It can be difficult to fully celebrate the gifts when there is loss involved. BUT, this one movie knocked down so many walls & opened many doors that we weren't even fully aware were
still standing strong & so firmly locked.
This team of artists may have just been "making a movie" but it meant so much more for my 8th-grade kiddos who are now currently in their senior year of high school. I'm blessed enough to work on a campus that houses our 6th thru 10th-grade scholars & where our 11th & 12th-grade scholars catch the bus to their college campus each day. So each morning &
afternoon, I get to see & briefly visit with my "babies" & am filled with so much joy to witness the miracle of them fully coming into their own.
As about 20 of my kiddos wished me a good day, 3 of them stopped & asked a question that blew me away.
"Mrs. Russell, do you remember the Wakanda Tribe lesson that we did in teams before going to see Black Panther?", one of them asked excitedly.
"Of course, I do!"
Another shyly smiled & asked, "If you still have some of our team projects, would you
mind sharing the lesson with our Humanities professor? He doesn't believe that we could understand the theme of Mythology and Shakespearean tragedy when we were in the 8th-grade... he thinks that we're exaggerating."
I literally laughed out loud because the thought of them "flexing" their intellectual prowess vs. some nonsense was the best thing ever!
"Yes, of course! I'll set up a Google Drive folder & share it with you guys.", I said.
"You really should do that with your classes still because we talk about having those types of lessons with you all the time. They could be hard but they ended up being really fun."
After getting my hugs & shoo'ing them to their buses, I quickly walked to my room & I did cry. Not from sorrow or joy. They were simply tears of humbleness & the desire to truly be someone that my kiddos can depend on... even if it is just to flex on their college professor. #blackpanther