This song has haunted me for a couple of months.  When I first heard it, I knew immediately that I was going to be using it in my classroom in some way.  When I looked up the video, I saw that the group, Alternate Routes, had produced it in support of the Newtown Kindness Organization. This makes it even more poignant.

Others have also noted the significant message of this song.  This weekend, I got involved in a Twitter conversation about the song with @ArinKress and @CraigYen.  Craig mentioned that the song had been used for part of the opening ceremonies during the Sochi Winter Olympics.   That inspired me to view the video again.

On the site of the official video, the band says, “We hope you enjoy the song and would love it if you made a video of your own footage (new or old) and sync it up with Nothing More to share with friends and share with us.”

I decided to do a quick internet search to see if anyone had taken the band up on their offer.  I found that Mimi Fitzpatrick decided to do just that.  She teaches third grade, and reflected on the journey she took with her students to create their own version of “Nothing More” in this blog post from November.  You can see the fabulous final product here.

I still haven’t decided exactly how I’m going to use the song; I will probably see if my students have some ideas.  Last year, my 5th graders did a great video for “Hall of Fame” by The Script, and this year’s group has expressed an interest in doing a similar project.

The lyrics of “Nothing More” are simple, but moving.  The song reminds us that, in the end, it is not the money we make, the accolades we collect, or even how many times we get liked on Facebook.  Our true character is reflected in the kindness that we show others.