The events at the United States Capitol have created anxiety for many Americans, not the least of which are our children. Our teachers are now tasked with the notion of how to respond to students about the events that occurred.
As with many other complex issues, teachers and students are learning together and there is no need for educators to feel they must provide all the answers or be expected to do so. Students are coming to class with their own opinions and own truths about the events of January 6th and these opinions are shaped by their own thoughts and experiences and the values expressed in their homes. In discussing controversial events, it’s important for teachers to understand that student opinions are guarded and of such extreme importance that students will want to protect them. Coming from a stance that educators know best, sets up a place for conflict. To teach about or discuss these troubling issues, we need to create a safe space to process what occurred so that teachers and students can learn from each other.
First and foremost, we should expect that students of all ages may be anxious about what happened and the unknowns that lie ahead. As if the pandemic wasn’t enough, students and families are now tasked with navigating the emotions that arise in the face of peaceful and protected government protests, civil disobedience, or sedition. Our students are coming to us with questions about why political unrest exists in our country.
American citizens, teachers and students have heard from their state and national representatives, but the reporting may or may not reflect a common message. It’s overwhelming. Many students saw the event unfold on the news while at home because of remote learning. Depending on the age and situation of the student, his/her understanding of what happened will vary.
One central purpose of public education is to teach young people how to participate in a democracy, and that purpose is as important now as ever. Talking about and learning about things that matter is what students want, need, and deserve. Mostly, students want to be heard.
As with any good lesson or discussion of a controversial topic, a plan helps the facilitation. The University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning & Teaching shared the following:
- Identify a clear purpose to shape the nature of the discussion.
- Establish ground rules with students and refer back to these community agreements if the conversation becomes tense.
- Provide a common basis for understanding from the start to keep the discussion focused.
- Create a framework for the discussion that maintains focus and flow to use as a guide. It’s important to balance the need to have a clear purpose while being open to student observations and interpretation.
- Include everyone by moving beyond a large group discussion. Use small groups and make sure to include those who may see their views as marginalized.
- Be an active facilitator by rewording questions posed by students, correcting misinformation, making reference to relevant reading materials or course content, asking for clarification and reviewing main points.
- Summarize discussion and gather student feedback. This is an important step. Synthesizing what has been shared or identifying the key issues explored details issues that may need follow-up and add value to the time given the discussion.
Facilitating such conversations serves two purposes. First, it helps students deal with their fear and other emotions and secondly, it reinforces the importance of understanding how our government works. Social-emotional learning experts claim that helping students identify their own feelings is crucial. Educators must understand that they can have a positive impact on emotional stability and recognize such teachable moments. Accepting the notion that we make no judgment about the student’s emotion, the teacher’s task is to try to get students to recognize the reasons for their feelings and offer suggestions for managing them.
Darcy Richie, a senior director of program and impact for Generation Citizen, explains that the scope of the conversations can be small, perhaps focusing on how national issues play out in students’ daily lives. Likewise, she suggests that the goal of the discussion can be simple: help students feel confident in their knowledge of how government works and empower them to be civically engaged.