Karen Loewe, an Oklahoma middle school English teacher, created an educative activity which drew attention to the commonality of emotional baggage; this was later posted and shared three hundred ninety-seven thousand ((397,000) times on Facebook.
The class activity involved her students who wrote on a piece of paper what was bothering them, and this helped to reveal their emotional baggage. This was undertaken without them revealing their names.
The results obtained were a reflection of the emotional baggage many people are accustomed to, but this is at times largely ignored.
Emotional baggage is rampant in society
Expressly, in the present age, people are accustomed to elevated mental health issues and rising social pressures.
In middle school years, learners usually experience tremendous changes in their spirits, minds, and bodies. The classroom activity proved the fundamental need of middle schoolers to have space where their emotional turmoils can be shared.
Nevertheless, these learners usually lack a supportive and safe place to reveal their emotional baggage.
Emotional baggage class activity is most impactful
Teacher Loewe attested that the classroom activity she recently undertook was one of the most impactful in her twenty-two (22) years teaching career.
She called it “The Baggage Activity” whereby the learners were required to write down what they felt was baggage for each one of them. For instance, what they felt bothersome, hurting, and heavy to bear.
This activity was undertaken without them revealing their names on the written pieces of paper. Later on, the paper was wadded up and thrown across the room, whereby a classmate randomly picked it and read aloud.
Loewe asserted that she was moved to tears by some of the learners’ revelations. For instance, they stipulated that some of the baggage they were facing ranged from suicide, cancer, death, parent separation, drug problems, and parents being imprisoned, among others.
The activity was so emotional to the extent that those classmates who read moving facts would break down into tears.
Loewe reveals that emotional baggage is an issue that should not be in oblivion in middle schools, as well as in general society.
The baggage activity was pivotal in showing that exceptional teachers surpass curriculums and textbooks because education goes beyond memorization of facts and acquisition of information.
Innovation is essential for crafting class activities. For instance, a recommendation has been made that sports classes ought to be a crucial part of the school curriculum.
