By Rosa María Torres
One of the hallmark moments at Acton Academy is the Socratic Discussion—dialogues that foster deep reflection on a particular topic. After setting some guidelines (ROEs), the discussion begins.
This time, we explored with the Spark Pumas the themes of justice and Cinderella. Here’s a glimpse into our reflection:
Guide: Pumas, have you ever felt that life is unjust? In what way?
Puma 1: When my dad says we’re going for a walk, but then we run out of time and never go.
Puma 2: When I want to listen to my favorite music but my brother insists on his, they won’t let me.
Puma 3: When I have to lend a toy and it comes back dirty.
Guide: Have you ever heard the story of Cinderella?
Pumas (in chorus): Yes!
Guide: Okay, let’s listen to it together once more. [They listen to the story]
Guide: Pumas, what caught your attention about Cinderella?
The Pumas noted that “she is kind even when her stepsisters aren’t.”
Guide: What virtues do you observe in Cinderella? Your options are: a) Patience, b) Generosity, c) Humility, or d) another virtue?
Puma 1: She’s generous and very patient—patient with her stepsisters and with the animals.
Puma 2: Plus, she cleans the whole house, which seems unfair to me, so I think she has a lot of patience.
Puma 3: I feel it’s unfair that her Fairy Godmother only allowed her to dance at the party until midnight.
Puma 5: Maybe Cinderella should learn to stand up for herself or say “no” when something doesn’t feel right.
Guide: Just as Cinderella faces injustices, what are some injustices you experience in the Studio?
Puma 3: When a Puma leaves a chair out of place.
Puma 4: When a Puma serves themselves a snack and leaves everything messy.
Puma 5: Sometimes, I lose my patience waiting for the snack, unlike Cinderella’s calm.
Puma 6: When someone cuts in line, interrupts my flow, or distracts me when I’m focused on my work.
Guide: How can we transform these situations of injustice?
Puma 2: By respecting the Studio’s agreements.
Puma 3: By being considerate of one another.
Puma 5: By really trying to listen to others.
Guide: If you could give Cinderella a character call-out, what would it be and why?
Puma 1: For being kind, even when her stepsisters don’t treat her well.
Puma 3: For being very gentle and caring towards the animals.
The Socratic Discussion concluded with a call to action: to take steps that nurture a sense of justice in the Studio—a challenge for the Tribe that we will be recognizing throughout the week.
Through this exercise, the Pumas are building citizenship.
And how do we, as adults, build a fairer Peru?
