This week the Apprentice Teaching facilitators, or ‘tators as they have become known, have asked us to try and define the meaning of a democracy. I suppose they knew what they were doing in asking this question, considering that we have been asking this question over and over since ancient Greek times. Technically, democracies are systems of governing people (can be in a state, a country, or even a small committee group) that allow members of that group to have an active role in the decision making process of that group – how many times do you think I can say ‘group’ in one sentence?. Generally, this manifests itself in the ability of the participating members to vote for, against, or abstain from a particular decision. This can be voting for the President of the USA, or against using single-ply in the office men’s room.
In America, democracy is more than just the ability of the individual to vote for a representative or a policy proposal. Rather, it is the environment in which we as people value the fact that individuals have the inalienable right to participate in the decisions of the country. This means that the strong have no more right to dominate the political, economic, or social process than the weak. And furthermore, if the strong do dominate, there is always a route that the weak can pursue to seek justice.
Our classrooms should seek to foster this kind of attitude towards democracy. Voting, perhaps the most tangible aspect of American democracy, is really just the outward manifestation of a system of beliefs that emphasize the ability of the individual to voice his or her opinion without fear of repression or censorship. As such, the social studies classroom has the unique ability to inform students of how this kind of thinking has come to dominate the mainstream of political thought. This can be examined through history, government, and studies of comparative governing systems. Moreover, it should be the responsibility of the social studies teacher to emphasize the fact that, while taken for granted, democracy can only continue to thrive if people participate. Particular focus can be placed on discussing how people affect change. For example, studying key figures of the Civil Rights movement in the 1950’s and 60’s is meaningless without focusing on how large groups of people expressed their individual desires in a collective manner.
In the classroom, fostering this kind of attitude can take place in a day-to-day manner outside of the curriculum or subject matter. Teachers can discuss and ask for input from the students in how to govern the classroom. This applies to rules, rituals, and punishments or rewards. However, a key component of this kind of exchange between student and teacher is the ability of students to make informed, and well thought-out comments or suggestions. Engaging students to think about something further than the impotent “that sucks” comment requires an exercise in democratic engagement.
Most important however, is to emphasize that each student is valuable. More than that, each student is integral to the overall success of the classroom. In doing so, teachers can reengage students in a process that many feel alienated or separated from.
Posted by flank6a 