Why Do I Have to Read This? by Cris Tovani

Author:Cris Tovani
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781625311528
Publisher: Stenhouse Publishers
Published: 2021-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

I Don’t Want to Get Political

“I have to be very careful about my political views around here,” a teacher says to me, “I can’t bring controversy into my classroom.”

“Why?” I ask.

“Lots of parents support what X, Y, and Z are doing in the White House, and I don’t want to rock the boat.”

For whatever it’s worth, here’s my take on this issue. Our job as teachers is not to convince students to believe what we believe. Part of our job is to teach them how to take a position and defend it with solid evidence. It’s not about indoctrinating students. It’s about helping them research, analyze, and synthesize ideas so that they can discover who they are and what they want their world to be. In the classroom, it doesn’t matter what I think the United States should do about anything. What matters is that I can show students how to argue their thinking in a polite and logical manner.

When we welcome all student perspectives, our job description shifts from indoctrination to instruction. This allows us to focus on teaching students how to read, research, and write arguments that are defensible. It’s not about all of us agreeing. It’s about studying an issue, examining it from multiple perspectives and then providing evidence to support the position that we choose to take.

I understand the need to keep ourselves safe as teachers. The last thing any of us wants to do is spend hours trying to repair relationships with parents who think we are trying to brainwash their children. When I have my reasons at the ready, I can share them with anyone who may worry that I’m supporting terrorism by studying the Syrian refugee crisis. Below are some of my compelling reasons:

Compelling Reasons to Read and Write About a Humanitarian Crisis Case Study: The Syrian Refugee Crisis

• The behaviors and mindsets we choose affect our actions.

• Stories help us see different perspectives, which can give us empathy, understanding, and a roadmap for how we might act in a particular situation.

• Taking a position on a controversial issue is scary. Supporting that position with evidence makes it less scary and my argument more credible. Doing this is difficult if I, as a learner, don’t know about the topic. Writers need to read and build their background knowledge before they can write well about an issue.

• Knowing how to read and write complex text empowers learners to be successful not only in school but in life.

• Sharing stories of human resettlement creates counter narratives necessary to fight social injustice. Knowing the stories of different cultures, people, and situations helps us to push back against stereotypes and day-to-day discrimination. Stories can teach and help us to be more empathetic.

Compelling Reasons to Study a Humanitarian Crisis: Case Study: The Syrian Refugee Crisis

• When violence erupts or a catastrophic weather event happens, life can change in a matter of minutes, shattering families and communities and driving millions to flee. Everyone is vulnerable.

• Crises, whether human-made or

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