Labels
by Trisha Gray / ga09172007
 

We had a combined lesson today and it was on acceptance. We felt like some of our girls are not treating others kindly and being very "clicky". So when each girl came in we gave them different color stickers and told them that they had to sit with their color. then they had to talk with their group getting to know each other. Then we all got in a circle and on laminated cards were "labels" like. You are not very pretty. You are poor and can't afford nice clothes. You are popular. You are different and no one talks to you. I am very smart. A bunch of different things like that. Anyways we put painters tape on the back and put them on the girls forehead without them knowing what their own was. then each girl would get up in the middle and tell about what they did yesterday and we would treat them according to their label. So for the really popular one we were hanging on every word and trying to get her to sit by us. Then for the "bad" labels, like not pretty, different and so on the girls while she was talking was ignoring her or whispering behind her back and so on.

It was interesting because it made them realize how mean girls can be and how it feels to be treated so bad. the point is that everyone is different on the inside and out and we need to accept everyone and work together. The leader who did this teaches psychology in high school and did an amazing job. I could see that the girls "GOT IT" hopefully they will treat other nicely. Especially since some of the girls who had "bad" labels were the ones who instigate most of the problems.