Putney’s Greenwood School received national attention Tuesday night with the PBS premier of Ken Burns new film, The Address. The film shows how students learn to recite the Gettysburg Address, and how that process impacts them. Viewers get to follow along, watch the struggles and triumphs along the way, and see the results. If you missed it, I have it embedded below.
I never had to memorize the Gettysburg Address (it looks like a tough assignment!), but I do know the relief and exhilaration of mastering something difficult. It can be a life-changing experience to do something that seemed impossible. It makes other, future impossibles possible. This film captures that process quite well.
The students offer up some refreshing honest statements, too, about how they are doing and how they feel. Adults may watch quietly and smile, but I’m sure some are whispering inside “Yeah, I know the feeling” when a student shares his frustration.
Full disclosure: MuseArts helps Greenwood with web design, so we’re proud of the attention they are receiving through this film. But we’d be impressed even if we didn’t know them… : )
