1. Coming from the stereotypical white, suburban town/high school, I can't really relate with the teachers and students that attend/attended Harper High School. The only form of violence that made its way into the school would be the occasional fight in the hall way. While I was a sophomore, a student that was an upperclassman died suddenly and the school was severely impacted by his death. It was as if the school day stopped and we were on a vacation from schoolwork for weeks. The teachers didn't want to go "too far" or push the students too hard in the weeks following his death for the fear of depression, stress, etc. Like this past week in Boston, the atmosphere of the school was completely different than normal. Teachers felt that it was better to tend to the students' needs rather than move on and continue with their every day schedules. Looking at Harper High School, where 29 students were shot and 8 killed, how would you handle the atmosphere of your classroom? Would you ask students to share emotions, thoughts, etc. or would you move on through the school days as if nothing had happened?
2. Ira Glass stated that when students are reprimanded at Harper High School, they're reprimanded with love. Do you think this effects the students in a positive way or a negative way? Do you think this aspect has something to do with the students being effected by the violence?
3. While reading the transcript, it made me think of the movie Freedom Writers and how the students in the class witnessed and were a part of violence every day. They were victims of gang violence and would only hang out with "people of their own color." The teacher (Hilary Swank) was able to engage the students and create a classroom where the students felt safe regardless of their home situations. If you taught at a school like Harper High School, how would you create a classroom environment where students felt safe? How would you handle what was going on outside of class? Would you incorporate it into your curriculum like Hilary Swank did in Freedom Writers?
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