B.A. Social Studies
Before reading, note that this post contains thoughts that are both rational and emotional...
As I write this, I’m watching news coverage on the most recent terror attacks on Paris… I would like to be candid in my views, but will be reserved because I know that as a public educator, I cannot portray my personal opinions and thoughts on government policy in a public forum. For that reason I will write tonight from the perspective of all of those educators who are charged with answering the questions regarding these events on Monday morning. Events like this, where innocent lives are lost, are the ones that are most intriguing to our students and offer the greatest opportunity to learn and discuss the topics of terrorism, national security, and foreign relations. Unfortunately, acts of terrorism have become all too common and are an issue that we will have to deal with regularly both as citizens of a global community and as educators who have the responsibility of providing perspective to our students when events like this take place. I argue that we should have meaningful discussion in response to the events that have taken place tonight. Although I cannot comment on my feelings regarding how we should deal with terrorism and terrorist organizations, it’s our responsibility as educators to be knowledgeable about the situations and events that are taking place worldwide that will affect this generation of students. Our responsibility as educators is to be able to provide information that promotes the ideals of the United States while respecting individual thoughts and beliefs. It is unbelievably difficult to keep the pendulum from swinging one way or another. As educators, how do we promote rational thought in these emotionally charged situations? My answer to this question: We don’t… Instead, we should offer answers that are both rationally and emotionally charged… If we truly believe that our way of life is the best way, then moments like this need to be portrayed, not as just something that is taking place overseas, but as something that is a direct threat to all of us as Americans and our values. I argue that times like this are the times that we should be emotionally charged in our classrooms to discuss American ideals… These are the times that we should be asking the “tough” questions to our students. What does it mean to be American? What role should the United States have in foreign relations? What is the United States’ role regarding terrorism overseas? Questions like these are the ones that have an impact on the future, and are the ones that will be most relevant to our students when they leave school. I am not advocating that we promote a feeling or belief one way or another, but it is up to us to inform this generation of students of the world that they are entering and provide a forum for this discussion. This world is not a world of peace, and as Americans, we need to be vigilant. One of our key roles as educators is to promote and teach our students this vigilance. Instead of teaching students to question the system that we have in the United States, I argue that we need to be focusing on and teaching them that the ideals of the United States are superior to terrorist organizations and the governments that support them. When watching any news channel or evening news show (from Fox News, to CNN, to MSNBC), one topic that is consistently discussed deals with the issue of these organizations recruiting United States citizens. I feel that we need to be honest as educators and be promoters of our system as a whole. We should be calling for and teaching our students responsible and informed citizenship. There is no better time to promote our ideals than in times like these. There should be no room for terror, but only the discussion in our classrooms of the use of those tactics as a threat to our ideals. There should be candid, honest discussion and dialogue with our students regarding events like the ones that happened this evening in Paris. This is the best way to defeat terrorism in the long run. We should not avoid these discussions, but should embrace and encourage them. As a history and government teacher, I understand the concept of sociological imagination and teach the value of perspective when studying history, government, and society. In my contemporary issues course, we focus on and debate the balance of civil liberties with the prevention of terrorism in the Post-9/11 Era. Students study multiple perspectives and are asked the difficult questions: Should racial profiling be used to narrow the field of terrorist suspects? Should torture be used to gain information regarding potential acts of terror? Should preventative detention be used as a method of preventing terror attacks? Should the government be allowed to take personal communication data in the name of national security? Although, this course is an elective, I would argue that it is the most relevant one that students are offered in our district because these debates are the same ones that are taking place between our political parties and are directing the policies of our government. The questions being debated here are the ones that are going to dictate future government policy. It is integral for our students to understand all perspectives of these debates and to have reasonable rationale for their perspectives on these topics. In cases like the ones that we face tonight, there are only two perspectives: one that is correct and one that is incorrect. Taking innocent lives is incorrect, no matter the perspective. As educators, our job is to promote only the correct. I encourage you to have meaningful dialogue with your students regarding these events when we arrive at school on Monday. Meaningful discussion is the basis for democratic society and is the purpose and original intent of the right to free speech. Encourage that discussion in order to prevent others from justifying acts like those that happened tonight in Paris, France.
Missi
11/14/2015 05:11:29 am
I am glad you are asking those tough questions of our students and providing a forum for discussion of these real world issues. Hopefully, out of these conversations comes understanding of humanity. Good works, Mr. Anton.
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Brian Anton
11/14/2015 11:01:00 am
Thanks for the feedback! Kind of just threw my thoughts out there. Hopefully it encourages teachers to have these meaningful discussions.
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Sandra
11/15/2015 09:19:02 am
As an educator I agree we are all grappling with how to approach this with our history students. I think the study of history is just that. We try to make sense of the past through the lens of multiple perspectives and make it relevant for our students. Through the unfolding of current events I think we would agree that it is important that we respect that "history" is indeed unfolding and that it would be a disservice to our students to give them a "right" answer. It is interesting that you talk of American ideals. Those are open for debate. I am sure many of the British in the 1760's and 1770's were calling the colonists terrorists through acts such as the destruction of British property, tarring and feathering and other such acts. The Sons of Liberty was not a peaceful movement. Yet we teach that these groups were patriots.
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Brian Anton
11/15/2015 12:42:01 pm
Thank you for your comment.
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AuthorBrian Anton currently serves the Purdy R-II (Missouri) School District as the 7-12 Principal after working in the PK-12 Assistant Principal and Athletic Director roles for two years. In the 12 years prior to moving into administration, he served as an award-winning high school social studies teacher. Archives
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