On our last Professional Development day we were shown a video put together by students at the University of Oregon as part of an anti-suicide campaign. Students and staff members give 100 Reasons to Stay.
Before showing this video I asked my student how many of them had themselves or had know someone who has seriously considered suicide. It was over half the class!! This is a very real issue that we tend to avoid discussing because it is so uncomfortable. What this implies to our students is that it's not okay to talk about it... so they don't!
After showing this video to my students I told them...
"You have no idea how amazing your life is going to be. High school can be really difficult. You have hormones raging, you have issues with friends, issues with boys, issues with girls, issues with parents, issues with school. It can really drive you crazy. The best tool you can have is someone to talk to! Find someone. For most of you it's probably NOT your parents. How many of you would feel comfortable talking to your parents if you were having a bad day? (Not many) Find a friend, a teacher, a coach. Talk about it!!"
1 comment:
It was interesting to experience the change of atmosphere within the classroom during this video. The students came in to the room chattering and laughing, and settled into their chairs ready for their lesson. As they watched the video, the change in their demeanor was palpable - I really think it resonated with them. At the end of the video, every face in the classroom was serious and contemplative. It took a quick game of getting-to-know-you bingo to bring them back to a lighter mood and ready to learn.
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