In his book The Social Animal, David Brooks creates two characters through whom he exemplifies the research he wishes to present. The Erica character comes from a background of poverty, and has the spunk and moxey to get into a charter school. This is, in part, how Brooks describes the routine at that fictional school, but a pattern that's been proven to work to bring about real change in students and to break the cycle of poverty:
"Every school day began with what they called "school-wide circle time." Every student gathered in the gym and they performed raps and chants together. They had a Respect Chant. They had a Knowledge-Is-Power call-and-response. They had a College Chant, in which they screamed out the names of prominent universities and vowed to make it to one of them. At the end of each rally, a gym teacher asked them the Questions: Why are you here? To get an education! How do you get it? Hard work! What do you do? Work hard! What do you use? Self discipline! Where are you going? College! Why? To be master of my own destiny! How are you going to get there ? Earn it! What is earned? Everything is earned!" (117)
Fascinating book. How we become who we are, how we change, how we echo each other. David Brooks, The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement. Random House, NY, 2011.
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