Educators wish for students to become confident, capable and contributing members of their communities. In that process, they should aim to build and enhance their skills in advocating for equity, fairness and justice. For instance, when students have conversations and discussions about these ideas in the safety of their classrooms, they are building skills for civil discourse with their peers as well as their families and local leaders. Some teachers may even encourage their students to submit opinion editorials to their local newspaper for publication. Or, they may arrange for them to speak publicly about an issue at the school board or town/city council meeting.
By intentionally providing an environment where these issues can be discussed in a courteous and polite manner, you are modeling a very important and relevant disposition: fairness. In turn, students will be armed with the skills to facilitate similar discussions with their families and those within their circles of influence. Want more? Check out all of the articles from Teaching Tuesday and return each week for a new post. To learn more about the College of Education and our degree programs, visit our website and join in our efforts to elevate the education profession.