What a DAY!

So, here's my WOW...I have been using FW stuff with my 9th and 10th grade Eng students...we did the coat of arms where they had to create a sheild with stuff about them: goals, favorite things, what makes them unique and people they admire. I gave them all big pieces of poster board in the shape and took all of their pictures the first day of school in order to put them on the shields (some liked, some are still super apathetic), we did Getting to Know you Bingo, again, similar to coat of arms, some liked, some were apathetic..then we did Myself as a Crayon today. This activity starts with a graphic oranizer with a box of crayons drawn in the middle of a blank sheet of peper. The students are asked to write the sentence "Ms. Capy's students think outside the box and color outside the lines" outside of the box of crayons. Inside the box, the students are to write, "Our classroom is as colorful as a box of Crayola Crayons." Then, I pick up a color crayon and make it represent me, tear some of the paper, put some nicks in it etc. and then describe to the kids how that crayon represents me. I then read them the example written by a Freedom Writer:
"I would be purple. I fit in with no group. I felt rejected by white people, but talked "like a white girl", alienating me from black people. I was raised to know I was a daughter of the King, a beloved child of God. Instead of projecting my feelings of not belonging, I projected that I was smarter/better than everyone. They didn't reject me. I'd reject them. I can be cool, go with the flow of things, or be defiant, fiery and strong-willed, sometimes changing from one moment to the next."
I then asked the kids to write the sentence: "What kind of crayon would I be?"

So, we started that out...first and second hour wereOK...but not great.. in that they were chatty, didn't take it at all seriously and no one would share...It was probably my delivery...but fifth hour...WOW! This is the hour with all of MY Sharauds (there are about 5 in that hour like that "trouble" student. When I told them they could do anything they wanted to make that crayon represent them, kids were pounding them on the desks, scratching them, tearing off the paper, breaking them into little pieces, dulling them etc. I then had them write about what it all means and then asked for volunteers! WOW again! Most of the hands went up, and ALL of my Sharauds' hands went up! One by one, they talked about their crayons...they talked about their scars, the missing pieces of loved ones who are no longer there, their hardships etc, and all came back with "but I can still color"...I was almost in tears! And wait, get this, so many of them didn't know each other before this and so many had talked about losing their moms, one girl asked if we could have a moment of silence for all of the moms that were gone. These kids were so respectful! It was just one of those moments! So, I have made one of those five my "top Sharaud"...I pulled him aside after class and told him I would like him to be MY teacher in all things Muskegon Teenager...since I am this little White girl who's taught in Howell for five years! He's super geekd (he told me on the first day that he hates school, could care less about me, and was only in this class for one semester and then going to gym)
Just thought I had to share! I know not every day is going to be like this, but man, it will make the tough days better when I remember how well it can go!