Until you’ve taken on the role of a historical character appearing in front of a school class to impart knowledge, it may be difficult to understand the atmosphere.
The pupils know you’re not really Leonardo and that Leonardo is long dead. However (like any good acting performance) they are ‘suspending belief’ to both enjoy (and in this case learn) from the actor.
Think of it as interviewing Leonardo’s ghost if you like. The idea is that it’s exciting and much more fun than reading a textbook or taking notes from the teacher.
But Leonardo is supposed to know everything (including how he died.) So I repeat that turtlescanfly’s 12 year old stepson did brilliantly in making something up rather than breaking the spell.
As I’ve shown, in this case you should have congratulated him on a brilliant improvisation under extreme pressure. (In my experience, most 12 year olds are nervous about speaking in front of a class.)
Not in this specific case. I repeat my earlier post for convenience:
As a teacher I’ve done that acting role twice (as William the Conquerer and Martin Luther.)
It’s extremely difficult because you’re ‘live’ and the focus of attention. The success of the lesson depends on you.
I think your stepson did brilliantly when he got a question he couldn’t answer. There’s no point in saying “I don’t know” - for goodness sake you are supposed to be the character!
You want to create an atmosphere where the pupils are drawn in to the history and will remember the lesson forever. You don’t want to break the spell in any way.
If any pupil had actually looked up Leonardo’s death afterwards, that would have been good.
Two things to consider here: 1) Factual accuracy is not arrived at democratically; it’s very possible for you to be right and everyone else to be wrong. 2) As the kids’ father, it is your job and your job alone (since Mom has abdicated her duty) to remind them of this. Tell them “You don’t want to be the only student in your college Physics class who thinks that dowsing works and unicorns are real.”
College and the professional world are very unforgiving of people who still think pixie dust is a thing. If they go into the world believing provably false things are true, it’s your fault.
It’s funny how long I find myself discussing shit-- not even disagreements, but things no one can quite remember-- before I chime in with: If only there was some device that we could use to figure this out, and then pull our my iPhone…
Glee, we simply fundamentally disagree - and I say this having performed the exact same thing as OP’s stepson at a similar age, although I impersonated Joseph Stalin, not Leonardo da Vinci.
While the stepson was, indeed, brave to overcome any reticence he might have had in terms of speaking in front of a crowd, and while he did indeed “think on his feet”, so to speak, this does not change the basic facts of the matter. He bullshitted, and did so knowingly. Making things up when you do not know the answer is not an acceptable practice, and it is the duty of a parent to discourage it - never mind the fact that not knowing something as basic as how the character you’re impersonating died draws how well-prepared he was in the first place into question.
OP was right to call out his behaviour, although he could have done so in a gentler way, and although it would probably have been wise to praise him for his bravery in terms of public speaking and quick, albeit mendacious, wit at the same time, the stepson’s behaviour absolutely was in need of correction. The only thing that can reasonably be disputed is how it ought to have been corrected, and in this case the answer is probably “as gently and thoughtfully as possible.”
thanks for the support. while I generally understand the point glee is trying to make, I struggle to imagine a scenario where I praise my son for telling a bald-faced lie.
