Dirges in the Classroom

Fourth period was a requiem.

I gave each kid a notecard and talked (and shed tears) with my students, Marcus' friends and classmates, silent and thoughtful and reverent. I told them they could do whatever they wanted with it. Draw or write or talk or just sit. However they wanted to digest/reflect on it. Whatever would feel good for them and nobody had to say anything if they didn't want to.

I got too choked up to keep talking and told them I was probably going to need ten minutes to work on my card. They responded with sympathetic "okay"s and soon J was next to me with the tissues from my desk.

Then D says, "Ms. Craven peep dis, I got a idea- how 'bout we go 'round and everybody say something they remember- share a experience they had with Marcus." And then he went first.

By the end of class B had coined "Marcus Entertainment," a record label "'bout to go double-platinum" with rhymes like:
"Man I miss my dog/we used to play at starbucks and basketball" -T

"RIP Marcus/he wasn't really the target/and everyone knew that he was a smart kid/and we're trynna get this violence up out of here/ it don't make no sense to go around and kill/you shoud be still before you steal/that's betta than lying in a casket being still./that's not the deal how they just shoot up and kill/that's wrong why you can't just sit back relax and chill" -L

"I remember the ski-ball song we used to sing. It wasn't your time." -M

"My son got shot with an AK-47 but now I know he up in heaven." -L

Now they're up on our classroom wall. B says their first record is going to feature "Fourth Period."
Nice.

At least there is stuff like this going on too:
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/rally_draws_thousands_to_prote.html
The video is inspiring.

Another example of the need to teach peace.