so right now, i have to admit that i am a little bitchy, thanks to my back and the fact that i have to wrap my torso in order to not fall into a heap. damn spine... back pain sucks, and it makes me feel old and rickety; i don't feel like my usual spry self. i HATE that. but to more important subjects...
i suppose that i wear my political heart on my sleeve, in that i'm fairly vocal about my utter disdain for the establishment (or, more correctly, the establishment of the past 8 years). oh well. but, in the classroom, i try to at least avoid revealing my true political colors because, really, it's a setting meant to focus on the students and not on the teacher. at the same time, i think it's vitally important that my kids be aware of the candidates, the issues, the election, and the whole effect it has on our nation and their lives. maybe that's a tall, idealistic, and unrealistic order when it comes to twelve year olds, but that never stops me from trying.
anyway... as our warm-ups in English class, i've had them think of what could happen if nobody voted, what like might be like without the right to vote, and what they might do if elected president. as it turns out, they had Really Good answers, and the responses were surprisingly left-leaning. you have to understand--essex and the surrounding area are quite conservative and right-wing, and there was a good deal of outcry when o'malley defeated ehrlich in the MD gubernatorial race. they were suggesting that taxes be lowered for the middle class, the troops be brought home, standardized testing be dropped because it hurts schools, and (this one surprised me the most, in that they were even aware of it) improve access to healthcare for the poor and the elderly. !!! that's impressive. there will be cynics that say that my kids are just being parrots after hearing their parents talk, but even if that is true, it's a win-win situation. if they are simply repeating things, that means it's being discussed at home, and the kids are exposed to and being a part of it. and if not, that means the views are theirs, which is pretty damn incredible.
even more fun after all of that--the kids starting asking a lot of quesitons about how the government works, and then somehow we ended up talking about richard nixon and impeachment and gerald ford. i'm lucky they never moved on to bill clinton... the fact that they're even curious and have a million questions excites me to no end, and it places me in a very... what's the word... in a situation where i have to be very mindful of what i say because, as the teacher, i can heavily influence the discussion. i don't want them to register a certain way, vote party line, etc., etc. all i want is for them to be curious, to ask the questions, to search for answers, to form their own opinions, and to be active in the process. and, at least for 48 minutes a day, they are. and that makes me happy.
i suppose that i wear my political heart on my sleeve, in that i'm fairly vocal about my utter disdain for the establishment (or, more correctly, the establishment of the past 8 years). oh well. but, in the classroom, i try to at least avoid revealing my true political colors because, really, it's a setting meant to focus on the students and not on the teacher. at the same time, i think it's vitally important that my kids be aware of the candidates, the issues, the election, and the whole effect it has on our nation and their lives. maybe that's a tall, idealistic, and unrealistic order when it comes to twelve year olds, but that never stops me from trying.
anyway... as our warm-ups in English class, i've had them think of what could happen if nobody voted, what like might be like without the right to vote, and what they might do if elected president. as it turns out, they had Really Good answers, and the responses were surprisingly left-leaning. you have to understand--essex and the surrounding area are quite conservative and right-wing, and there was a good deal of outcry when o'malley defeated ehrlich in the MD gubernatorial race. they were suggesting that taxes be lowered for the middle class, the troops be brought home, standardized testing be dropped because it hurts schools, and (this one surprised me the most, in that they were even aware of it) improve access to healthcare for the poor and the elderly. !!! that's impressive. there will be cynics that say that my kids are just being parrots after hearing their parents talk, but even if that is true, it's a win-win situation. if they are simply repeating things, that means it's being discussed at home, and the kids are exposed to and being a part of it. and if not, that means the views are theirs, which is pretty damn incredible.
even more fun after all of that--the kids starting asking a lot of quesitons about how the government works, and then somehow we ended up talking about richard nixon and impeachment and gerald ford. i'm lucky they never moved on to bill clinton... the fact that they're even curious and have a million questions excites me to no end, and it places me in a very... what's the word... in a situation where i have to be very mindful of what i say because, as the teacher, i can heavily influence the discussion. i don't want them to register a certain way, vote party line, etc., etc. all i want is for them to be curious, to ask the questions, to search for answers, to form their own opinions, and to be active in the process. and, at least for 48 minutes a day, they are. and that makes me happy.
