Durham School of the Arts Dragons

BARZ & Noble Durham School of the Arts Dragons

It is important for us to not only speak our truths, but to also listen to the truths of others. In 2018, I started an open mic in my classroom for that purpose. Each month, students would share their writing about topics that were important to them. Be it depression, racism, or issues with schoolwork or friends, they learned they were not alone. New friendships were born. Confidence in their writing and sharing their voice grew each time they stepped to the microphone. And then the world was struck with a pandemic and school as we knew it changed. BARZ & Noble went weekly and virtual. Their words, written in the form of poetry, became a focus of our online classroom. Poetry gave my students a way to write their way through a difficult time while also providing a window into their experiences. Some of those writings are found in this book.