I was sitting at home on Martin Luther King Day, and I came across this remarkable documentary on PBS called Colorblind.  A group of third grade students, who had grown up during the turbulent race riots in Detroit, managed to reunite 35 years later, to celebrate their experiences together.

What struck me about this documentary was how these students reflected back on their teacher and how they experienced learning.  As I listened to each one of them as they were interviewed, they all seemed to reflect on how Mr. Bell, their teacher, was not afraid to put the textbooks away and discuss what was going on around them.  

I was amazed to find how much they remembered about the class and what they had learned.  I think that this says a great deal about what can be achieved in a classroom that validates student experience and fosters human dignity.