I started the discussion by sharing that it was my husband's birthday and he is the person for whom I am grateful. My kind action was going to be surprising him with Thai food from his favorite restaurant. The singing bowl was handed from one student to another as the students either shared their ideas or chose to keep them to themselves. Most of the students are getting really good at playing the singing bowl as they like to practice if there is time at the end of class.
One student shared that he is grateful for Mahatma Gandhi. This student is Indian and explained that without Gandhi his family wouldn't be the same. He asked the other students in the room if they knew who Gandhi was, and most of them said no. The student went on to give a great explanation to his peers of Gandhi's role in helping free the Indian people from British rule through non-violent means. Another student connected these actions to Martian Luther King's leadership of non-violent protest in the United States. It was a great conversation. After everyone had a chance to share, we warmed up with a few movements and played our last round of Yogi Says.
This week I demonstrated the dovetail weaving technique to the students. We also experimented with weaving other materials like ribbon or fabric onto our looms. As the students worked I gave them the choice to either talk quietly together or for me to read a story. Almost everyone voted for me to read a story; I was surprised and a little flattered by this because they enjoy each other's company so much. The book I read is called Annie and the Old One by author Miska Miles. The book is about a ten-year-old Navajo girl, her family, and their connection to weaving and the earth around them. At the end of class we were a little more than half way through the book, so I promised to bring it for the following class so they could know the ending.
