Dr. David J. Childs, Ph.D.
Northern Kentucky University
Teaching in a Divided Nation
With the US being divided and polarized along ideological, social, racial and political lines the idea of addressing controversial topics may seem very intimidating to teachers. Indeed, with many hot button issues being at the forefront of all of our minds, many teachers choose to barely even broach certain subjects. In fact, some teachers may avoid controversial subjects altogether. They tip-toe around topics such as racism, sexual assault, censorship, abortion, gay marriage or gender equality out of fear that they will get into trouble with their administrators or receive backlash from parents. Or teachers feel inadequately prepared to delve into certain topics. However, students often are confronted with these issues everyday and they need some sort of outlet, platform or safe space to process all that is going on around them. And what better space to deal with these topics than a middle grades or high school classroom.
Good Teaching Can be Messy
Good teaching can often be messy but that does not mean it is bad teaching. When approached the right way “classrooms can be welcoming spaces for students to test-drive their ideas and to see disagreement as an opportunity to learn, not as a form of conflict.” Social studies, language arts and even journalism classrooms can be “ideal incubators for facilitating constructive dialogue on today’s most divisive issues—from immigration… to religious and cultural tolerance… to the relative powers and functions of our three branches of government.”
A Roadmap for Controversial Teaching
I-Civics has prepared materials to address controversial topics. Teachers will find helpful resources in the section called Your Roadmap for Teaching Controversial Issues. I-Civics has created “five Teacher Guides and a series of brief informational videos” that equip teachers to address controversial topics in their classrooms.
Discussion Questions
A. How early should teachers introduce controversial topics in class? Are elementary students too young? Is Kindergarten too young? Why or why not?
B. What are some real obstacles or barriers for teachers as it relates to teaching controversial topics in class?
C. In what ways can controversial topics be integrated into a science or math curriculum?
As a future educator, I agree that it is difficult to introduce and discuss controversial topics in the classroom. I agree when the article mentioned that students need an outlet and a safe space to let out these controversial topics that are going on around students each day. Teachers could benefit by teaching about these topics with facts about the topics. Even though they can be difficult topics to talk about, it is important for students to learn about these controversial topics.
I think in middle school and high school classrooms it is much easier to discuss controversial topics. I think students are expected to start to think for themselves and dive deeper into topics, not just believe or go along with whatever they were told when they were younger. I think in the early elementary grades, that is where things aren’t as easy. Yes, I think controversial topics should be discussed or raised to a certain degree. I think topics should be acknowledged. Unfortunately, I do think early elementary teachers face potential backlash from parents. Kids bring these topics to school anyways whether the teachers bring them up or not and often times they are from a very biased point of view. I have heard it myself from my own children. I think it is important for teachers to acknowledge these topics and for children to hear about these topics without an agenda behind them. I think we are doing our children a disservice by not talking about controversial topics. It might seem like we are protecting them by not acknowledging these topics or issues, but we aren’t. I think by not talking about them we are making the children more susceptible to just believing whatever they are told later in life, leading in some cases to extremism.
I feel that article argues many valid points. Sensitive topics such as racism, politics, assault, religion, and much more are hard to bring up in a classroom. In most cases like the article pointed out, teachers may not know how to address those topics. Anyone who supports a cause or follows a specific group may not like to hear others input because they may find it offensive. Teachers should be stating in the classroom that addressing controversial topics are to be taught with facts and supporting evidence. Opinions are welcomed but it must be stated that it cannot be offensive towards a specific group of people. Students need to hear controversial topics in school to facilitate learning and become appropriately informed about such topics.
This article has been extremely helpful to myself as I have struggled with the very question on how to teach controversial topics many times while obtaining my teaching degree. Growing up myself, I have been ashamed of my ignorance towards racial issues and frustrated at the education I had received in middle and high school that somewhat sidestepped these points of important discussion. There’s a lot about US History alone that I am continually surprised to learn about and flabbergasted taht I hadn’t learned of it in my US History and Civics courses. I am certain that I would like to discuss in some capacity the issues of racial tensions and how they have developed throughout US History. The resources provided here have helped me retain the confidence to do so. There are many challenges in tackling controversial topics, from social annihilation to getting fired and struggling to find a new job; however, hopefully if discussed openly these potential consequences can be mitigated.
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Dr. Childs:
It was truly encouraging to read your article related to controversial topics in the classroom. Now more than ever, it is essential to present these challenging issues in a respectful and optimistic manner that acknowledges the reality while prompting students to own their role in the future.
First and foremost, you discuss the current climate and environment which presently exists in the United States. I agree with the fact that this can cause intimidation and result in a lack of discussion and instruction related to controversial topics. By not presenting these topics to students, we are failing them as educators. Difficult conversations are a reality of life. As educators, we must seek to ensure that students are equipped with the resources needed to have these conversations in a healthy and beneficial capacity.
Secondly, I agree that social studies and language arts classes serve as a great avenue to introduce these topics. Social studies lessons go far beyond historical conversations. A comprehensive social studies curriculum engages students with problems of the past as well as problems of the future. By allowing students an opportunity to learn about these topics and form conclusions related to them, we are proactively preparing them to be leaders and innovators for the future.
Finally, the iCIvics page provides some leverageable resources which can be used by an educator as he or he prepares to navigate challenging concepts and conversations with students. With the correct level of preparation, students will certainly benefit from a teacher’s guidance while leading this incredible learning.
Thanks!
Evan
The idea of introducing controversial topics in my future classroom is already something that I stress about. Especially with the division that is seen within our own country today. This article does a great job at showing why mentioning and diving deeper into these topics is so important for students. When I think of my home life, I have parents who do focus their time to understand political issues and have always made an effort to explain the different sides of these issues to my brothers and me. So, I think if I was first asked about my stand on addressing controversial topics in my classroom, my first response would be to not too. I would naively assume that parents will usually take the responsibility to address them to their children and that way I could not get into trouble for possible messy conversations. But for me to assume that parents take that responsibility, is something I really cannot count on. And when my job is to educate young American citizens, I now realize how crucial it is that I teach students how to have safe, positive discussions and stands on important yet controversial issues.
This resource that you provided will be super helpful to me. Controversial topics do make me a little nervous. While the topics won’t come up in elementary school like they might in middle or high school (through discussion, actions, arguments,etc.), there is certainly still room for it to happen. Some topics are not appropriate for younger kids and it won’t be in my jurisdiction to cover those topics, thats okay. In the same way that there is a “scope and sequence” to social studies curriculum, not all controversial topics should be addressed at once or at all in an elementary setting.
Controversial topics are definitely often forgotten about or avoided as topics of conversations between a teacher and his/ her students. I feel like the main reason is because of exactly what this article said; “They tip-toe around topics such as racism, sexual assault, censorship, abortion, gay marriage or gender equality out of fear that they will get into trouble with their administrators or receive backlash from parents”.I 100% agree with this statement and I think it is great that you included it in this article, Dr. Childs. With this being said, I will definitely be very careful if and when I do decide to have discussions with my future students about a controversial topic because I do not want to put myself through the tough task of dealing with angry parents and administrators for making my own decision about whether or not I should or shouldn’t have discussed a controversial topic with the students in my classroom after doing so. I do strongly believe that teachers need to have these types of conversations with their students because they need to know what is going on in the world around them so they can prepare and learn about what to expect once they enter the real world and have to face those around them and what life is like outside of their school environment. It is our job as teachers to prepare our students for the future in the best way possible so they can be successful. One way to do this in the classroom is to practice having discussions about controversial topics so students know the appropriate way to have this type of conversation with others, because they will have to do this when they graduate from high school and enter into adulthood. Discussions about controversial topics are definitely tricky and have to be conducted in the right manner to be able to educate students about the correct way to have this type of conversation, but if done perfectly, this can be very effective and teach students a very important life skill and lesson that is invaluable to them and that they can take with them and apply to their life outside of school.