“with advantages”

One of the best demonstrations of real learning is something I’m currently calling “spontaneous applications to novel situations”. This is when the student uses an idea that has the fingerprints of an earlier lesson all over it and applies that idea correctly to enrich their understanding of a very different situation. A spectacular example happened for me this last week. The junior high class was having a problem with gossip so we circled up and had a discussion. One kid commented that he didn’t understand why people gossiped. I pointed out how fun and powerful it is to have information first; how one can’t wait to be able to amaze others with the sharing of this information. In fact, the buzz from having that information often leads one to embellish the story and make it juicier. The discussion then continued within the circle but over the next several minutes, three of my literature students (1/4 of that class) independently made eye contact with me and whispered “with advantages.” Almost broke my heart with joy because their comments were perfect examples of “spontaneous applications to novel situations”.

Way back in September, I had introduced our study of Shakespeare with my favorite speech from Henry V. We had discussed the meaning of the words. Since that time (almost seven months), I had played the speech 2-3 times for the sound of it but had not discussed it. Henry V’s St. Crispin speech inspires his men before an apparently hopeless battle. He describes what glory will amass around those few men who fight (and win) this battle. In describing how this glory will stay with them throughout their lives he says, “Old men forget and all shall be forgot but he’ll remember, with advantages, what feats he did this day.” Recognizing how gossip leads to similar embellishment, they savored Shakespeare’s phrase, “with advantages.”