Beyond the every day drama of high school, my students need a real example of what "really living" is all about. Morrie is all about "really living."
My students attend a public high school in a lower-middle class area.
Many are minority students that will be the first in their family to pursue college, and in some cases, they will be the first to graduate from high school. Armed with clever wit and a wisdom beyond their years, my students are bright-eyed, intelligent young adults who crave literature that is both academically challenging and relevant to their lives and personal experiences. This novel satisfies that desire. They are having so much fun reading and analyzing it that they don't realize they are learning along the way.
My Project
I love teaching this short novel. A few years ago, armed with a borrowed and piece-meal class set, I taught this short novel to a class of tenth graders. Many had never read an entire book. "Tuesdays with Morrie" was different. They all completed this novel, and loved it.
Later that year, our school hosted a Father-Daughter dinner dance, and many of my students attended. Near the end of the evening, two of my students approached me, anxious, excited and bubbling with something very important to share with me. "Did you see him," they asked several times. "Did you see the grandfather?" "Someone brought her grandfather," one finished. "And he's a great dancer!" I nodded, quite puzzled. "It's Morrie!" they yelled. "He looked just like I pictured Morrie and he danced too!"
This is clearly a story that my students take with them beyond the confines of the classroom.
"Tuesdays with Morrie" is a life-changing story for a time when we can all use a little inspiration.
Your choice to support this project will benefit not just a class set of high school kids, but will continue to inspire class sets of kids through the years.
As Morrie said, "...You know what really gives you satisfaction? ...Offering others what you have to give."
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Ruiz and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.