Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Remembering - Period 1
Dear Student:
I would appreciate your taking a few minutes to answer a few questions before you leave the course. Your answers will help shape future classes of Facing History and Ourselves in the years to come. Now that you have completed the first Facing History and Ourselves course at Westborough High School, please share with me any aspects of the course that were the most meaningful to you. Please consider structure, topics, specific lessons, films etc. in your response. Please do not comment on other students' posts. Thank you for taking this journey with me and I hope that you enjoyed the course as much as I did teaching it. I wish you all the best next year.
Mr. Gallagher
18 comments:
Wow! What a journey. This was a great class and i really enjoyed it. I am more open minded now about the evils in this world. I really understand the Holocaust now after watching all those magnificent documentaries and movies. I also enjoyed this class because i was stress free throughout the whole course. I didnt have to worry about homework and tests, and at the same time i was learning a lot.
Thanks a lot Mr. Gallagher. I hope in college i find a teacher as good as you.
One of the things I really liked about the course was the fact that we got to have so many people come in and speak with us. I loved having the Rabbi (whose name escapes me) and Alexa's grandmother come visit us. I also liked watching the movies, because some of them had a really strong impact on me. One of my favorite films we watched was "Little Rock: 50 Years Later."
I hope my two sisters will be able to have you as their teacher in a few years!
First, thanks for being our teacher this year, I enjoyed the class (even with the somber subject matter) and am glad that I took it.
More specifically, one thing I'm glad that we learned about is the Armenian Genocide. I hadn't really known about it beforehand, and without this course I would have stayed this way. I knew some about most of the other big subjects, but I think what made this course different was the way in which we learned about them. Normally, we would learn through textbooks and classroom discussions. In this class, however, we had guest speakers, documentaries, movies, etc that really helped to increase the impact of the material. Images and sound have effects that text cannot, and that really separated this course from the other academic offerings.
I think that it's such a shame that we only cover half the material the class in the first semester covered and that I missed a few of the weeks. The three most meaningful classes to me were the following: when we read the bear story, when we talked about "what is most important to you", and when we watched "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas". To be honest, that in combination of what I went through this spring when I was AWOL made me redefine how I view myself. What I learned in this class helped me make sense of the everything when it felt like the world was flipped upside down. Thank you. You have no idea how much it has meant to me.
hm. Pretty much every day was something new. I think the first highlight was the bear story. It was simple and in a way childish, and really did the best job leading into the course. I thought that the childrens march movie was rather interesting. Through out school we are taught about racism in America, but this was a different view and showed a different side other than the textbook side. I also learned a lot from Baba coming in. I got the chance to sit back and listen to an amazing lady's story and view. I also learned a lot from all the clips on the holocaust. Things felt real. At the same time I had feelings of detachment because these horrible things were so real to them, there's no way for little me to understand. So pretty much in this class I learned how insignificant I am in comparison, but that I do have power as a single person if/when I want.
This is one of the most memorable classes I've had. I have learned a lot about the Holocaust and all it's truth's. I really enjoyed all the guest speakers we had throughout the course it was such a privilege to have them come speak with us and help us understand the topics better. I also enjoyed the films each was very informative and were an eye opener to me and you did a wonderful job getting us all the facts and insights we needed to help us better understand the world today. I appreciate all the effort you have put into this course and it sure has made a difference in my life as to my views. The topics brought up in this course are going to stick with me for life and i plan to continue sharing the knowledge I have now with my family and anyone I encounter in life thank you Mr.Gallagher for everything.
First and foremost I would like to thank you, Mr. Gallagher for taking the time to present us with great information. Even though we have grown up learning about the Holocaust in previous years, it has never been the same. I am very glad that I took this course because it opened my eyes. I was able to see how we as humans are so vulnerable and we have nothing to fear but ourselves. We have the power to make and break everything around us. I enjoyed having the guest speakers; it allowed us to have a better understanding on why genocides occur. The films you showed us were amazing. The movie we just finishing watching “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” left me speechless. The photographs of the Jews being brought into the camp showed how innocent these people were. They had done nothing to deserve being killed that way. Anyone who says the Holocaust did not occur has no idea what they are talking about. I will always carry these images with me. It’s a shame that we weren’t able to see more.
I want to share what I have learned and help people realize that being a bystander is just as bad as actually doing the acts. We need to take a stand in what we don’t believe in. Thank you once again Mr. Gallagher for everything. You’ve made a difference in a lot of people’s lives including myself.
I think the 3 most meaningful parts of this class were the discussions, speakers, and films. This is the first class I've had where I learn a lot from sources that aren't just pulled out of a textbook. The way the class was structured made learning a different experience. I took a lot more out of this class because instead of learning so much about certain people and memorizing dates, the class was more about learning how things felt and how the world and others react to different actions. I liked seeing things from other people's perspective. Seeing different events from the perspectives of people in the class, guest speakers, and people in documentaries or characters in films gave me and understanding of how and why things happened instead of learning about who, what and where (although we learned that too).
This has been one of my favorite classes I've ever had, I enjoyed every part of it. Thank you Mr. Gallagher!
I think the greatest piece of information that you taught us was the difference between "us" and "them" and how unconsciously we, society as a whole, look at others differently but in the very end everyone is the same. You helped me look at my thought process differently. Rather than separating one another because of unchangeable circumstance, you showed through various tools that there should be no barrier between. Your different approach to teaching through films, documentaries, and movies, helped this basic concept be shed in a new light. We were able to see how others were being treated consequently changing ourselves in the meant time. This course helped reverse the roles and change what I don’t think is right, instead of just being a bystander. Facing history and ourselves completely fulfilled all expectations. I would just like to thank you for your time and effort in making this class different than any other. Good luck in the future and I hope that when you teach this class the students will take away something life changing.
wow. talk about opening someones eyes. i found myself talking to people about what i had learned outside of class. this course does something no other course does. it allows you to see the truth(the good, the bad, and the ugly) of the past and not just read about it in some book. Not to mention that it is lectured by a man who is so passionate and informed about the subject. i respect the research you have done in order to uncover all the documentary's, reports, and pictures that breathes life into the class.
i never found it so hard to learn about the holocaust. But it's a good thing because that means that it meant something to me this time. i saw the pain that other humans had endured and it became something more real than just words in a book.
this course teaches you about life. it gives you a different perspective of how fortunate you are and revaluate what your morals truly are. the title says it all, "facing history and ourselves"
i enjoyed talking about different everyday situations in the beginning of the course such as what youd do if you held the door for someone and they didnt say thankyou. it eases us into the course. The stories we read were great too. my favorite part had to be the holocaust though, which i wish we had more time for.
what you have done here Mr.Gallagher is something special that i hope continues to open the minds of many more students like it has mine.
well, i guess the biggest thing i learned from this class is that theres a lot of hate and pain in this world, but there is always ways to fight back. Iv learned that being a bystander is jsut as bad as being the perpatrater. I also learned that there are a lot of sheltered lives living in this suburb, and this is a course that opens up even the blindest of eyes.
I enjoyed taking this course this year and I learned a lot from it. One big thing that I learned was that staying silent on an issue is as bad as being the problem of the issue. I was well aware of the Holocaust based on teachings in the past, but little did I know the Jews were given false hopes. When the priest came to talk to us, it was scary to hear that things like that still happen today. Even though it is still not considered as bad as the Holocaust, it is still a step in the process of major disaster waiting to happen. I wish we would have had more class discussions on all of these issues, but the ones we did have were still good. I still can’t believe that people have the heart to kill innocent people just because the felt like they weren’t human. People may ask themselves if they were in a situation like that what they would do; many might say that would not do such a thing. The real answer only comes out when you are put in the situation. In the movie “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” it was weird because I felt bad for the little Jewish boy because he did not deserve to be there, he didn’t get to live his childhood. What hurt the most was the German boy who thought the Jewish boy was living happier than he was. In the end when the German boy died with the Jewish boy, I was very touched because it wasn’t supposed to happen to him. The funny thing is, none of the people in the gas chamber deserved to be there, but because that is how things were planned to happen it didn’t really hit me until the German boy died. Which shows that, it is very easy for people to just accept the way of life and not fully think it’s real. Although I feel there are still some unanswered questions about the Holocaust, this was still an informative course, which taught us a life lesson.
This class has been an amazing experience. I have learned so many things that I did not know before. When you introduced a subject to us, I thought I knew a lot about each one. But I realized that I didn't know some other information. An example would be Little Rock High. I had absolutly no clue that this was still going on. That showed me that things take a really long time to heal. And that we have a lot of work ahead of us. I enjoyed all the documentaries and films we watched. They all had very useful information, or a lesson to be learned. At no point during this class did I feel uncomfortable participating. I really enjoyed the class and I hope this keeps going. But I do know, because I have had you as a teacher sophomore year, that you were a big reason this class was successful. You have a great way of teaching and don't change that. I guess that's the only advice I would give this class in the future. Thank You for being a great teacher!
I very much liked this course. It showed me more than I expected and moved me more than I expected. The last few days have been the most moving for me. The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas was one of the saddest films I have ever seen, that with the slide show of what went on in the camps along with the video that reviled the women who sent another women to her death only to be shockingly caviler about it 50 years later. The video of the course was very informative and shocking at times, but it painted a very vivid picture of what it was really like to be a European Jew during the time of Hitler.
Thanks for this class, I hope students for years to come can walk away not being a bystander.
The thing I will remember the most out of this class was the first lessons I learned. The most valuable thing I own is my name. We were taught that in the very beginning of the class, and it stuck on me.
I think the course is a great course. It teaches us about what we have heard about in a first hand basis. We are not reading it out of a text book, we are not sitting down writing essays about it just to pass the course. We are looking at real people, we are listening to real speakers and having discussions about the issues that most affect the human race.
In the beginning we learned about being a bystander, and that stuck with me as well. Some people are leaders, and some a followers, but no one should be a bystander. I have learned a lot about the holocaust. All the movies we watched will stick with me for life, the images, the message behind them, etc.
Thank you Mr. Gallagher for all your effort and hard work in bringing this class to Westborough High School. One thing I recommend is that kids, and teachers, push for this course to be a full year course. That way there is more time to watch all the movies have more discussions about it and it'll have a great impact on kids.
My favorite part of the course was the beginning, when we read the Bear Story, and discussed what the most important thing is: Your Name. I really liked how every part of the course was like a building block. The discussions, films, speakers, and stories all came together and taught me many valuable lessons. Some of the films, such as the Boy in the Striped Pajamas were very powerful and left an impact on me. This course taught me never to be a bystander. I would only recommend one thing for the course (although possibly you have no power over this): Have this class some time other than 1st period. The fact that it is a discussion course makes it difficult for me to to participate, and some of the movies are a little heavy for first period. Otherwise, it was a very interesting class, and I would like to thank you for all the hard work and effort you had clearly put into it. I have rarely seen a teacher care more about a subject than in this class.
Thanks Mr. Gallagher.
I looked forward to this class everyday. Facing History and Ourselves opened my eyes to so many different events in the world that I never really knew about below the surface. I was moved by the many videos and guest speakers we had. But most importantly I enjoyed hearing the discussions. As most of you know I'm quiet and never really talked in that class, but I was listening to so many people's different opinions on what subject we were on. I had a great time in the class because there was virtually no stress. I didn't have to worry about homework or quizzes. Yet something that only Mr. Gallagher can do is avoid homework and quizzes and still share with me so much knowledge that I know will be with me forever.
Thank you so much for everything you have done for me, Mr. Gallagher. You are one of the most amazing teachers I have ever and will ever have. I hope to stayin contact with you well after high school.
Dear Mr. Gallagher,
I wanted to personally thank you for a semester well spent and well organized. Facing History And Ourselves was an amazing class, not only because of the no test no quiz policy, but because in the process of taking this class I learned about the inspirational stories that make me understand what it means to be an American. I never realized how good of a life I had until I saw what was being done in the U.S.S.R and NAZI Germany, and then I realized that if it was not for those American soldiers fighting out their on the frontline, the same could have possibly happened to me in a heartbeat. I finally have a new found respect for the armed forces of the United States. I think the most important thing that I will take away from this class is the fact that what happens in this world today is not only my problem; it is my problem as well as the problem of the many generations to come, and that we should be responsible and diligent in the decisions we make today in order to be able to face ourselves with the consequences of those decisions tomorrow. Over the many years of schooling that I have attended, never have I taken a class so intense and effective. Personally, the fact that the class has no tests or quizzes helps me learn more than if it did because rather than spending time studying for the sake of passing and cramming and forgetting the day after, I am now able to use that time to comprehend, understand, and focus on the material in a more diligent manner in order to really find the deeper meaning within the material than what just meets the eye. However, if I were to advise you on changing any of the elements in the class, my only concern would be that you make this class a full year class so that people attending the class are able to cover the material more in depth and are able to further discuss it in order to better understand human society and themselves. Thank you for not only helping me face my race’s history, but thank you for helping me face myself, for without your teachings and advise on life and society, I would not be going into the real world as prepared as I am today!
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