I think the main question as a teacher is "how do we talk about issues that matter?" I believe it can be challenging to be sensitive when talking about real-world issues in today's world. I believe that we must practice sharing in a way where students are welcome to have different opinions than their peers. My golden line from Fostering Civil Discourse was "However much we are affected by the things of the world, however deeply they may stir and stimulate us, they become human for us only when we can discuss them with our fellows." I stated in the discussion post that "This is a golden line for me because I think it is extremely important to value the right we have to talk about issues we see or experience. If we cannot talk about the issues surrounding us, there is no way for change to be made. Change is only made when people can band together to create a difference for the better." I believe as teachers we can create a space where we can talk about issues that matter. In a higher education setting, the conversations may be more heavy and uncomfortable. If we establish in a lower elementary setting that everyone's feelings and ideas are heard and valid, we can create a society that is understanding of others' ideas. I think something such as a Socratic Seminar sets up the classroom to be receptive to other ideas. According to AVID, a Socratic Seminar is "a method to try to understand information by creating a dialectic class in regards to a specific text." I think the main thing teachers need to promote is active dialect to talk about issues.
Hi Channing, I really enjoyed your post. I liked your golden lines, and can see from them that you feel it is important for teachers to engage in important conversations. I agree that it can be really challenging as teachers to have real-world conversations with students. You mentioned that you think it is challenging to be sensitive during these conversations. To you, what does being sensitive in these conversations? What does that look like from your end? How would you approach a conversation with a student to introduce a difference of opinions in a sensitive way? For example, to me, from my experiences children prefer to be treated as adults. I say this in the sense of not sugar coating and sharing your knowledge with them, allowing them to ask questions on what they don't understand, as well as asking them their needs. My sensitive side come from empathy, and validating them throughout the conversation. What do these conversations look like to you?
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah! Thank you for commenting! I'm glad that I made it apparent that I value speaking about important issues in the classroom. In my opinion, being sensitive in this conversations means that we keep others cultures and backgrounds in perspective when speaking about issues. I would approach a student by telling them that their feelings and opinions are valid, but, we must think before we speak to make sure we do not offend others. These conversations look like to me with me as the authority and the students being receptive to new information.
DeleteHey Channing! I completely agree with you that talking about certain topics and certain things in a classroom can be very challenging as a teacher, but it is something that we know is going to come up in our classroom. I liked that you picked your golden line and described why it was your golden line to us as readers. I like that you said if we do not talk about these issues, they will never change. The issues now will also be the same issues in the future if we do not have those challenging conversations in the classroom and hear everyone’s viewpoints on why they think the way that they think. As a future teacher, how do you plan on making sure that everyone is heard in your classroom? How do you plan on making sure that everyone is talking very aware of others’ opinions? I can’t wait to hear what you think you can do to help, thank you for your post!
ReplyDeleteHi Alex! Thank you for commenting on my post! Yes, It can be very challenging to speak about difficult topics in the classroom. My goal is to teach my students how to speak about these issues. It is true that if we do not speak about any issues, nothing will change as nobody will know exactly what change needs to be made. As a future teacher, I plan on letting those who want to speak say their part, and offer a time after class where those who are more shy or not as outspoken can speak to me if they need to. Thank you!
DeleteHi Channing! I enjoyed reading your golden line from Fostering Civil Discourse and how important it is to you. Although it can be tough to have some uncomfortable and hard conversations, it’s important to make sure every student knows that their beliefs or opinions are valid. Being inclusive to everyone in a classroom and allowing them to share their thoughts, listen to their peers in a respectful manner, and remain open minded is crucial in a classroom environment. There are so many issues in the world that not many are aware of. Having a classroom that is accepting of all and comfortable for students to learn in is important. My golden line was “How can we seek out or listen to those who hold different beliefs from our own?” Having activities and different lessons that we can teach students to be able to have those hard conversations and making them aware certain issues going on.
ReplyDeleteHi Channing! Agree with you, sometimes discussing these sensitive topics can seem to lime an overwhelming task for a new teacher. Although I think these conversations may be challenging, I know they need to happen. I love the golden line you chose, I feel that is a great quote that shows the importance of communicating these difficult topics. In my own life, I know sometimes I try to bottle up problems and I always feel much better when I talk about them with someone, which I think relates to the quote in a sense that by us talking about these difficult conversations, we will open up the doors for change. I love how you mentioned creating an open classroom for young students and the positive effect this can have on society's future. I agree that raising and understanding empathetic children will greatly benefit the future. I love also how you include a practical way to implement these conversations in the classroom through a Socratic seminar!
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