I have been preparing a unit for my ELA 30-1 class on "voice... what is it and how do we use it?". We will be examining how authors project their voices through various textual and visual forms to share experiences and make social commentaries. To set a context for the unit Mr. Banks and I selected a variety of works adressing the Holocaust. This is not the topic of the evening but I wanted to acknowledge the uncanny parallels between the themes I will be exploring with my students and the present circumstances of their community. Delving into Holocaust literature will challenge the students to reflect on humanity's capacity for evil and suffering, hope and resillience. I am mourning the fact that these kids got a head start yesterday.
This is week two of my practicum at Delburne Centralized. It didn't take long to sense the strain of a small community being tugged at the seams. In the past couple years DCHS has been at the centre of several tragedies including two student fatalities and the passing of two parents. The teachers are emotionally exhuasted and bullying and depression have a strong presence amongst students. Sadly, yesterday brought the community to a new pinnacle of tragedy. Out of respect for those affected I will be brief about the details: on Monday DCHS lost a staff member, three students lost their mother, and a homicide investigation is underway.
I had no expectations for how today would unfold. In this profound darkness I am wide eyed and learning so much about hope and resillience. The staff and students assembled today and went through the motions with more grace than I could have imagined. I admire the honesty and humanity that DCHS staff are offering their students. I also admire the composure of my students and the dignity they contributed.
The gravity of all this has yet to set in for me and presumably many other staff and students. This will be a time of careful observation. Many of our students were already struggling with the weight of life and this could become a breaking point. The administration has been proactive in providing counselling for staff and students but my small town experience suggests that students and staff will be relying on personal relationships to get through this.
I am an observer more than a participant but this is an experience that I will not take for granted. I have a feeling that I will be the student and my students the teachers as we explore voices of suffering and resilience next month.
No comments:
Post a Comment