Identity and Crossing the Line

Hi All,

Continuing our work on identity, we have been writing about ourselves, constructing identity charts, and sharing this information with one another. On Monday, the students engaged in a profound activity called Crossing the Line.

In this activity, students moved from one side of the room to another depending on whether certain statements describe them. These statements addressed things such as religion, ethnicity, social experiences at school, etc. Students did a really great job of controlling their interactions to maintain a silent, respectful, and safe environment in which they could express themselves. An effective debrief allowed students to share their feelings, reflect on some of the prompts, offer clarification about their interpretations and responses if they wanted to, and to provide feedback on the effectiveness of this activity in enhancing our understanding of one another in the TBS community. This activity was done in confidence, and I was struck how seriously all of the middle schoolers took it.