Teaching History And Government in 2021

It began with a tweet, my response to Dan Ratherâ€s comments as the unprecedented second impeachment of the 45th President was about to begin. My reply was only meant to be a reflection of who I am and what itâ€s like to live the dream of teaching both history and government during what will become an epic chapter in future textbooks. Talk about pursuit of happiness. This is about the age old accusation that teachers are indoctrinating the youth, corrupting them and stunting their ability to think critically.  We do quite the opposite! 

After I tweeted that my students and I would be watching the impeachment proceedings in class  and received a reply from someone who wanted to know if I was one of “those teachers” who is responsible for kids being “emotionally manipulated and unable to think critically”.   The person accusing me of manipulating my students could not imagine how keenly aware I am  that we have students in our classroom with parents on all sides of the political spectrum. Those kids listen at the dinner table and feel every bit the pressure of those political lines that exist in society right now. I know everything I say is subject to be passed around that dinner table.  That thought never leaves me. 

It was late, so I read his tweet one more time, shook my head, closed my laptop and went to bed.  Over the next few days, as my class watched the impeachment hearing my lesson plan came to life I shared a Google doc with the class and asked students to connect what weâ€ve learned, raise questions, and try to answer any questions posed as we watched the hearing. 

Teachers learn so much from analyzing what our students produce and this  was a perfect example.  I learned that my students had a grasp of how our government is structured and were  able to explain the impeachment process.  I saw them accurately and thoughtfully respond and engage with their classmates.  I was proud of their ability to ask and answer open ended questions that require critical thinking.  I was touched by their concern, their awareness of the gravity of the situation. They knew the historical and political importance of what they were witnessing.  They were able to form an opinion, back their claims and express their truth. And because we are always respectful in our discourse, everyone left with their dignity intact. 

It was a high point for me as a teacher, all the more because it occurred only three week after we returned to the classroom. Since our students return, we have noticed how difficult it has been for students to speak in class, to use their voice.  In my room students normally sit at round tables, to encourage discussion, but with Covid rules, kids are spaced out and masked. Student voice just isnâ€t being heard as clearly as it was pre-pandemic.  On that day I heard them loud and clear as their ideas and analysis filled the page of their shared document. It was a day of rich discussion, deep learning, application of knowledge and, more importantly, civil discourse. 

Today, I scrolled past that tweet again and this time I responded to his question about how I was going to present the content by describing the experience in our class.  I told him that I would share his tweet with my students and let them decide whether I was indeed one of those teachers who quashed their ability to think critically and left them emotionally manipulated.

Kathy Durham
West Wendover High School
West Wendover, NV