Sweep Like Michaelangelo

After reading Rafe Esquith's book "Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Kids in a Mixed-up, Muddled-Up, Shook-up world",

I created a powerpoint using the quote from the Martin Luther King speech, "What is Your Life's Blueprint."

"If it falls your lot in life to sweep the streets: sweep them like Michaelangelo painted pictures, like Beethoven composed music and like Shakespeare wrote poetry."

I use this powerpoint throughout the semester to encourage students to maximize their effort in everything they do. Periodically I let students choose additional role models to add to the powerpoint.

Students have come up with examples like:  Theodore Gieselle, championed literacy, Jesse Owens, 'eraced' racism and Steve Prefontaine broke through the limits.

To learn more about Rafe Esquith access his website for the Hobart Shakespeareans. http://www.hobartshakespeareans.org/