Slice of Life Day 2: Crying in the Classroom

For the month of March, I am participating in the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge. This is my first year, and I am so excited to be a part of this community!

I made my students cry today. Every single class, at least one or two puddled up and had to reach for the tissues. No, I am not that mean. We were kicking off our March Madness Poetry Bracket, and the first matchup was a doozy.

For today's poem, we watched To This Day by Shane Koyczan. (PS at this point if you're going to go watch it, grab tissues first!) It was one of those moments. You know how school is so noisy and messy and stressful most of the time, but every once in a while you get these moments when everything goes quiet and still and you remember that sometime the things you do in class matter more than others.

When the video was over, there was a hush over the classroom, interrupted only by a few sniffles. Then, a little whispered conversation. And then they wanted to talk. The poem starts out with a silly video about a kid confusing the difference between pork chops and karate chops, and goes on to address name-calling, bullying, and depression. There's a connection to be made by every single student. 

I saw myself in this poem for several reasons. I have been last picked in gym class. I have been called ugly. I have dealt with depression. But I have also made jokes at someone else's expense. I have called others ugly. I have looked at a student with depression and wondered Why can't you just get over it? I hope that all of my students had the same experience I did, listening to this video. 

It is rare that texts create mirrors, windows, and doors for the reader, but this one does. I hope you will watch it, and share it with students. Share it with family. Share it on social media. We need the reminder that we have the choice, every day, to impact the lives of the people around us. We can choose to build up or we can choose to tear down. Choose well.