I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to The Blind Side, and Beyond

I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to The Blind Side, and Beyond

• Genre: Nonfiction; memoir
• Originally Published: 2011
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1130L; grades 9 and up
• Structure/Length: 18 chapters; approximately 304 pages; approximately 16 hours, 15 minutes on audio
• Central Concern: The memoir is a personal account of Michael Oher's life journey, from his difficult childhood marked by poverty and homelessness to his transformational experience of being taken in by the Tuohy family and eventually playing football in the NFL. Oher shares his struggles, triumphs, and the impact of his adoptive family, who provided him with opportunities that changed the course of his life. The central conflict revolves around Oher's determination to rise above his circumstances and the role of supportive individuals in his success.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes of poverty; homelessness; challenging family situations

Michael Oher, Author

• Bio: Born 1986; American former professional football player; his life story inspired the book and subsequent film The Blind Side; overcame adversity to achieve success both on and off the football field; used his platform to advocate for education and provide support to underserved communities; authored I Beat the Odds to share his personal experiences and inspire others facing similar challenges
• Other Works: When Your Back’s Against the Wall: Fame, Football, and Lessons Learned Through a Lifetime of Adversity (2023)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Personal Responsibility and Taking Initiative
• The Importance of Mentors
• The Plight of Foster Children and At-Risk Youth

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the social and cultural contexts surrounding the broken foster care system in America, which greatly impact the trajectory of Oher’s life.
• Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Personal Responsibility and Taking Initiative, The Importance of Mentors, and The Plight of Foster Children and At-Risk Youth.
• Answer Oher’s call to action and come up with a plan of 3-5 things that they can do personally to help better the lives of underprivileged youth.
• Examine and appraise the author’s purpose and techniques to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding how mentors helped change the trajectory of Oher’s life, analyze the discrepancies between Oher’s portrayal in this book and the 2009 film The Blind Side, and other topics.