When Bad Kids Create Superheroes: A Lesson in Empathy and Understanding
I’d like to talk to you what I discovered about the ‘hero story’ of what the system calls ‘bad kids’.
The Superhero Class
I recently volunteered to give a short class to my daughter’s fifth grade class. I offered to make it about writing comic books.
I began the lesson by explaining that superheroes actually help us go through childhood and life. The fact that we know that there is a hero like us or a hero better than us gives us something to inspire to or hope that things will be better.
When ‘Bad Kids’ Create Superheroes
My first request was to get the kids to invent their own superhero or superheroine, someone they’d like to write their comic book about.
There were of course all types of superheroes. But I want to talk about the two boys who are considered the bad kids, the ones who don’t listen to the teachers, the ones who make noise, the ones who cause trouble.
Independently and not sitting next to each other, they both had their superhero as a villain.
I tagged that in my head and moved on.
The Story Arc of ‘Bad Kids’
One of the next tasks was to get each of the kids to write the overall arc/story of their superhero/ine.
The results were fascinating and revealed a lot but each of the kids and how they see themselves. Coincidentally, again, the ‘bad kids’ both had the same type of plot. Over time, their villain will become a hero.
I’ll say it again: They both had the same arc.
That arc clearly talks about them. They both see themselves as eventual heroes who are now villains. They both define themselves as ‘bad’ now but subconsciously believe they will find the path to ‘good’.
I cannot get that out of my head.
What’s YOUR take on this?
