Issues That Matter
It is very important for children to know what is going on in their world and why it is happening. It’s also okay for students to hear about bad or uncomfortable news or topics. We do not need sheltered students, we need knowledgeable and aware students. I'm not saying to tell them every gruesome detail of everything, but there are some topics that an educator is eligible to speak to students about that some adults are scared to.
Why Though?
Silencing children can be confusing for them, it can also cause them to try and figure things out on their own with limited knowledge or resources. We don’t want our students to rely on impractical resources such as TV shows or gossip. As one of kids’ most important roles in their life, we have to be trustworthy, reliable, and truthful to our students. By being a reliable source to your pupils, "students develop knowledge, skills, and informed civic responsibility" when they invited to these challenging conversations. (Quote from Fostering Civil Discourse by Hannah Ardent)
How?
Like Hannah Ardent said in Fostering Civil Discourse, "we are not always equipped for these conversations". There will be times when students will come to you with topics that you may not know how to respond to and you may just want to say blunt phrases like “it will be okay” or “don’t worry about it”, but it is okay to talk about these issues that matter. It is good to set certain boundaries in the classroom to set a base for what is right and wrong. From there you can gather what your students might know and not know and how to help them with a certain issue. In order to make these conversations beneficial, you could try educating students on solutions, resources, ways to help, and more. Encourage questions, argumentative statements, and disagreement. Lastly, remember to create a welcoming and safe environment to promote open and allowing discussion.
A great article for more: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/conversations-that-matter
Hey Mallory,
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more on your blog!
I feel when teachers and/or parents shield their student/child they aren't preparing them for the world we live in. The world we live can be cruel and scary but knowing what to expect can help ease some people. For example, when the shooting in Uvalde happened, it was devastating, and scary. My sister-in-law decided to tell my nephew what had happened. Now she didn't tell him everything, just that a bad person went into a school with a gun and hurt a lot of kids. After she told him, she then started to teach him what to do in that situation. She did this not to scare him of going to school, but to prepare him. When my nephew went to school the next day, his friend had asked him what was going on because his parents don't tell him anything. And because of that, now this kid is lost and perhaps has a lot of unanswered questions. Teachers and parents must be honest with their student, because at the end of the day they just want the truth, no sugar coating.
Hey Angelica! I think it's amazing that your sister-in-law told her son about Uvalde. It's so sad that we have to tell children about these situations to prepare them because of the fact that it could happen. We have no control over all the bad in the world, but the youth should be informed about it all.
DeleteHi Mallory! I really enjoyed your BLOG!! I completely agree that talking about the issues will help students realize that that the classroom is a safe space and that they are always free to express their ideas. I think that not talking abut things definitely makes students afraid to express their true feeling and options that could be the same as what another student in the class I thinking. It opens up those conversations that we need have in the classroom, so they can grow up and not be scared to talk about issues. Do you think that if we incorporate conversation on topics that are happening right now, students in the future will feel more compelled to talk about things in their adult lives? In my own experience I haven't ever felt comfortable enough in a classroom to express my own ideas and I feel like that has been rooted from not having conversation in my past classes.
ReplyDeleteMy parents were the type to tell me about these kinds of things, therefore I feel comfortable talking about almost anything with anyone. I thunk maybe you're right and this uncomfort can be rooted from your childhood because of not hearing about these things. I definitely support teaching and educating children on issues that matter, it also may help them in the future.
DeleteThanks about my blog layout!
ReplyDeleteI too have heard people say weird things about death that confused kids and makes them think death is some fantasy. One way I think could help students with these topics is; instead of randomly bringing it up, after an active shooter drill you could ask your students if they know why we do this/ what it's for. It's a good way to not only educate them on this topic, but also to prepare them.