Each spring during prom week, firefighters, actors, students and my fellow faculty members enacted this scene on the high school football field. The afternoon was intended to shock some, remind others and beg all to refrain from driving drunk on prom night. I’d like to believe nationwide drunken-driving simulations like the ones we did at my school contributed to those statistics. School boards and politicians attempt to control classroom content through gag orders on positive signage, pronouns, books and language. Teachers know a caring relationship promotes motivation, engagement and positive behavior — and that’s when learning happens.
