JBSI - Day 6

Theme: Student engagement through experience: the power of being on-site with the Juno Beach Centre's tools
Where: Juno Beach Centre
Questions/Considerations:
Getting students to better appreciate the scope of what was achieved on D-Day.
Other Questions:
How well does the JBC tell the story of D-Day for Canadians?
As the Vimy Memorial is to the First World War, the JBC is to the Second World War - is that a fair/accurate statement?
Where can the JBC fit into your teaching practice ... now that you see it?


OK, the questions above are all great questions, and I have thought about them and am working on coming up with my own responses to them, but I'm going to write about something else that challenged me today.
A little overview of the day first: We arrived at Juno Beach Centre, had a guided tour (with a very good guide), had a brief museum visit, including a 12 minute amazing video at the end, then had a PD session with Neil Orford (twitter: @neilorford1) on bringing the JBC experience to our students.
Neil asked us a "minds on" question as we got started this morning for us to do a "think, pair, share".  It was something like: based on your experiences on your trip thus far, how will your teaching practice change?
At first I wasn't sure I had an answer.  I couldn't think of a significant change that I was planning on making based on my experience.  I've loved the experience; I've loved the stories and I will t new absolutely be taking these back, and I will share what I've seen and heard.  But that isn't new for me - that's how I always run my classes - sharing experiences.  But then  as we started to speak about how emotionally charged this week has been, I started questioning whether I would share that with my students.
Generally I am fairly open with my students.  I am willing to show my vulnerability about making mistakes, or not having all the answers.  I am willing to show emotion to my students when it is excitement, or joy, but I get really self-conscious when it comes to sharing tears, and some of these stories that I want to share are emotional and may make me tear up.  Am I willing to do that?  I think I have to be - it is part of the story.  It  is part of what will help make history alive.  It should also be part of a modelling process.  It's OK to be moved by something; it's OK to let others know something has moved you (alright, I mean me).
So my challenge this year will be to allow a fuller scope of emotions to show in my classes, and be OK being vulnerable one more way.

JBSI - Day 2

Today's theme: The Notion of the Missing During the First World War
Sites: Beaumont-Hamel (part of the Somme Offensive) and the British Monument & Interpretive Centre at Thiepval
Questions:
Why did so many go missing in 1916? How did the war change in 1917?
How Canadian was the Canadian Corps?
How significant was the Vimy Ridgee victory and the Canadian contribution?

Some thoughts or reflections on from the day... (not necessarily directly answering these questions)

• Our tour guide spoke about identities being lost - not just missing people.  Whole towns had to be rebuilt after the war (and again after WWII).  This affects the community identity.  Our tour guide spoke of a soldier who changed his name after the war and became a writer.  (I can't remember more details than that - it was a long flight)  I thought that was an other interesting interpretation of the missing or lost after the war.  Not only those men who were physically missing, but also all the men suffering from PTSD ("shellshock" at the time) who lost a piece of themselves that maybe not everyone could see.
• The memorial sites we visited today were not celebrations of victory, but were about honouring the lost soldiers.  The Beaumont-Hamel guide spoke about it being a place for not only the British (including the Newfoundland regiment) and French, but also a place for Germans to come to remember losses.  Someone (I'm sorry I can't remember who - I'm tired) also pointed out  the losses are different than today.  There were a lot more, and most (all) couldn't get a proper burial.  Many families have no place to go to honour their lost.  Today, we are able to bring home our fallen soldiers and have things like the Highway of  Heroes to honour them as they return to their loved ones.  It reminded me a little about this article from a year ago about the differences in the way countries remember the war.

 At the entrance to Beaumonttt-Hamel site, honouring the Newfoundland Regiment

 Monument to Newfoundland, using material/plants reminiscent of Newfoundland, and the caribou.

Danger Tree 

 The Monument at Thiepval (part of the Somme Offensive), getting ready for 100th Anniversary next year.

Cemetery at Thiepval - French crosses, British tomb stones.