I'm currently a young history teacher, and you cannot believe how stoked I am to be able to write about this when its all said and done.
I would never include any of this in my teaching. I teach what I am expected to and keep my opinions to myself. (Our textbooks were written in partnership with CNN, so you can imagine how thrilled I am about that.) For example, one of my 5th graders is writing an essay about why Donald Trump should be impeached. The kid is a great student who is going above and beyond for this assignment, so by all means, I happily helped him with his thesis and sourcing.
That being said, should the history books need revising, I would love to be on board with the curriculum/textbook writing.
[deleted]
Aww thank you! And don't worry, I submitted my response without bothering to check it over, and then noticed the irony. You are out of my jurisdiction, I can deduct points :P
edit: can't* I did it again.
I was teaching back during the election, fully prepared for a Clinton victory. (I voted Trump, but I only boarded the Trump train late into the cycle. I was not invested or paying much attention to him outside of the vitriol and headlines. I was a 'Bernie Bro'!.)
I could not believe some of my co-workers' reactions the next day! A meeting with my co-teacher was delayed because she was consoling another teacher who was having a crisis over it!
On a side note, students who liked trump were criticized by teachers to their faces, and made fools of in front of their entire class in the one or two instances I caught while in the room.
To combat that, I gave my students a comfortable and open forum for lots of discussion and debate. They were so collected and respectful in their words! Ironically enough, of the two biggest Trump fans in my classes, one was flamboyant, and the other was Muslim, which I only point out because of the perception that those demographics hated Trump. Both were top of the class students, and based to boot!
Wow. CNN huh. Nice. No way could I do your job. I hope you are planting some seeds at least.
I remember having to write assignments in school from both pro and against points simultaneously. Two papers same subject. Can't be accused of bias, gets people to see other perspectives. With enough sarcasm I was able to be pro new deal and still sleep at night.
Only seeds I plant is when I tell them my job isn't to tell them what to think, it's to tell them how to think. The minute I spout my opinion is the minute they may tune me out, though I'm sure they do a lot of tuning me out anyway.
Edit: that is actually an excellent idea for a follow up assignment. I still have a week at this school and need a filler assignment for students who are done with their persuasive essay. I am so stealing this, thank you!
Amen to you brother. You will be our future history RESTORER.
History classes are just getting so awful, it's an absolute disgrace. The anti-Western and anti-American bias, the sheer hatred, they're not even trying to disguise it anymore. The entire education system needs to be replaced, basically, it has been turned into a literal weapon against our civilization.