Don’t avoid bringing politics in the classroom. Social change and activism can help students connect content to the world they live in.

There is the view that teacher’s should be neutral when it comes to their political views. I’ve always believed that this is very difficult to do. Likewise, my course syllabi told a story that revealed my pedagogical and political views. Don’t you think that your syllabus might reveal your views?

In the present age of politics in America, some people find it difficult to talk about their political views. Some believe it might be dangerous. The political climate is partisan. For example, it’s even difficult within families to discuss views of many of today’s issues.

I was struct by an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education by Wayne Journell, entitled Professors, Are You Hiding Your Politics? Bad Idea. In sum, his research shows that if teachers show more disclosure, when done conscientiously, student benefit.

Political discussions can be part of most classrooms, but, as Journell says, context must be considered. Above all, he says:

It would probably not be appropriate to offer one’s opinion on a border wall, for example, during a mathematics lecture. However, most courses in the humanities and social sciences, and even some in the hard sciences, offered on university campuses touch on contemporary political issues in some form or another, unless we strain to avoid any consideration of their social relevance.

Journell W. (2019, September 22). Professors, Are You Hiding Your Politics? Bad Idea. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/article/Professors-Are-You-Hiding/247170

Politics in the Science Classroom

In the science classroom there many issues that have political and societal overtones. For example, yesterday, a Federal judge blocked the Georgia abortion law. The law would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected by doctors. Human reproduction would be part of a high school biology class.

In another example, last week, millions of students across the globe participated in climate strikes. Causes of climate change (global warming) are key ideas in middle school science.

Do teachers talk about their views or “position” on these two areas. Both of these areas, abortion, and climate change have been politicized, and peoples views usually reveal a partisan view.

So, the question, in the context of the classroom, is how should these controversial ideas be approached.

Climate change and abortion are social issues. Each has a history in American classrooms. Most American’s agree with the scientific evidence supporting the relationship between global warming and greenhouse gases. However, Republicans tend to deny or question the science of global warming. Democrats and independents tend to support the findings of climate scientists.

We know that students come to any classroom with preconceived notions about any concept in our curriculum. Preconceived notions about global warming and abortion will impact how and what students learn about these ideas.

Politics in the classroom will be a natural part of instruction, especially if you incorporate preconceived ideas that student bring to you.

Social Change and Activism

I came across a resource that applies to this blog post. At Concordia University-Portland, there is an College of Education blog. It’s named Room 141.

Room 141 blog is place to learn about the innovative approach to education, 3 to PhD at Concordia. Real ideas are shared on the blog.

As such, I came across one of their blog posts that fits here. The post is titled Teaching Students Responsible Activism. As pointed out at the top of the post, students have always been involved in social change. There are many examples, but surely, the fact that more than 3 million students went on strike for climate change is a good example. Caitrin Blake, the author of this post, says this about student activism:

Social change is often born, at least in part, from student activism. Civil rights, women’s rights, and other significant movements received greater attention and gained momentum as a result of student involvement.

Today’s students are speaking out about causes and participating in rallies, protests and other events in response to social injustice. These include students protesting changes to the AP American History curriculum and young people expressing collective frustration and outrage about the deaths of young African-American men at the hands of law enforcement officials.

While many student-involved protests have been peaceful, a handful of them turned violent, creating terrible outcomes and reducing the overall efficacy of their messages. Many educators have arrived at a conclusion: Students must be encouraged to participate in social justice movements in a responsible manner.

Blake, Caitrin. “How to Teach Students About Activism.” Room 241, Concordia University-Portland, 13 Nov. 2017, https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/leaders-link/student-activism/.

There is a very important place for politics in the classroom. Don’t hide your views. But when you express an opinion, make sure the students know it is your opinion, not a fact about the issue.

Blake discusses types of protests (boycotts, teach-ins, walkouts, marches, etc.), and the legal rights of student activists. According to the ACLU, students have First Amendment rights in school. Schools can discipline students for missing class (such as during a student led climate change strike). However, the ACLU points out they can not be disciplined harshly because of the political nature behind the student’s action.

What is your opinion on politics and teaching? How do you involve your students in social change as it pertains to the content of your courses?