“Animal School” Feedback!
by Ellen C. Braun
Filed under Raising Small Souls Movies
RaisingSmallSouls’ popular movie, “Animal School” has generated a flury of comments. Educators and parents have raved about the moral of the story, and it has inspired many to take a deeper and more individual look at their students and children.
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Click here to read the Animal School Movie Text.
The music is Yellow Flutterby Dreams- http://gbhprod.com/songs
Recently, I’ve been thinking about which type of animal is catered to in a traditional school setting, and I believe it is the sheep. Passive followers do very well in school. ‘Sheep’ do as they are told, never question rules, and consistently follow the directions they are given. That’s not to say that other animals cannot do well in school… they can! Yet, most schools are geared towards the needs and charateristics of the sheep!
A father told me about his two sons, who are as different as night and day. The eleven-year-old is a straight-A model student. On the other hand, the eight-year-old is restless, creative, and entrepreneurial. Since the younger son is “weight-challenged” (is that the current politically-correct way of saying “a little overweight”?) his mother sends him to school with fruits and vegetables as snacks. The family struggles financially, and the child does not bring any money with which to buy snacks. However, at the beginning of recess, the third-grade child asks his teacher for a handfull of plastic cups. He borrows a dollar and finds a child with a 32oz. Snapple, and purchases the drink. Then he pours a bit of the iced-tea into each of his dozen cups, and sells them to his fellow students. He uses his profits to repay the loan and buy the commercialized sugar-and-salt-coated snacks that he craves. At the end of the day, he has had his fill of junk-food and several dollars in profit!
Which child has more “street smarts”? Which child is more likely to succeed in the “real world”? If you own a business, which child would you hire to work as your salesman?
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hi ellen,
iam glad to be part of raisingsmallsouls.yourmovie animal school is absolutely brilliant.i have been associated with pre school children past 10 years.i have seen children with different capabilities but unfortunately same kind of parents with same expectations.i hope many more parents as well as teachers wach this movie and thier attitude towards children.
Hey Ellen, I would like to answer & respond more to the three questions at the bottom, to the original thought/e-mail I was sent.
Which child has more “street smarts”?
Of coarse the younger kid.
Which child is more likely to succeed in the “real world”?
Succeed in a good paying job, the older kid.
Succeed in life all together, the younger kid.
If you own a business, which child would you hire to work as your salesman?
The younger kid!
Presumption: The younger son was over weight. Not because he likes to much candy.
I’ve always said, yes my daughter new her shapes by 1-1.5, ABC’s & 123′s by age 2. But as soon as I can I will be & I am already, in certain ways, teaching her common sense!
It’s not a course you study in school and my daughter is defiantly going to have it!
If she’s dead because of lack of common sense, how much of a career/life is she going to have then.
“man that could hurt/kill you, no way!” “Don’t do that!” etc………
That’s where I want my baby to succeed in life!
Buy the way!
Animal School Movie Text, great way to open our eyes (parent/teachers). Someone long ago stated to me, “we shouldn’t have the letter grade system we do. “You got and A, great job!” “You got and D try harder, put more effort into it!”
I agreed I wish the grading system was done differently.
My friends teacher just stated regarding her son, “when he’s done with his work he’s starts bothering the other kids that aren’t.”
Her question “When he’s done can’t you give him something else to do, more work?”
Hi Ellen,
It was a wonderful movie.Its reassuring to know that there are people like you out there. Spreading awareness with respect to understanding the kids . I wish my parents were aware of this. I feel my life has been wasted…. anyways I am sure my kids will be much better off. thanks to such sites.
I just love this movie as a mother of 2, loving wife, daughter, sister, cousin and neice I believe that not just children but everyone has their own individual personality, way to learn and spirit to grow. But since grown ups can handle themselves we are here to protect and care for our children and there are so many times in life I believe that parents listen to what a teacher or caregiver is giving as their thoughts on the child as the gospel truth. I know when my oldest was in Kindergarten her teacher tried to tell me that she had ADD but what she didn’t know is I went home to find out more and what I found was that neither her or the guidance counselor were qualified to diagnose my child with ADD. It takes 6 – 8 months of therapy with a psycologist and even then the dianosey can be wrong. At any rate I never put her on any meds nor did I listen to the teacher and guidance counselor. My daughter is 15 and such a blessing. My husband and myself have always strived to mold our kids into a new generation of healthy, smart, loving and caring kids. Our youngest is 8 and they do argue like most siblings do, but they are like no other child their age and both learn and progress in different ways and at different levels.
I have watched this video a number of times now and while I think it is fabulous, I wish it could be revised slightly. I believe that all parents and their children have a need to identify outside of the special education realm. Many parents might watch this and suddenly identify with the fish and then all of a sudden be told that they are the only animal in the “animal school” that requires full special education. This is simply not ok. I think that the video needs to reflect the gifts in everyone, even the fish who feels like such an outsider, but simply is misunderstood by both teaching professionals and medical professionals. Often, those individuals require the support of caring parents and support staff to research and explore options to assist the individual to be successful in their learning environment. Please try to make this change to the video!!! Once it is done, I believe that many more people will feel connected and touched by the message.
Hello Ellen,
My wife and I are both educators. I found the video to be so truthful about children and the way they are taught in traditional classrooms. We have 4 wounderful children each with their own tallents and abilities. I have spent the time to read the commonets left here and have come to a couple conclusions. When I watched the video I though “WOW! We have a zoo!” As I have read the comments I find myself amazed that togethjer we complment each other and create a family. My 15 year old daughter is an Eagle. She can reach the top of the tree faster than the others. She however would not leave the rest behind and wait for everyone. My 6 year old would devise a plan and make a basket for her to get us all there together. Maybe thats the missing point. People have left many heart felt comments about the Fish, I cant help but think fish are just different if we carry along their bowl they can be involved, also. That is not only a benefit to the fish but a way for our children and ourselves to learn being different is OK. We are all fish in our own ways.
The video is PRICELESS. It has touched me to the core of my spirit. I have a child who at 16 yrs. is finally in the right educational environment for him. It is a private school, very costly but they know how to address my son and they WILL get the job done right.
Sadly, I know dozens of incredible children who are absolutely falling between the cracks because of our current public school educational system. It needs a complete overhaul. My wish is that this video opens the eyes of EVERY individual who watches it so that those who cannot afford the private schools will find the help they need and then we will see thousands and thousands of bees EVERYWHERE!
Hats off to you, Ellen.
This movie should help people understand why more and more parents are choosing to homeschool their kids…..they just don’t get it in the schools and how in the world can 1 style of teaching or textbook be catered to each individual in the classroom? I used to be a teacher and got out of the system for mostly that reason…..it’s impossible for 1 person to properly teach an entire classroom of kids in the way that they deserve or need to be taught. Despite of people’s arguments that they could never homeschool…..it’s not the tough when the person who knows their child the best is the teacher.
I just watched this movie today and have to admit it moved me to tears. I am a teacher and a parent of a child with Aspergers Syndrome. The film opened my eyes to what kids struggle with at school everyday and to how my own son must feel so much like the zebra at times. I will share this video with as many people as I can.
What a wonderfully insightful way of illustrating how differently gifted every one of us is. How could we expect children to all be good at or enjoy the same things?
It’s so sad to think of all the humans who have had their gifts rejected and rewired until they have no confidence in their creativity and abilities.
This movie was very healing and inspiriational.
Thank you so much for it!
Dear Ellen: What a great message to the teachers! Ever occurred to you to share this wonderful movie with the Spanish-speaking world? I would love to have a Spanish version of this magnificent insight of the human spirit. If you don’t have it, I would be willing to do the translation for you, since I am a Spanish teacher myself. Good luck and congratulations for your excellent job.
Olga Palacios
As the principal of an alternative education program for the last 15 years I was very impressed with your animal school video. I have figured out through the years that God intended all children to be inherently good, but usually something or someone in their life has helped things go wrong, both educationally and behaviorally. As teachers and people charged with their education we have an opportunity to make a difference in each of their lives. Each child is definitely unique and must be handled as such. Lots of teachers have never figured this out and expect one size to fit all. I certainly would be the last to criticize teachers, because it is an awesome responsibility and the financial rewards are pitiful compared to other professions. I always believe that you treat each child as if they were your own child and ask yourself What would I want done with my child in each situation. I commend you and your group for bringing out the fact that all children have different strengths and weaknesses and you must work hard to find what they are. I am quite sure the Great Master is pleased with your work and all those who subscribe to the theory that all children are different and deserve the very best we have to offer. Keep up the good work and May God Bless You.
Wow!! As a mother of two kids with learning disabilities, I know the challenges kids have to overcome. Every educator should see this. Perhaps the education department at the national level should see this as well. Everyone learns differently, we can not “cookie cut” our kids and expect them to fit within the spectrum of todays educational system. Love the film, it was truly an inspiring moment for me.
My son moved schools again, and from having done wonderfully well in his other schools, the new school did nothing to recognise that he was shy but intelligent. He was too shy to put his hand up in class so they moved him out of the ‘extension’ maths to ‘normal’ maths and he lost interest. I try so hard to make him concentrate on what he is good at, and tell him not to worry so much about the others, but his teachers seem so bothered by what he doesn’t know. History & Geography are not his strong areas, but they will insist on telling me about it rather than encouraging his strong areas. Fortunately his new maths teacher takes no interest in his other subjects and pushes him like mad in the old fashioned way – my son is doing well in maths again! Phew – thank God for one good teacher who knows the child. Your film should be compulsory viewing for all teachers and parents around the world!!!!!
After watching the film it is said to think how our schools are now all about teaching the tests. Schools no longer really look to build upon a child’s strengths, instead the teachers and districts are too worried about being looked down upon if a large percentage of their kids do not pass standardized tests. Its horrible that kids are taught in a way to be average across all levels. When kids graduate high school they have so many unique experiences available to them in colleges or careers that may only require one strong skill, not an average skill at all levels. Our children’s strengths should be encouraged, not put on a back burner to flatline all their skills.
Great eye opening video.
This video brought me to tears. I was so moved. I had been battling with the school over the need to provide supports to my son who struggles with a learning difference. I just couldn’t understand how they could let him fail when all he wanted was to do his very best in this new school and to get “all 100′s this year.” I knew that if he had understood, he would have been successful but that they had not helped him to understand. The blow to his self-esteem was crushing, and unfair to him. This video summed up how I was feeling. It is so beautiful. Thank you for understanding.
A beautiful story. It helps to console all the times our uniqueness was not appreciated.
The story has some great concepts that are applicable to home and a workplace.
We have had success talking with our daughters’ teacher. We were most successful by sharing what the emotional impacts of the teachers’ actions were on our daughter. This may not work in every instance but I believe it should be the starting point and we had the help of the Principal. We then sent flowers to the teacher with a note that mentioned three strengths that the teacher had.
Kupi said…
A beautiful presentation! Should be shown in every teacher’s room (every morning).
I think that as long as the child (or adult for that matter) has the cognitive abilty to learn something, but has significantly more difficulties understanding it than his peers, than that child does not have a “learning difficulty”, it is the teacher who has a “teaching difficulty”. Just as there are different learning styles, there are different teaching styles. It would be great to have a choice of school which matches our child’s specific learning style. I don’t think it is impossible, but I don’t see it happen soon (money being the first problem).
In the mean time, we as teachers are maybe not able to “save” the children who somehow don’t “fit in,” but we should do every(little)thing possible to help them accademically and make them feel good about themselves. It really can make a difference. I still remember the one (and the only one ever)teacher in 1st grade who made the extra effort to understand and help me, she was “only” a substitute for 4 months, but my grades soared. It still amazes me how all the other teachers (until 8th grade, cause that’s when I gave up and quit)were so willing to ignore my intelligence and “mark” me as a “bad child.” It “only” took me about 35 years (and six kids later)to gather up enough courage to go and study.
As parents there is also a lot we can do to help the school deal with/accomodate our “problem children” but that’s another post.
What a great representation and creative way to express the importance of individuality in education that everyone can relate to.
I really enjoyed watching this video because it gives you a different perspective on children in a different way. I enjoyed making the connections with school, children, and animals in a way that EVERYONE can understand. Everyone knows what animals can do and what they cannot. It is important for educators to understand what children can do and what they have trouble with. Once educators can understand this we can educate our youth better!
I loved this movie! I thought this was such a great example of how we categorize students in such a negative way based on their strengths and weaknesses in the classroom! I feel that every teacher, school counselor, and administrator should watch this movie! I feel sometimes as educators and with all of the NYS testing we tend to forget all of these qualities of the students. I feel that the students should also be watching this movie because it may motivate them as well. As a student, this movie may help them realize that everyone is different and that this is a good thing! We should embrace the fact that each one of us is different.
I found this film both inspiring and insightful. I do not yet have children of my own but I often encounter many children and young adults that relate to the various animals in the video. As a potential school counselor, I believe that it is pertinent that parents, counselors and teachers recognize the various attributes of their children and encourage them to succeed rather than categorize them based on their inability to perform certain tasks. Every child has different attributes that are wonderful and they should be taught and appreciated as such. Thank you!
I am now inspired to learn more on which animal my children maybe. I even shared this with all the educators in my family and friends network. What a terrific reminder that we should not crush the beauty and gift of youth with cookie cutter systems and structures.
I will tell you that you really understand that every child is different and have different qualities. We as parents sometimes should not force our opinions and decisions that are important to our children’s life. Rather, as rightly pointed in the movie, a family plays a very important role in a small soul’s life. I do understand that. It is important that we encourage our children to take interest in what they want to do and not in what we parents or society want them to do. And that we as parents should be supportive of them and not possessive.
What are we doing to ourselves as a nation? Why can’t we “train up a child in the way HE should go”? We now have a couple of schools that specialize in our town. One is arts and micorsociety another is math and sciences and I don’t remember what the new one is, but it’s about time and I realize most places don’t have these specialties. Why don’t we have some real small classes for those who need them and some real big ones for those who need them and some where they learn visually and some kinesthetically and so on. This concept of treating everybody the same only works if everybody is the same! Just because Jefferson said ‘all men are created equal’ doesn’t mean we are all equal. Yes well all deserve fairness, but we need to be met for training where we are at and then trained from that point.
Sadness floods me when I think of the countless hours I stared out the classroom window from boredom. Or all the books I didn’t read because of reading problems undiagnosed. I figured it out myself after I was married doing some research on my husbands learning disability. I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until college, but still nothing was done. I was a dreamer and easily distracted, but didn’t cause problems after kindergarten. I graduated college, but not because I read textbooks, but because I listened in class. My dysgraphic husband became the Non-commissioned officer in charge (NCOIC) in his army unit. He went in at 16 because his parents signed a waiver. They wanted him out of the house since he was so much trouble. Now he’s an alcoholic with a temper. His dysgraphia was diagnosed in Kindergarten in the ’79 or ’80. NOTHING was EVER done for him. They just pushed him and fought with him and put him down, called him names like lazy…Now my son is in 1st grade, my daughter in second. She has all 100s and reads at the 4th+ grade level. Her class started in Kindergarten and goes through 3rd grade with all the same teachers and students. The 4 classes (K, 1, 2, 3) work together throughout the year. It is called new directions here. So there is peer teaching, reading buddies, activities and events. In kindergarten they had the pooh picnic and they did topography mapping and some geometry amongst other things.
Little mister; however, was told at four years old that he had all the red flags for dyslexia, but that they couldn’t diagnose him till 5 yrs old. He was also told not to start kindergarten because he was too delayed. Keep him out a year they said. BUT he started in Mid-Dec at half days. The beginning of March full days and in March we had a meeting with the teacher. She said he was so far behind when he started she was 90% sure he would repeat kindergarten, but now she was 90% sure he would be moving on. He did move with his class and his teacher moved up with him. In kindergarten he was graded on his own progress, but in 1st he is graded with the rest of the class. He had 6 Ss, 2 Bs and one C. The C being in math and math was offered in the afternoons so he only had 3 months out of a year of math. He still says school is boring, but right now he reads, writes, does math…, but one year ago, he could not even recognize all the letters and didn’t know all the sounds to all the letters. My little man is awesome! My biggest concern is getting him to a place where he will be continually challenged without being bored. He still works at his reading and tires of it easily. We may revisit the dyslexia diagnosis, but for now he’s coming along. He is so creative, mechanical, scientific… We went to Epcot at Disneyworld and in the fun kid rides he was watching the tracks and how the cars moved instead of the purple dinosaur and all the activity. His brain is busy, busy, busy. I doubt the school can keep up without loosing him like they did his father and myself. We hated school and he’s already saying he does too. We don’t tell him we hated it though.
Thank you for this wonderful video that challenges the establishment. Hopefully more educators will take note.
To Kate and Kelly:
There is a wonderful Rabbi who is the principal of a school whose methods are geared toward finding the potential in every child and helping them to achieve it. He says that one woman whose son’s teacher could find NOTHING good to say about him was advised to call the teacher every week and ask the teacher to say one good thing. The first week the teacher found nothing good to say. This went on for several weeks, until, I guess, the teacher, realizing that the mother wouldn’t let up, forced himself to think of one good thing. “There was one good thing this week,” he said, and told the mother about it. The mother continued with her calls. By the end of the year, the teacher was on a first name basis ONLY with this child, and now, years later, they are still close and in touch.
We need to learn to look at every single child with a good eye. The film shows us how to do just that.
It’s brilliant!
What a beautiful, inspiring and uplifting video. I’ve already sent the link to all of my 7yo’s teachers. Any parent can appreciate this video, but parents of any child who doesn’t fit the mold will really feel inspired. I agree that all educators and those involved with children should see this.
This movie was very intense for me. I am the assistant director of an early childhood program and showed my entire staff this movie. What an important message for educators and parents. Personally, I have a daughter with a medical condition and spend my days battling her school who simply lacks the necessary sensitivity. I would love to send them this movie, but a bit afraid of conflict. Anyhow, it reinforced my own feelings and encouraged me to continue my battle and fight for my own hero, my daughter. Thank you!
PERFECT! Take it to the mainstream!!!! Should be mandatory in all schools and teaching programs.
I just stumbled across this website, and after watching Animal School I cannot believe there is NOTHING on this website about homeschooling! Animal School makes one of the best arguments for homechooling that I have seen.
Thank you for this absolutely marvelous depiction of children and their very individual needs. My son is one of those students who struggles with “traditional cookie-cutter” style of school. He is exceedingly bright but is confined and stifled by school, teachers and grades. My daughter excels despite poor teaching, poor class management and uninterested administration. This video presentation is the BEST thing I’ve seen to describe what is wrong with our school system and how very SPECIAL our children are and how much MORE we should value their individuality without taking away their spirit!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU I am sharing this with anyone I think will watch!
I, too, happened upon the Animal School video and must have watched it at least 6 times since then. I ordered a downloaded version of it which I will be showing at a seminar I teach on differentiated instruction to meet the needs of ALL learners. It’s absolutely perfect! Every teacher needs to see this, not matter what grade level and/or subject they teach. It’s brilliant!
Powerful and brilliant! I watched this video as part of the USC New TLC Course in which I am currently enrolled. I wish I had viewed it before I went back into teaching in 2006. I was laid off from a job at which I was employed for 30+ years and went back into teaching, my first love. When I first earned my teaching degree in Secondary Educaton with a major in English, the subject of different learning profiles never existed. It wasn’t until I had a child with ADHD that I began to understand that it is wrong to force round pegs into square holes. I taught high school and now that I am a middle school teacher with students of varying emotional and educational needs, I found this video extremely enlightening and awe-inspiring. This profoundly illustrates the need for differentiated instruction in our schools.
The movie makes you think… It makes you want to scoop your unique child into a big embrace and carry them away from systems of every kind. I don’t know if I am sceptical or just realistic, but I don’t think anything in the school system will change any time soon, if ever. Teachers might have been shown this movie, but they are not really the ones designing the curriculum. Nor do they have time to teach each child in any special way. Our society, in general, is not really willing to accept different-ness. Perhaps because it scares us. Or perhaps for other reasons. It is way easier to blend in and be the same as everyone else than stand out in any way.
I loved the analogy. How true that each of us have our own special qualities and yet none of us can fit into every category. I have had many experiences with teachers that were so used to teaching one way, they couldn’t understand the need to teach any other way. Then there were those outstanding teachers who just got it. Not all children learn the same way. Some may never get algebra…but really, not every subject is meant for every child. The best teachers teach a few different ways and then most of the children do get it.