Promoting Citizenship in the Classroom

In Classroom Instruction That Works, the authors advocate for the use of nonlinguistic representations in teaching (Dean, 63-76). Many of these strategies could complement direct lessons on citizenship, and I can recall one exercise from high school, which I now know was a popular kinesthetic activity, that is still crystal clear for me.

Students began standing, lined up shoulder to shoulder. As our teacher asked us questions, we stepped forward if we agreed, and stayed in place if not. The questions centered on our experiences of discrimination, and soon it became obvious which of our classmates had endured more than their share of suffering. The lines shifted before our eyes. I don't remember all the questions asked of us, but I remember seeing the effect of racism in front of me, probably for the first time in my extremely sheltered life. 

The discussions that followed the exercise were challenging, mostly because in a majority white school in a wealthy Denver suburb, students of color were marginalized even by being asked to speak on behalf of their own races. I'm not sure what those students would say when reflecting on the same exercise--it might be a painful memory for some of them, but I do know that my awareness of my own privilege grew tremendously that day. I'm grateful my classmates were willing to teach me more about citizenship through their own honesty, their own hard stories.

As I enter the classroom in the coming years, I look forward to applying the idea that the purpose of education is to make people good (Scheuermann, 2016). I will wholly embrace the charge to make my students sensitive to one another's heartaches, eager to contribute to the good of society, and willing to sacrifice on behalf of someone in need. These values are in line with my personal faith, so even if it sounds like a Pollyanna dream to teach like this, I think they will remain my priority because they are so connected with who I want to be as a Christian. 

The so-called architecture of civil education inspires me as a collection of basic human rights, both as a teacher and as a mother, writer, and citizen of humanity. I was so inspired, I created a nonlinguistic representation! I'm looking forward to discovering all the ways I can teach my students just how essential these truths are.

References

Dean, C., et. al. (2012.) Classroom Instruction That Works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Scheuerman, R. (2016). Session 6 Transcript: Citizenship and Moral Education. Retrieved from: https://bbweb03.spu.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_1129490_1&course_id=_89800_1