Chapter 3: Development Activity

1) John Elton: Your Song

It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside

I'm not one of those who can easily hide

I don't have much money, but boy if I did

I'd buy a big house where we both could live

If I was a sculptor, but then again, no

Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show

I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do

My gift is my song, and this one's for you

And you can tell everybody this is your song

It may be quite simple, but now that it's done

I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words

How wonderful life is while you're in the world

I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss

Well, a few of the verses, well, they've got me quite cross

But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song

It's for people like you that keep it turned on

So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do

You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue

Anyway the thing is what I really mean

Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen

And you can tell everybody this is your song

It may be quite simple, but now that it's done

I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words

How wonderful life is while you're in the world

 
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words

How wonderful life is while you're in the world

2) page 72-73

3) In Erikson’s theory of social development, the stage this song reminds me of is “Identity vs. Role Confusion”. As teens, the development of self and personal identity is very important. Students are trying to succeed in the ability to find and stay true to who they are and who they want to be in life. Learning to stay true to themselves and trying to deal with the occasional failures can lead to role confusions and a weak sense of self for adolescents. At this stage, Erikson points out that social relationships allow teens to find themselves and to understand that their outside environment of peers, etc. can have a profound effect on their successes and failures. Teens are trying to cope with defining relationships and creating ones that will allow them to feel most comfortable as themselves.

4) The highlighted sections refer to the above situation. “This feeling inside” refers to the emotions students are feeling and how they are trying to learn to be who they are and express themselves with their peers and in the world. This is so hard to do sometimes, especially for teens, they are trying to figure out what all of these feelings are. This song really relates to adolescents who are dealing with the debate to hide who they truly are or be themselves open and out there for everyone to see and hopefully accept. The song says, “I’m not one who can easily hide”. Students should not have to hid, but they too often feel as though they have too when in middle school, high school, or even college. The song also refers to the simplicity of just letting go and putting things out there. In reality it is that simple, but you cannot see things that way when you are a teen.

5) In art, it is essential to make sure that students are open and feel comfortable at all times to express themselves. This song has me thinking about the inner trouble students may be facing that they do no always want to share. It also has me thinking about my students in terms of finding their personal identity and feeling successful in staying true to themselves. I think that creating a unit plan or longer lesson around personal identity can be very beneficial to open students eyes to see themselves and to see their peers, or others in their community in a different light. Diversity is all around and it is such an important thing to identify with. Even just taking the time to bring attention to student development of self will get us started on the right track. If students feel like they cannot figure out who they are in their social relationships, then they will feel like they have a weak sense of self and that will get no one anywhere.