Written by Timeka, 12th Grader at Brooklyn Collaborative
Before attending Brooklyn Collaborative, I was unassertive, and didn’t always voice my opinions; I was afraid of being ‘wrong’ or being the only one with a certain belief. We often know what the most popular opinion is on a topic or issue, and we conform to the popular sentiment out of fear of isolation.
At Brooklyn Collaborative, however, I have learned that there are more people than I think who share my views. And even when there aren’t, that’s okay, too.
One of the ways I’ve learned to explore both my own opinions and be open to others’ is by participating in Socratic Seminars at school. A Socratic Seminar is a formal discussion, based on a text, in which teachers ask the class open-ended questions about a book, article, or short movie being analyzed in class. Our role is to listen closely to everyone’s comments, think critically about the material being discussed, and articulate our own thoughts and responses. The students are advised to use sentence starters such as “I agree with…” or “I disagree with…” so that everyone feels respected and that their opinions are valued. One reason I believe this is part of our school’s curriculum is because it teaches us that there is more than one way to look at things. And being able to appreciate multiple perspectives makes my life so much richer.
Timeka is a senior at Brooklyn Collaborative, a NYC Outward Bound school in Brooklyn.
Another way in which Brooklyn Collaborative helped me learn to respect others’ opinions is by using debate in the classroom. For instance, when I was in 11th grade, my US History class studied the 2016 Presidential election. Our teacher separated us into groups, one for each candidate (Trump, Stein, Clinton, and Johnson), and we had to argue for that person, regardless of our personal opinion. This activity helped me understand where other people were coming from and the possible motives behind their vote. It also helped teach me the value of respect.
Challenging opinions and being challenged is a good thing for me because it helps highlight misinterpretations and sharpens my perspective. This helps me to evaluate my position thoroughly so I can stand my ground when discussing or defending it.
Now, you might be asking: how did these activities teach me to advocate for myself? Brooklyn Collaborative has helped me to learn to respect others and understand that there are many ways to look at an issue. Therefore, the fear of being ‘wrong’ or ‘isolated’ no longer crosses my mind when standing up for what I believe in. Brooklyn Collaborative encourages me to approach any given conversation with the assumption that everyone has regard for my opinion. Or, if they don’t, I have the skills I need to take the opportunity to talk to them about the value of respecting others’ opinions, teaching them what I’ve learned at Brooklyn Collaborative.
All in all, I cannot thank Brooklyn Collaborative enough for helping me find my voice and teaching me so many more life lessons, lessons that I will take with me in my future endeavors. And I hope my experience of transitioning from censoring myself to becoming more confident in my opinionsencourages you to advocate for yourself in the future. As William Faulkner said “Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world…would do this, it would change the earth.”