"Where I work, at an all-girls school, we don’t like to discuss politics, as is the policy in many schools. Still, with this election covered so widely in the media, it was inevitable that my students would pick up information that they were hearing from both the television and their families.
As a teacher, there is such a fine line that you must walk when it comes to your students and worldly topics such as politics. We want students to feel safe and free to express themselves. At the same time, they are young, and most of what they are saying is not coming from them. Because of that, tensions run high. Disagreements about what is true and what is false come up because of what they have heard their parents say.
For many reasons, including age, confusion, and fear, there was not much discussion in the classroom. I genuinely struggled yesterday with the results of the election, so how was I supposed to explain this to a group of 6- and 7-year-olds? I didn't know how. Today, teachers discussed what could be talked about in order to ease tensions around the election. It has become clear that there are students who are anxious and confused about what has happened. I can relate.
This topic needed to be addressed with our girls, especially due to the widespread conversation throughout this election process about women and girls. We decided that the conversation that should be had is not necessarily about Trump vs. Clinton, or about the fact that Trump has negatively spoken and acted against women, minorities, and other groups of people. The conversation should be about leadership. What does it mean to be a good leader? How can we be good leaders? What can we do to better our country? Our classroom? Our community? These are the important questions and conversations that will shape the dynamic in the classroom and the future of our country.
All we can do now is ensure that students feel safe, cared for, and valued. We can teach them how to be kind and compassionate. We can teach them to be good leaders and to be respectful of all people, no matter what similarities or differences they may have from you. We can teach them that even if you don't win at something, trying your hardest and being proud of what you have done is important. Lastly, we can teach them to never give up on what they believe in and think is right."
