Growing up I always seemed to have a special place in my heart for the underdog character; the unlikely hero. They came in all shapes and sizes and for some reason never seemed to fit in! My favorites ranged from the Brave Little Toaster, Little Foot from the Land Before Time and of course, Thumbelina, the tinniest of all heroes that proves that even the tiniest person could make big moves.
I guess right about now you're thinking that these are strange characters to be mentioning in terms of heroes. But that's exactly what I like about them. I like the characters that no one thinks could ever save the day. The ones that jump up and surprise you and find incredible strength by simply believing in themselves. So why, you may ask, do these kinds of heroes appeal to me so much? Because they remind us what we should be doing in all our endeavors.
As teachers, we should be MOST aware of this out of anyone. These heroes give us hope. They make us realize just when we thought we were going to fail, that we can still shine through the mistakes and the cloudiness of confusion. These are the types of heroes I wish to make my students believe that can BE.
I want them to push themselves toward greatness. I want them to strive to shock the masses. I will teach them to reach for the stars, for things bigger than they think they can be. Then, and only then, will they truly see the importance I see in the underdog...because they will become one!
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