AKEELAH AND THE BEE

I attended a university instructor’s English course last year when I was studying for the university entrance exams. He met us at the weekends and gave us some important learning strategies. One day, he came to the class and said that we were not going to talk about anything. He wanted us to sit in a semi-circle. Then, he put his laptop on a table in front of us. He said that we were going to watch a movie. He left us alone in the class. Before leaving, he added that the movie was chosen for the lesson of that day and that we had a message in it. My friends and I all thought that he was really cryptic. Sometimes we did not understand his methods but we realized what he meant later. His mysterious movie is called “Akeelah and the Bee”. When we saw that its main character was just an 11-year-old girl, we could not be sure whether that movie was suitable for us or not. We expected a different movie because we were not children anymore. There was no need to watch a little girl’s childish world. However, we realized that we acted just like children by thinking that there was nothing to learn from a little girl as we went on watching further. Akeelah is a smart girl who really likes spelling. Because of her talent, she finds herself in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is a very famous spelling competition. During her preparation for this contest, she studies with a great teacher named Dr. Joshua Larabee. He is actually her couch. She gets the support of everyone around her. She feels her family’s, friends’ and even her neighbour’s sincerity. They help her study and want her to win. The noteworthy point is that she wins because she tries everything possible as long as she can. Moreover, her biggest love of spelling comes from her dad. Her dad is not alive but she keeps him alive inside her by spelling. At least, she thinks that he will be happy if she wins the spelling bee. This makes her more determined and hopeful. After watching the movie, the question came to our minds was “Why not?”. If Akeelah could do it, we could also do it. We could find ways to be successful. We could find our own inspiration. We could pass all the exams. In the end, our instructor came in the class and said “do whatever you need to do”. He did not give us any homework but asked us to think about the movie. We admired his teaching style once more because the movie was amazing and full of advice. All in all, I think Akeelah and the Bee was his best lesson in terms of the deep meaning of it.

 

VIDEO REFLECTION: Our Deepest Fear

 

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves:  Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." - Marianne Williamson.

The quotation that Akeelah reads in the movie is above. I think this part of the movie is perfect. I do not remember watching such a good movie and facing such a gorgeous quotation ever. We can do a lot of things if we believe in our inner power. This is what Akeelah’s coach is trying to show us. The way of encouraging Akeelah to gain self-confidence is really effective. I strongly suggest watching this movie and I hope one day when you become teachers, you can watch it again with your students. I think not only the students but also the teachers should watch this movie and get the point.