Today I showed my students a clip from the movie "Brother Bear" where the main character, Kenai, is told that his guide is love and his totem is a bear. Kenai is embarrassed to be a "love bear" and believes the medicine lady was wrong. But as the movie goes on, Kenai learns just how right she was.
Then I went over several different types of guides we can have in our lives. Basically, different types of human characteristics. We talked about how these guides are the basis for how we make decisions and who we become. We discussed that totems represent who we are, but in animal form. I asked my students to pick their guide and totem and write a paragraph on each one. As the room went quiet and their brains started churning, it got my brain going too. I think I have had different guides at different times in my life. My totem has probably changed too. Trials have changed who I am. Graduating college or switching jobs has altered my direction or purpose in life. However, I think I have always had a guide and a totem through out my life. So I decided to do the assignment too. Here is what I came up, quickly, so don't mind the mistakes.
My guide is optimism. I always look for and find the positive in people and situations. I like to believe that things will get better. I dwell on the positive aspects of tough situations to pull me through. I have seen the impact that being positive can have when working with young children.
My totem is a cat. I am loyal to those I choose, I like to be around people when I choose to and I like to be alone quite often. To me cats spend most of their day doing what they choose, I would do that if I could. I tend to think people have mine and other’s interests at heart and am very trusting, just like cats. I am cautious and warm up slowly when I don’t know people or there is a lot of people around.
I decided to blog about this because it helped me clarify myself a little more. I also realized the connection between me and the characters I write about. It's really hard, if not impossible, to truly express your character if you don't know who they really are. What's most important to them or what motivates them. So I'm going to start doing this for all my characters. I think it might help me find their voice sooner.
And of course, I had to include some things my students said. Some are hilarious and other very insightful.
My guide is family. My totem is a bird because they are always together.
My guide is comedy. My totem is a hyena because they are annoying and laugh a lot.
My guide is loyalty. My totem is a dog because I follow commands, I like to run around and play catch.
My guide is wisdom because I always use my brain. My totem is a rabbit because it can escape from predators and so do I (like my mom).
My guide is love. My totem is an eagle because they take good care of their babies and if you don’t bother them they won’t bother you. (This comes from a student with a second grade IQ who was abandoned by his mom at age five.)
My guide is adaptability. My totem is a wolf. I might lose some friends along the way but will gain more friends.
What do you think? Do you have a guide and a totem right now in your life?
Wow. Some of those were so, so touching. I loved what you said about yourself too Sally. I also noticed you write the same way you speak and I could hear the cadence of your voice in your written words. Made me really think about "voice" in our writing. Interesting ...
ReplyDeleteUm, I'm not sure I understand the rules of the guide/totem thing, but I'll try.
My guide is faith. My totem is the penguin because they know where they need to go and why and they do it, even if the going is hard and they might do it all for nothing (their young might have died while they were out getting food.) But they keep going anyway, having faith that they're doing it for the right reason and that their efforts will be worth it.
Does that even make sense?
And I agree it's a most excellent exercise to do for our characters! ♥
I love this. You're awesome. I agree with Ali, it's a wonderful exercise for character development.
ReplyDeleteMy totem is a cat. Always has been, and I think it always will be, because I connect to cats on a certain level that's really hard to explain. They are such intelligent creatures, and I think they understand a lot more than we give them credit for. Also, I see cats as indigo, which is the same color I see for myself. I've always thought of other people and animals in terms of color, and having the same color as another living being holds a lot of meaning for me personally.
There's my two cents :)