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Shoulda Done Better Discussion Guide for Parents and …..., a time when we try to return to our...
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Shoulda Done Better Discussion Guide for Parents and Educators Parents Watch Shoulda Done Better with your child. After watching together, use the prompts below to begin a conversation with your child. ● What did each child’s mistake lead to? ● Once they felt sorry for their mistake, how did they choose to fix it? ● In the video, each child’s mistake and their ability to fix it leads to another person realizing their own mistake and trying to fix it- almost like a game of Dominos. Why do you think this is? ● What is one thing that happened to you that you think you Shoulda Done Better? At the end of the song, Bill Gordh asks if there is someone you need to sing “I could’ve done better by you” to and encourages us to ask that person for forgiveness. Can you think of one person you’d like to ask for forgiveness? ● How do you think you could make it better with them? Educators TESHUVA In this season of teshuva, use Shoulda Done Better to begin a classroom discussion. After watching, have your students discuss what motivated each child to ask for forgiveness. Ask your students what happened once each child realized their mistake. What did their accepting responsibility for their mistake lead to? Teshuva Jar This season is the season of teshuva (return), a time when we try to return to our best selves. The kids in Shoulda Done Better have a sense that they could have and should have done better. Ask your students to think about ways that they could have done better this past year and will do better this upcoming year. Have them create a Teshuva Jar with a small used baby food jar or mason jar. Give them small strips of paper and ask them to write 5 things they plan on doing better this upcoming year. Tell your students to keep the jar in
Transcript of Shoulda Done Better Discussion Guide for Parents and …..., a time when we try to return to our...
Shoulda Done Better Discussion Guide for Parents and Educators
Parents
Watch Shoulda Done Better with your child.
After watching together, use the prompts below to begin a conversation with your child.
● What did each child’s mistake lead to?
● Once they felt sorry for their mistake, how did they choose to fix it?
● In the video, each child’s mistake and their ability to fix it leads to another person realizing their ownmistake and trying to fix it- almost like a game of Dominos. Why do you think this is?
● What is one thing that happened to you that you think you Shoulda Done Better? At the end of thesong, Bill Gordh asks if there is someone you need to sing “I could’ve done better by you” to andencourages us to ask that person for forgiveness. Can you think of one person you’d like to ask forforgiveness?
● How do you think you could make it better with them?
Educators
TESHUVA In this season of teshuva, use Shoulda Done Better to begin a classroom discussion. After watching, have your students discuss what motivated each child to ask for forgiveness. Ask your students what happened once each child realized their mistake. What did their accepting responsibility for their mistake lead to?
Teshuva Jar This season is the season of teshuva (return), a time when we try to return to our best selves. The kids in Shoulda Done Better have a sense that they could have and should have done better. Ask your students to think about ways that they could have done better this past year and will do better this upcoming year. Have them create a Teshuva Jar with a small used baby food jar or mason jar. Give them small strips of paper and ask them to write 5 things they plan on doing better this upcoming year. Tell your students to keep the jar in
a safe place at home. Each time they look at it, they will be able to remember their plans for returning to their true self.
FORGIVENESSThe movie emphasizes asking for forgiveness but it also highlights something that is equally difficult to do, granting forgiveness. Ask your students to think about the girl’s initial response when the two boys apologize to her. Does she feel ready to forgive them?
The Rambam talks about the importance of forgiveness.
It is forbidden for a person to be cruel and not grant forgiveness [when someone wrongs him]. One should rather easily forgive and not easily grow angry, and when the offender requests forgiveness he should forgive with a full heart and generous spirit...This is the way of the Israelite people and their principled heart. (Rambam, Hilkhot Teshuva 2:10)
Share the Rambam’s words with your students. Ask them: What do you think it means to forgive with a full heart and generous spirit? How did we see that happen in the movie? What could you do in your own life to make the people who ask you for forgiveness feel that you forgive them with a full heart?
