Growing up attending public schools, attending a university, and now teaching in a public school, I always assumed that teaching citizenship was only a part of the job of a social studies teacher. I assumed students received their education on what it meant to be a citizen and how to participate as a citizen when they took social studies courses, specifically the required high school civics course. As I thought about my own idea of citizenship and what it means to be a citizen and read this unit's readings, I began to rethink what it means to teach citizenship and who's job within a school that is. It was John Dewey's Creative Democracy that started my thinking on democracy and citizenship less as concepts we study in school and more as a way of life.
While I taught the required high school civics course during my student teaching internship, I prided myself on being the teacher that taught students how to participate in our democracy in various ways. While I certainly did that, I cannot think that I was the only one teaching citizenship in the school. Why would citizenship be limited to one course or one discipline? In a way, aren't all teachers teaching citizenship in some form or another? This was the revelation I had while reading for this unit on citizenship and educating on citizenship. I came to realize that even if I am no longer teaching civics, I am still teaching citizenship, just in a different way. I also thought about my colleagues. While my grade level team at my previous school consisted of one teacher per subject area, in a way we all teach citizenship. The English teacher down the hall can connect the book that is being read in class to concepts like equity and justice. The science teacher can encourage students to put together local recycling programs in the community.
Another thought I had while reading was that the act of teaching citizenship does not begin in the high school civics class or even middle school social studies, it begins when a child first walks into primary school. This was supported in Katherina Ann Payne's Young Children's Everyday Civics where she discusses an example of civic action among young students at recess in an early childhood center. While the students are not learning about the U.S. Constitution or the branches of government, their simple actions of collaborating for a common purpose on the playground help them to understand how to work with others for a common project and moving beyond individual interests.
Overall, this unit opened my definition of citizenship and who teaches it. I no longer see the teaching of citizenship as just a duty of a secondary social studies teacher, but rather something that every teacher participates in. While learning the process of becoming a citizen or how to vote, may be something discussed in a social studies course, I am realizing that it does not necessarily have to be that way. I am seeing citizenship as a means for more cross-curricular teaching among my grade-level colleagues, which is something I am interested in looking more into. To me, all subjects are teaching citizenship, just in different ways. Beyond that, students engaging with one another in the hallway or in the lunchroom are also examples of learning citizenship. While the concepts students are learning or practicing in these formats may never be ones that they are necessarily "tested" on, they are still working towards educating students to be citizens in our democracy.
While I taught the required high school civics course during my student teaching internship, I prided myself on being the teacher that taught students how to participate in our democracy in various ways. While I certainly did that, I cannot think that I was the only one teaching citizenship in the school. Why would citizenship be limited to one course or one discipline? In a way, aren't all teachers teaching citizenship in some form or another? This was the revelation I had while reading for this unit on citizenship and educating on citizenship. I came to realize that even if I am no longer teaching civics, I am still teaching citizenship, just in a different way. I also thought about my colleagues. While my grade level team at my previous school consisted of one teacher per subject area, in a way we all teach citizenship. The English teacher down the hall can connect the book that is being read in class to concepts like equity and justice. The science teacher can encourage students to put together local recycling programs in the community.Another thought I had while reading was that the act of teaching citizenship does not begin in the high school civics class or even middle school social studies, it begins when a child first walks into primary school. This was supported in Katherina Ann Payne's Young Children's Everyday Civics where she discusses an example of civic action among young students at recess in an early childhood center. While the students are not learning about the U.S. Constitution or the branches of government, their simple actions of collaborating for a common purpose on the playground help them to understand how to work with others for a common project and moving beyond individual interests.
Overall, this unit opened my definition of citizenship and who teaches it. I no longer see the teaching of citizenship as just a duty of a secondary social studies teacher, but rather something that every teacher participates in. While learning the process of becoming a citizen or how to vote, may be something discussed in a social studies course, I am realizing that it does not necessarily have to be that way. I am seeing citizenship as a means for more cross-curricular teaching among my grade-level colleagues, which is something I am interested in looking more into. To me, all subjects are teaching citizenship, just in different ways. Beyond that, students engaging with one another in the hallway or in the lunchroom are also examples of learning citizenship. While the concepts students are learning or practicing in these formats may never be ones that they are necessarily "tested" on, they are still working towards educating students to be citizens in our democracy.
Hi Brienne,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post, you wrote about many things that resonated with me. There were many times that I found myself agreeing directly with your points. Similar to you, I developed an understanding that citizenship is more of a lifestyle or experience not part of one particular subject. Payne’s observations of citizenship among younger students showed me the importance of children learning aspects of citizenship at a young age. What Payne points out as parts of citizenship are still valuable as students get older such as valuing all members of the group, the common good and balancing between individual and group interests. I teach sixth grade and at times I see students that excel in these aspects and some that struggle. These aspects of citizenship should not only be promoted in elementary classrooms but also in older grade levels as well.
I too, thought that teaching citizenship was the duty of Social Studies teachers. In many Social Studies formal curriculums, citizenship is a major theme. Do other subject area teachers feel compelled to teach or model citizenship? To those teachers who say it’s not, why not? I am not sure if citizenship can be found in other subject curriculums. If not, then teaching citizenship is up to each individual teacher. I also, feel compelled to work with colleagues both interdisciplinary and grade levels, to promote various levels of citizenship. Then I wonder how parents feel about citizenship in the classroom. Do parents expect teachers and schools to help develop their student’s citizenship? Even though these are rhetorical questions, they would spark an interesting discussion at a district, building, team or PLC meeting.
Chris
Brienne,
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading your reflection on this unit’s content. While I was reading, I could not help but think of how similar we internalized the content for this unit even though you have high school teaching experience, and I have elementary teaching experience. I teach social studies to all three classes in my grade level (third grade). Even though what I teach my students might be at a simpler level than what is taught in the older grades, it is equally as important that students of all ages are exposed to problem solving and decision making principles that they will deal with in their adult lives.
I thoroughly agree that my eyes have also been opened to the idea that it is not just the “social studies” teacher who teaches citizenship and democracy. In the article by Katerina Payne titled, “Young Children’s Everyday Civics,” she talked about the recess experience of students at an early childhood development center. I had never thought of something so simple as searching for and catching ladybugs as an experience where students were directly dealing with civics and concepts addressing the common good. There is one particular quote from that article that really got me thinking, “First, young children direct and collaborate play that serves a common purpose. Second, young children share expertise that supports common needs or desires. Finally, young children’s care for one another can lead to greater community inclusivity,” (Payne, 2018, p.4). Who knew that something so simple as catching ladybugs included so many different facets of civics?
Additionally, I love your statement about how it is not any one particular teacher who teaches “social studies” and the concepts of civics and democracy. It is the science teacher, the math teacher, etc. It is a community effort to educate young people (of all ages) in the area of social studies. It truly does take a village!
Janae Janca
References:
Katerina Anne Payne. (2018). Young Children’s Everyday Civics. The Social Studies, 109 (2). 57-63. Found at: https://www-tandfonline-com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/doi/pdf/10.1080/00377996.2018.1446897?needAccess=true
Hi Bri,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post! I really enjoyed reading it, as well as the comments your colleagues left you.
As I re-read the Dewey article on creative democracy (from your link), I was really struck by how he kept reminding us that this all only works "under proper conditions." Under proper conditions, dialogue will bring people of different backgrounds closer together. Under proper conditions, inquiry will help people with different belief systems reach common ends (like reducing unwanted pregnancies or the number of people on public assistance). As Dewey liked to note, we humans are incredibly plastic creatures. Our experience and environment can shape us in any number of ways--for good or bad. We need those proper conditions.
So, to school. I guess I wonder if you feel the proper conditions are there in your old or new school. Everyone should teach civics, but do they? Do they teach children to use their gifts for the enrichment of the common good? To be a worthy member of any group of which they are part? To seek out those different from them and learn about their life experiences and challenges? This is what I think school probably should be teaching children to ensure a personal, creative democracy. And I think some schools and teachers do a really great job of this.
But we also know there are the counter trends of test scores, third-grade readings laws, PBIS, and the like. Each of these things have some reasonable purpose, but they also just seem to tell kids: here is the standard, go try and meet it. There is nothing too creative about that, and nothing that really teaches anything beyond personal responsibility. Where would the desire to participate in common life on more complex levels come from in this case?
Great post--I really enjoyed reading it!
Kyle