【正文】 的工具發(fā)展的時(shí)候， 我離開(kāi)威斯康辛州 搬到勘薩斯州,一個(gè)叫勘薩斯的小鎮(zhèn) 在那里我有機(jī)會(huì) 在一個(gè)小而美麗的勘薩斯的鄉(xiāng)村學(xué)區(qū) 教書(shū)， 教我最喜歡的學(xué)科 amp。quot。美國(guó)政府a(chǎn)mp。quot。 那是我教書(shū)的第一年,充滿熱情,準(zhǔn)備教amp。quot。美國(guó)政府a(chǎn)mp。quot。 我當(dāng)時(shí)熱愛(ài)教政治體系。 這些十二年級(jí)的孩子 對(duì)于美國(guó)政府體系 并不完全充滿熱情。 開(kāi)始教書(shū)的第二年,我學(xué)到了一些事情,讓我改變了教學(xué)方針。 我提供他們一個(gè)真實(shí)體驗(yàn)的機(jī)會(huì) 讓他們可以自主學(xué)習(xí)。 我沒(méi)有告訴他們得做什么,或是要怎么做。 我只是在他們面前提出一個(gè)問(wèn)題， 要他們?cè)谧约旱纳鐓^(qū)設(shè)立一個(gè)選舉論壇。
　　They produced flyers. They called offices. They checked schedules. They were meeting with secretaries. They produced an election forum booklet for the entire town to learn more about their candidates. They invited everyone into the school for an evening of conversation about government and politics and whether or not the streets were done well, and really had this robust experiential learning. The older teachers more experienced looked at me and went, amp。quot。Oh, there she is. Thatamp。39。s so cute. Sheamp。39。s trying to get that done.amp。quot。 (Laughter) amp。quot。She doesnamp。39。t know what sheamp。39。s in for.amp。quot。 But I knew that the kids would show up, and I believed it, and I told them every week what I expected out of them. And that night, all 90 kids dressed appropriately, doing their job, owning it. I had to just sit and watch. It was theirs. It was experiential. It was authentic. It meant something to them. And they will step up.
　　他們散布傳單,聯(lián)絡(luò)各個(gè)選舉辦公室， 他們和秘書(shū)排定行程， 他們?cè)O(shè)計(jì)了一本選舉論壇手冊(cè) 提供給全鎮(zhèn)的鎮(zhèn)民讓他們更了解這些候選人。 他們邀請(qǐng)所有的人到學(xué)校 參與晚上的座談 談?wù)撜驼?還有鎮(zhèn)里的每條街是不是都修建完善， 學(xué)生們真的得到強(qiáng)大的體驗(yàn)式學(xué)習(xí)。 學(xué)校里比較資深年長(zhǎng)的老師 看著我說(shuō) amp。quot。喔,看她,多天真呀,竟想試著這么做。amp。quot。 (大笑) amp。quot。她不知道她把自己陷入怎么樣的局面amp。quot。 但我知道孩子們會(huì)出席 而我真的這樣相信。 每個(gè)禮拜我都對(duì)他們說(shuō)我是如何期待他們的表現(xiàn)。 而那天晚上,全部九十個(gè)孩子 每個(gè)人的穿戴整齊,各司其職,完全掌握論壇 我只需要坐在一旁看著。 那是屬于他們的夜晚,那是經(jīng)驗(yàn),那是實(shí)在的經(jīng)驗(yàn)。 那對(duì)他們來(lái)說(shuō)具有意義。 而他們將會(huì)更加努力。
　　From Kansas, I moved on to lovely Arizona, where I taught in Flagstaff for a number of years, this time with middle school students. Luckily, I didnamp。39。t have to teach them American government. Could teach them the more exciting topic of geography. Again, amp。quot。thrilledamp。quot。 to learn. But what was interesting about this position I found myself in in Arizona, was I had this really extraordinarily eclectic group of kids to work with in a truly public school, and we got to have these moments where we would get these opportunities. And one opportunity was we got to go and meet Paul Rusesabagina, which is the gentleman that the movie amp。quot。Hotel Rwandaamp。quot。 is based after. And he was going to speak at the high school next door to us. We could walk there. We didnamp。39。t even have to pay for the buses. There was no expense cost. Perfect field trip.
　　離開(kāi)堪薩斯后,我搬到美麗的亞利桑納州， 我在Flagstaff小鎮(zhèn)教了幾年書(shū)， 這次是教初中的學(xué)生。 幸運(yùn)的,我這次不用教美國(guó)政治。 這次我教的是更令人興奮的地理。 再一次,非常期待的要學(xué)習(xí)。 但有趣的是 我發(fā)現(xiàn)在這個(gè)亞歷桑納州的教職 我所面對(duì)的 是一群非常多樣化的,彼此之間差異懸殊的孩子們 在一所真正的公立學(xué)校。 在那里,有些時(shí)候,我們會(huì)得到了一些機(jī)會(huì)。 其中一個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)是 我們得以和Paul Russabagina見(jiàn)面， 這位先生 正是電影amp。quot。盧安達(dá)飯店amp。quot。根據(jù)描述的那位主人翁 他當(dāng)時(shí)正要到隔壁的高中演講 我們可以步行到那所學(xué)校,我們甚至不用坐公共汽車(chē) 完全不需要額外的支出,非常完美的校外教學(xué)
　　The problem then bees how do you take seventh and eighthgraders to a talk about genocide and deal with the subject in a way that is responsible and respectful, and they know what to do with it. And so we chose to look at Paul Rusesa