Specific Student Reactions to the Trial
Response #1 - Galileo's Lawyer
This response comes from Antoinette, the girl who played Galileo’s lawyer from my 2nd period class. I am including it because Antoinette was the inspiration behind this entire project. When I first ask the students for ways to implement student autonomy, she suggested that we hold a mock trial. During the first semester, I learned that Antoinette wanted to be a lawyer. She frequently lamented the fact that she felt like she wasn’t learning any skills to help her reach her goal. Therefore, she inspired me to create a lesson plan where the students could participate in a mock trial while they were learning history. Naturally, when we were giving out roles, I made sure that Antoinette would be one of the lawyers so that she could begin to learn about what it takes to be a lawyer. During the preparation days, Antoinette was extremely engaged in her work. She was generally hunched over, reading the sources and other sheets of information. She also worked on creating an opening statement and preparing her witnesses for direct and cross examinations. However, in the middle of the preparation days, I sensed that Antoinette was getting frustrated and a little overwhelmed. She actually approached me about switching roles because she claimed that being a lawyer was “too hard” and that she wouldn’t be able to do it. I told her that it was too late for her to switch and that I really wanted her to continuing preparing for the role because she had been so excited about it before we started the project. In fact, I reminded her that the entire lesson plan was actually created for her, so that she could learn about being a lawyer. I felt that it was my job to encourage her and show her that she could do whatever she wished to achieve. I also offered her my assistance with anything that she needed, so that she could feel confident enough to continue, knowing that she wasn’t alone. She seemed a bit more relaxed after I spoke to her and continued to work diligently. I was really impressed with her performance during the trial and thought that she did a great job of making her case and convincing the courtroom that Galileo was innocent. She presented the facts in a logical and clear way so that it was extremely easy for the audience and the jury to understand her position. In fact, the jury actually acquitted Galileo of his “crime” and voted that he be set free.
In her response, I appreciated that Antoinette was able to reflect on the entire process. She recognized the benefits of continuing to prepare as the lawyer and I was glad that she was able to make that decision and get the most out of the experience. Moreover, I was glad that she felt autonomous throughout the process and even more so that she could recognize that she was autonomous. I think that this demonstrates that the students, or at least Antoinette, have learned the value of autonomy and how to recognize what it is. I am happy that I was able to give Antoinette (and the rest of the class) the opportunity to prepare for her career.