Everyone Has a Voice

The video made me think about how important it is to listen to young people. The students talked about experiences in their everyday lives, such as racism, culture, autism, immigration, and being different. One part I really liked was the girls talking about periods. They wanted people to stop treating periods as something embarrassing or something that has to be hidden. They made a podcast to normalize the topic. This made me think about school and how some students may be afraid to speak because they think nobody will listen. I think teachers should create a safe space for students to share their thoughts and experiences. Something else that stood out to me was the Native American students talking about their culture. Because people had misconceptions about them, they used their voices to explain who they really are.

My takeaway:


Comments

  1. Emily FrancoSeptember 14, 2026 at 6:10 AM

    This reminds me about the African American teacher in the Oak Park Documentary where she is talking about social emotional learning and she makes the comment that teachers need to feel more comfortable with learning about their students. This ties into your takeaway chart where when teachers are willing to listen and understand their students it can lead to a better connection and also a better community for learning. In addition, this makes me think about Keshawn, a student from the Oak Park Documentary, and how the African American teacher understood the different layers of Keshawn. She understood that Keshawn has a wall where he does not want to be vulnerable and does not want to accept help because he does not want to be seen as weak. Perhaps if his other teachers were willing to listen and understand Keshawn they could potentially create a better plan on how to help Keshawn succeed academically at school.

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  2. AmenaSeptember 14, 2026 at 3:14 PM

    It's so important to let younger kids speak and be vocal about their experiences. We need to create a safe space for kids to talk about what's on their mind and what troubles them. Through talking and discussing topics that we don't know much about, we can learn new things and get a different perspective on a subject. Students, teachers, and people in general have some biases and opinions formed on things they heard or saw from the media, and this can cause some issues; talking to people and getting to know them helps get a better understanding of them.

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  3. Cristian DiazSeptember 14, 2026 at 5:08 PM

    The documentary did show the importance of allowing students to have a voice. It helps with their self- esteem and social skills. It's also good practice on advocacy. Students have trouble doing that when they believe their voice would be silenced or go unheard. It is good for them to know that they have a safe place for their thoughts and feelings.

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