Oliver Schinkten (@schink10) recently tweeted, “The message behind this 2-minute video is INCREDIBLY AWESOME. Which of the animals are you going to be?”
Of course, I had to watch the video.
The clip, from Dirt! The Movie, describes the story of a fire in a forest. As all of the animals stand back, watching the flames destroy their home, only the hummingbird decides to take action. He picks up water in his beak, and then drops it on the fire.
The hummingbird’s action seems pointless – but is it?
So many times we feel that the problem is too big, and do nothing. Or, worse, we complain and do nothing.
This video reminds me of one of my favorite inspirational videos, Toi Lead India Tree. In this video, the “hummingbird” is a small boy. And, by attempting a seemingly impossible task, he inspires others to help him accomplish it. People who had resigned themselves to be grumbling bystanders suddenly take action to solve the problem.
These videos, of course, are a great lesson for students. But we can also use them for self-reflection. When we, as educators, look at the blazing forest fire that seems to show no signs of abating, we need to ask ourselves, “Am I the hummingbird – or an animal who chooses to do nothing?”
(For more inspirational videos to use with students, check out my Pinterest board here.)
