Make It Burn

Is it wrong that I tried to make my students mad on Friday? In my launch of a "writing for change" project, everyone could choose two or three articles about activists, past and present. It wasn't hard to find a pattern. Almost every one of the figures profiled stood up for an issue that touched them personally. 

Zuriel Oduwole, only 15, fights for education reform for girls in Africa. She grew up in the U.S., but her parents are Nigerian and Mauritian. Aaron Maybin, a former NFL linebacker and now a teacher, advocates for students in Baltimore City Schools, also his hometown. An estimated one million students staged walkouts on the anniversary of the Columbine shooting, and their personal connection is all too obvious.

"What's a current issue that lights a fire in you?" I ask. Of course, it’s important to engage in issues that don't affect us directly. But for this project, I'm looking for some emotional investment that might set their words aflame. 

My needs-a-nap-badly student, worn down by the week started with, "I don't know what I care about, just tell me what to do," and ended with clarity in his eyes to say, "Teachers talk all the time about bullying, but then they see it and do NOTHING." 

"Okay," I said, "I think I can find an audience for this concern." 

As it turns out, these kids are pissed. Mayhem on the bus, sexual harassment, racial and gender stereotypes, standardized testing, one-size fits all education, bias in sports, economic disadvantages, the government shutdown. In every case, students have felt the sting of these issues. That does not make me happy. 

It's one of those projects that makes me a little nervous. But if this challenge inspires them to write with passion and compassion, I'll take it.