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On Friday morning before school began at Justice Page Middle School in Minneapolis, my teaching partner, Angel, ran into the classroom and asked, “What have you heard about the student walkout? Our students are talking but they don’t know where they’re going or what it means.”
We asked a few students if they knew their reasons for staying or going, because missing class is serious — one could tell others were pondering these questions. What Angel and I both knew is that they were all still in pain after the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and needed a safe space to process. We both agreed we needed to pivot from the scheduled activities and engage our students in a conversation. Immediately, she grabbed blue and green Post-its and I wrote on the board: “What is your WHY?”
As eighth-graders entered second period still buzzing about the day, we asked: “Who here is planning to walk out? Who is not planning to walk out?” Students needed to think about their actions and be true in their beliefs.
While we had to stay neutral on the walkout itself, we knew that our jobs as English Language Arts (ELA) teachers in an International Baccalaureate (IB) school demanded we take this real-life situation and create a valuable learning moment. We took turns explaining that beyond our subject, our role as teachers is not to encourage them what to think but teach them how to ask questions, reflect and challenge them to better understand their own thinking. Knowing their why allows them the autonomy they desire while laying a foundation for them to discuss. We urged kids to be critical thinkers and leaders — not just followers. We gave them a moment to anonymously write down their thoughts and then we exhibited them in class. We continued to have learning moments like this all day long.
The images you saw of our students pleading for gun safety — displayed across the Minnesota Star Tribune website — only told half the story. For all the kids who could or could not participate, here are just some of their voices that cannot be ignored:
- “Today I am walking out to bring attention to gun violence. People need to understand that children’s lives are more important than their guns. I’m tired of hearing about another school shooting on the news so I will miss school to help create change.”
- “I’m not walking out although I would like to because all of the people involved had to go through something so traumatic and that’s so sad for this generation. I don’t have permission to leave from my parents.”
- “I’m walking out because no matter if you’re Republican or Democrat, a different race or religion, we can all agree kids should not get hurt in school.”
- “I am walking out because I truly believe guns are horrible and the US has to make changes, and I hope I can help by doing it.”
- “I’m not walking out because I need to walk home with my sister, but I support the cause.”
- “The reason that I am walking out is because I’m one of the many students that is showing how important gun violence is and how real and scary it is … and for my hopes.”
- “I wanted to support the people who died by going to the peaceful walkout but I wasn’t able to go because of a sport. But, if I didn’t have to go I would’ve been there to support everyone.”
- “I plan to walk out because it needs to end. Kids should feel safe in school. My family was at Annunciation. I AM ANGRY! The fact that kids can’t live their lives anymore …”
- “I chose to stay because I didn’t want to miss any of my school work, especially science, but if I was able to walk out without missing work, I would have absolutely walked out because I think gun violence is disgusting.”
- “I want to walk out because: A. My friends are going. B. Guns are the #1 cause of death of children in America, not a natural cause, murder.”
We may not all agree on the correct path forward to eliminate school shootings, but can we all agree to start listening to our children?
