Be Kind, Rewind.

You know how some people say that being around kids keeps you young? Well being around them might keep you young, but it sure doesn't make you feel young!

Let me explain --

I was continuing my lesson today on elements of a short story in context of fairy tales. We were talking about point of view and how changing the point of view of the story could change characterization. For instance, most fairy tales are told from a third person point of view, where we know the good characters are good and the bad characters are bad. I was making the point to the kids that some people have updated these stories by telling the fairy tales we know and love from a first-person point of view, oftentimes the point of view of the antagonist, which can change the characterization.

I wanted to share with the kids about a version of Hansel and Gretel I had when I was a kid that came from the witch's point of view, intending to make the point that the witch changed the characterization we're familiar with stating that Hansel and Gretel were basically house intruders who deserved what they got and she was misunderstood. So I said, obviously, "When I was younger I had this cassette tape with Hansel and Gretel on it ..."

(Might you see where this is going?)

To which one of my students replied, "A what?"

Yep.

I was like, "Ohhh, [student's name], I knew this day would come, but I really didn't think it'd be so soon. You know, a cassette tape. It is little and has those two holes in it and some tape so you could listen to something on your cassette player?" (Of course making the "stick a pencil in the holes to pull the tape back in" motion as I spoke.)

"Oh, you mean like a VHS or whatever?"

"Um, sure. Kind of. Like a little VHS. But you didn't see anything, you just heard it."

FYI, as a note, today's 8th graders were born in 2001.

You heard me.