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It’s a fascinating, strange, absurd time to be a social studies teacher. I would like to think the SS teachers I know strive to be as unbiased as possible in the classroom when politics and current events are brought up by students. /1
It’s a fascinating, strange, absurd time to be a social studies teacher. I would like to think the SS teachers I know strive to be as unbiased as possible in the classroom when politics and current events are brought up by students. /1
It’s our job to teach students to think critically, present information for them to discern, and help them engage in the real world with an open mind and curious confidence. You should leave my classroom wanting to seek the truth. Always. /2
However, this is increasingly challenging. Students listen to parents. They read and engage with poor sources of information. The leader of the free world tweets or says blatantly false information. At what point should a teacher interject? /3
I genuinely believe education is the silver bullet. It’s our way to make the world the best, most informed place possible. Social studies is more important than ever. So should a teacher say “the president is lying” if the president is lying and a student asks? I’m not sure. /4
Does it show political bias? Perhaps. But it shows that a teacher cares more about educated humans and the world than abrasive politics. I’m not telling them who to vote for when they turn 18. Or that one side is right. But lately, one side is factually wrong. /5
At the end of the school year, one of the best feelings is when students ask if I’m a Republican or Democrat. Or who I voted for. That means I did my job well. But dang, it’s tough to hide political leanings when facts have become partial to one political party over another. /6
