showed them the cover of the book. They remembered. That generated a little chitter chatter. I, then, asked again for the name of "Ruby's doctor", they said "Robert Coles." That was followed by my zooming in on the cover of the book and my asking them to tell me who the author was....there was that familiar gleam in their eyes, followed by sounds from their mouths that went something like "Yooo!!!! Wow!!!"

So much occurred after that moment, including a discussion on the validity of what we read back in the fall and the clear impact that this third person point of view* had on at least a few of them.
Q: "How could he have written it when he wasn't in it," asked one insightful student.
A: "Ahhh!!! So let's talk point of view..."
And we did!!
Then again, there was that familiar gleam in their eyes, followed by sounds from their mouths that went something like "Yooo!!!! Wow!!!"

My name is Mr. Flemming and I'm a THIRD grade teacher in a Philadelphia PUBLIC SCHOOL!!

*They were already familiar with point of view. This was not new. The application of the impact of the point of view took our conversation into deeper literary waters.