About 360 Grade 6 and 7 students from across the Sunshine Coast came together for a day of challenging stereotypes, looking beyond labels and learning to accept one another during the Cracking the Mirror workshop at Roberts Creek Elementary Oct. 27.
The day was organized by the Sunshine Coast Intermediate Teachers' Association and featured guest speaker Dave Roche, a man who spent much of his life learning to look inside to find his self worth.
"I want you to stare at my face today, to talk about it. I don't exactly like it. I speak all over the world to people and you think by now I'd feel a little more comfortable meeting a new group of people - but I still get a knot in my stomach. I think people will feel I'm a freak or a monster," Roche said.
He went on to explain a large tumour on the left side of his face and neck had to be removed when he was a small child, along with his lower lip. The tumour's effects caused a discolouration on portions of his face, and through heavy radiation to stop the tumour from growing, he lost most of his teeth.
"I lived most of my life very ashamed. I thought that I was a freak or a monster. But now I realize my face is a gift. It's a gift because I've been forced to look inside to find out who I really am - and that's something you need to do too," he told a mesmerized audience of students crowded into the school gym.
Roche went on to speak of important moments in his life, using humour to relate to the students who grew more comfortable with his appearance as the talk went on.
He said oftentimes, when he decided to step out and take a chance, he would be heckled or put down by people around him, but sometimes there were those few rare strangers who urged him on and had faith in him.
"I have been so thankful for those times someone else has been good to me and has looked beyond my label because it has helped build me up and encourage me," he said.
That was the message chair of the intermediate teachers' association Barry Krangle hoped would get across to students at the workshop.
After huge applause for Roche, students took part in adventure training outside with educator volunteers that led them through a series of exercises meant to challenge conceptions and extend students. The exercises focused on risk taking, team building and diversity education in a hands-on and interactive way.
"I think we all feel the talk was great and the speech was very powerful, but let's begin to walk the talk as well. Our actions should reflect our beliefs," said adventure team organizer Mark Lebbell.
The message seemed to be getting through, with students admitting they at first had trouble accepting Roche but later felt better because of his attitude.
"I thought he was funny and cool, but when I looked at him it kind of made me feel sad. But when I realized he was comfortable with it, it made me feel better," said Grade 6 student Ruth Berry.
Devon May, also in Grade 6, said she felt the speech was inspirational and she appreciated that Roche told the truth about all he had been through.
"When he was talking to us he wasn't ashamed, and that was really cool," she said.
She said she learned that "it doesn't matter what you look like." Her friend Elsie Webber said, "That's something I'll think more about now."
Following the morning session, Roche's wife Marlena Blavin gave a powerful and heartfelt talk to students titled Love at Second Sight, which was moving and inspirational.
"What I like is that this is something where we'll come in and talk and we know that people will carry on the work all day, all year we really feel we've made a contribution, a difference. This is something that kids don't talk much about," Roche said.
Krangle noted it's something that has been a topic of discussion for weeks now at schools across the Coast where teachers are using the seminar as a starting point for conversation about labels, cliques and discrimination.
"I think it's a great starting place. [The intermediate teachers' association] wanted to provide an opportunity to give students and teachers something to take back to their classrooms, and they have done that. Teachers have been having a lot of really good discussions with their students. This is a topic we as teachers can hit several times. It's not just a one shot deal," Krangle noted. "This was just the first event we wanted to do. It gave students a chance to look beyond the label at who they are, not just what they're wearing. It was very empowering."
Roche hopes to move into Roberts Creek co-housing with his wife as soon as their Canadian citizenship if finalized. They currently reside in the U.S. Once here he hopes to give similar talks on the Coast to other audiences.
