Dear Teachers, Principals, Faculty, Parents, and concerned people,

I have, over time, as a full-time elementary school substitute teacher in Los Angeles Unified School District developed an idea to give ten fundamental concepts to all my students.

The concepts are: freedom; justice; truth; create; teach; love; unity; peace; intelligence; cooperation; and a Bonus Word which is power.

I call them Superstar Vocabulary Words. Each concept is represented by one of the ten fingers on the student's hands and all together, both hands, represent the concept of "power".

The students use the dictionary to define these terms. Then we read stories (for example, about Gandhi), write stories, write sentences using them, and/or draw pictures including all the concepts or a single concept of our choice.

I draw the words on the board very colorfully and with symbols where possible such as with a peace sign, a light bulb for intelligence, a balance for justice, a heart for love, a broken chain for freedom, and a lightning bolt for power.

I teach them how the concepts are interrelated. For example, "if we lose justice, then we lose peace." I teach them about the concept of "unity" with the world map and that all of mankind are cousins and all ultimately from ONE FAMILY.

I teach them that if we lose all of these concepts in our lives, then our hands turn over, our wrists cross, and we no longer have our power nor freedom. At that point, we become enslaved or locked up even literally.

I teach them that they can create and teach, that they already do, and that they through understanding and the application of these concepts have greater power and freedom in their lives!

I teach them that once they have completed the assignment and "gone free" then they can help others "to go free" and complete the assignment too, but that they must do it "in integrity with truth as teachers do" and not give away answers so that they can truly "get their wings" which are represented by their hands. Those then who help and "get their wings" get to line up first at recess and lunch.

This same fundamental "get your wings" process of having early finishers help others finish can perhaps also then be followed with all diverse assignments all year long reinforcing the ten fundamental concepts represented on the hands.

Sometimes also when I see my students around school lately, I have been giving them a two handed "hello" gesture to easily remind them of these important concepts once again.

Other words can be defined further with this same process as the students learning minds demand it. Thus, a solid foundation of fundamental and universal (yet non-religiously associated) concepts and ideas for them can develop in time.

For example, a word group two which I selected and am exploring currently would include: logic; fun; universe; possibility; service; give; joy; imagination; reality; and communication with a Bonus Word which is life.

The original ten (plus "power") would always however remain symbolic to the hands. Also, entire idea should also be fully made bilingual and in all other languages as necessary also.

For example, in spanish as follows (missing some punctuation): the "Superestrella palabras": libertad; justicia; verdad; crear; ensenar; amar; unir; paz; inteligencia; coperacion; and the "paga extraordinaria" which is "poder."

On August 12, I shared this idea with a coordinator named Ms. Bell at 49th Street elementary school in Central LA, and she was inspired and thought it was "a great idea." She told me that she was going to work on getting this idea integrated into the lessons plans of all classrooms at 49th St. Elementary!!!

I am very excited with the recent development of this spiritually educational tool (which is entirely non-religious and can be taught in public schools for everything is derived from dictionary use and fundamental definitions).

I know that its application has served my students (it worked best with 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders) and will serve the students in Los Angeles Unified School District on greater and greater levels in time and as it becomes possible.

I am currently committed to its expansion into all LAUSD elementary schools.

Sincerely,
Seth D. King
Elementary School Substitute Teacher
Los Angeles Unified School District
8-13-03