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Cindy Nguyen

Senior Finale

Ms.Her

April 26th, 2019

The debate on applying politics in the classroom curriculum has been a topic of

discussion for some time. Politics should be apart of classroom curriculum because we don’t get

enough time set aside in school to discuss real world problems that are affecting our friends and

family around us. As a student, I know the difficulties of not being educated on events happening

around me and feeling very heavy hearted. For example, last year one of my friends actually had

a parent that was deported under Trump’s presidency. I didn’t know this was happening to her

until we had to write a paper on this issue and she spoke on how it affected her. But like

everything, other people don’t see eye to eye on many issues. Many people disagree on how

teachers disclose their political views, whether they construct the curriculum or not. People don’t

like the idea of teachers pushing their bias on topics of discussion. Nonetheless, Students should

have discussion about politics in classrooms and here’s why.

We should apply politics into the curriculum in school because, in spite of the

complications, classrooms are great areas for students to talk about controversial issues. Also,

students bring with them a different experiences and perspectives. Classrooms should be places

where students can learn about more important controversies and where they can learn how to

talk about these controversies, such as being open-minded to new ideas and respectful of

different ideas.
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On the other hand, many people disagree with applying politics into the classroom

curriculum. In an article by Diana Hess, she wrote, “Teacher may presents an issue that is in the

process of tipping as open or closed. For example, some schools may classify the issue of same

sex marriage as open, which encourages students to discuss on the matter as a legitimate

controversy. But other teachers may classify the issue as closed and will focus the discussion on

what can and should be done about whether to ensure or not ensure marriage equality.” Many

students do not agree about how the issue is being dealt with. But what about the teachers?

Many teachers actually find it intimidating to discuss politics in their classrooms. When

teachers deliberately frame these types of conversations into the classroom they can facilitate

rich discussions on controversial issues. However, the upbringing of the discussion is as difficult

as it is important. C.Roland Christensen, who helped develop case-method teaching at Harvard

University said "Even the most seasoned group leader must be content with uncertainty because

discussion teaching is the art of managing spontaneity" (Christensen, 1991, p.16). Many people

aren’t comfortable with not knowing where the conversation is going to lead or not knowing how

much a topic affects a person. Also by adding politics into the mix, this form of teaching is even

more challenging because political discussions ties religion, social class, race, power, and

privilege into it.

Another reason why we should have political discussions in classrooms is because, once

kids turn eighteen they are encouraged to vote so they can have a voice on the decisions made in

their country. But how can they push us to vote if we aren’t educated on the politicians running

or even what party we should run for? What if we don’t even know the difference between

liberals and conservatives for that matter. I’ve asked many students at my school if they voted
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this year. A majority said no because, they didn’t know who to vote for. And if they did vote it’s

because they were told by a parent who to vote for. New ideas come repeatedly and we have to

decide whether we’re going to let them impact our decisions or not. Think about political parties

as a box. Some on the inside want to invite in, those who are outside, while others on the inside

want to keep out, those on the outside. Liberals would be associated with those who are inclusive

and conservatives are exclusive. Students should know how politicians are impacting their

country and what they are doing. In addition, they should know the difference between whether

they want the decisions made in their country to reflect their traditions or if they are open to

seeing change in the decisions that have been made. “40% of students were unaware of the

functions of political parties in basic civic processes, such as passing laws or establishing

nominees for the presidency and other federal offices. These data support the findings of

qualitative studies that suggest secondary students often are disinterested in politics or unaware

of how politics influences aspects of the federal government.”(Journell, Wayne). The obvious

concern behind this is, the lack of political understandment can make poorly informed students

develop into politically uneducated citizens.

Another reason why we should have political conversations in classrooms is because

conversations beyond the curriculum can benefit towards students success in school. In an article

by ​Sara Rimm-Kaufman, PhD, and Lia Sandilos, they ​said “​Picture a student who feels a strong

personal connection to her teacher, talks with her teacher frequently, and receives more

constructive guidance and praise rather than just criticism from her teacher. The student is likely

to trust her teacher more, show more engagement in learning, behave better in class and achieve

at higher levels academically. Positive teacher-student relationships draw students into the
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process of learning and promote their desire to learn​”. This information supports my thesis

because I can say from experience that having a better relationship with my teachers have

benefitted towards more involvement in classroom discussions and overall interactions with my

peers in the classroom. Throughout my high school experience, a teacher I can remember having

an amazing relationship with was Ms.Hart. She was my math teacher my freshman year, she was

very supportive of my situation during that time and constantly checked in with me to make sure

I was on track with my assignments and test. She also just had a warm spirit to her, I enjoyed her

class even when I was having a bad day. She is very honest and gives constructive criticism well.

This is only one of the many wonderful relationships I’ve had with the teachers at my school.

Lastly, the reason we should have political discussions in classrooms is because there are

many teaching methods in schools that aren’t efficient towards many students success. In an

article by the Montessori Staff, they said, “​In a traditional classroom, the teacher is the focus of

attention, where all of the learning is coming from (combined with textbooks). If the teacher says

it, it sticks with a child. Kids are essentially spoon-fed the information, which doesn’t encourage

their creativity in order to solve problems. ​But teaching should be about the child’s education,

and each child should be the center of attention”. This article further supports my thesis because

giving students a space to voice their opinions can encourage other skills like problem solving.

Which are great skills to have at an early age because these skills can be used towards different

experiences students will face such as job interviews and working hands on with others. Also,

having these conversations in a safe place, such as the classroom, gives teachers the opportunity

to teach students the correct definitions, terms and ultimately how to respect other opinions and

be more open-minded.
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In conclusion, though there are some negatives about having political discussions in

classrooms but there are many more positives. Not only does having political conversations in

classrooms help the students relationship with their teacher but vice versa as well. Teachers can

find it frustrating to bond with some students and I believe having a better understanding of their

characteristics, values, and beliefs can contribute towards a better school experience as a whole.

Students spend a large sum of their youth at school, why not make it a more enjoyable

experience.
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Work Cited

Benson, John E. “Understanding Liberals and Conservatives.” ​Dialog: A Journal of Theology​,

vol. 53, no. 1, Spring 2014, pp. 69–78. ​EBSCOhost​, doi:10.1111/dial.12090.

Christensen, C.Roland . “​Education for Judgment: The Artistry of Discussion Leadership.”

1991, pg.16. ​Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA

Hess, Diana, and Lauren Gatti. “Putting Politics Where It Belongs: In the Classroom.” New

Directions for Higher Education, vol. 2010, no. 152, Winter 2010, pp. 19–26. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1002/he.408.

Joumell, Wayne. “Teaching Politics in the U.S. History Classroom.” ​History Teacher​, vol. 48,

no. 1, Nov. 2014, pp. 55–69. ​EBSCOhost​,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=

aph&AN=99803672&site=ehost-live.

Kaufman, Sara Rimm, and Lia Sandilos. “​Improving Students' Relationships with Teachers to

Provide Essential Supports for Learning” ​ PhD, University of Virginia.

www.apa.org/education/k12/relationships

Montessori Staff. “The Traditional Teaching Method Problems That Montessori Schools

Address”. ​www.peacefulvalleymontessori.org