January 6th and the Importance of Conversations
Gavriela Kalish-Schur (9-4)
“When something like this happens people tend to want to talk about it” – Madame Heimann.
The Capitol insurrection brought many issues to light. On January 6th, a mob stormed the Capitol grounds,even entering the building itself where the Senate was meeting. The focus of many conversations, however, was not on the rioters themselves but on the Capitol police forces. Rioters were not treated in the same manner as Black Lives Matter protesters of this past summer. This angered many and sparked a discussion about the state of our country and our democracy. Many teachers found the insurrection to be such a pressing topic that it needed to be talked about during class.
“When students reached out to me and were like, ‘we want to talk about this,’ I was like ‘oh yes, we definitely have to talk about this,” said English teacher Ms. Rudavsky. This raises the question of whether it is important to talk about current events in class, specifically events as shocking as what happened at the Capitol.
“I think it's really important for teachers to talk about it because it is really important for us to know that they are open to [discussion]. Part of the teacher-student relationship is being able to trust each other. Being able to talk and to have respectful discussions'', said Havana Covington (9-4). Teachers and students alike understand the importance of having these conversations: “I just think that students getting a chance to talk about what they think [about current events], in their real lives, is the most important thing”, said Ms. Rudavsky.
Virtual schooling has also led many teachers to have more in-class discussions about current events. Ms. Diffenderfer, a Spanish teacher, believes “the last ten months have really changed my approach to teaching.” She adds, “I feel like at this point, most days we go about class normally and we kind of pretend like things are normal even though there is nothing normal about me teaching you all in our collective homes through a computer, but what we all watched happen on live TV was just so far from the normal that I couldn’t concentrate on school...how could I expect students to concentrate and pretend that everything is normal?”
Mme Heimann agrees. “I think that having an outlet is important.” She described how an outlet allows students to share their thoughts about crucial issues, rather than letting them “fester” or be left “unasked or unsaid”. She continued, “I do think, and hope, that a lot of people are kind of talking about these things with their families but I also know that not everybody is for a variety of reasons.”
Having these conversations at school introduces students to a multitude of ideas and opinions that they may not get at home.“It's good to get a variety of perspectives even if people share the same opinions [as you] just hearing more than what your nuclear family has to say can be enlightening or fulfilling... But at least it's the opportunity to hear different perspectives and to grow your bubble”, remarked Mme Heimann.
Class discussion as a way to hear the opinions of others is echoed in Jonnah Berger’s (9-4) perspective of the conversation. “It's important to educate students about how students might have different opinions so it's good to open yourselves to that as well as learn that not everyone always agrees.” These in-class conversations provide an opportunity for students to hear new perspectives and ideas that may differ from their own.
Over all, these discussions are very beneficial as they can build “trust and respect and a more mutual relationship between the teacher and the students,” noted Havana Covington (9-4). These sentiments are echoed by both teachers and students: “I am still just so impressed, encouraged, inspired by the conversations. Everyone was articulate, thoughtful but most of all passionate about racial justice, about social justice, and just so smart, beyond their years” says Ms. Diffenderfer.
Mme Heimann adds, “I wanted students to just have the feeling that they could ask questions that don’t have answers or…where they don’t like the answers.” Not having all the answers is certainly one of the biggest challenges that teachers face. Everyone goes into a discussion with the understanding that they will not get all of the answers they are looking for, but sitting down and having these discussions is certainly a step in the right direction towards a better future.