Letters to Learners

Dear Learners,

Welcome to our Social Science class at School of the Future. I look forward to being your teacher over the next year. I'm writing to briefly introduce myself, speak about my experiences and motivations, and discuss what you can expect from me as your teacher. After, I'm inviting you to write back. I want to hear from you - your brief introduction, your experiences and motivations, and what I can expect from you as a learner.

I'll start. I grew up and went to high school in Verona, New Jersey and now live with my wife and two cats in South Philly. I've also spent time in the Boston area and worked in India for a couple of years. Last school year, I taught Social Science at Northeast High School. Before that, I taught college students at Rutgers University and worked as a researcher in the sociology department at Princeton University. As a researcher, I spent a lot of my time analyzing data and using statistics to understand how different school and neighborhood environments affect children. In college, I studied political science and legal studies. I also have a Ph.D. in social work from Rutgers University and a Masters in Education from Temple University.

What's more important for you to know: I'm extremely curious about how the world works, I'm passionate about about teaching, and I care deeply about all my students. Your learning and well-being is why I'm here. The more time I've spent with young adults in the classroom, the more I've come to realize that teaching is my calling. There is no other job that I want more than to be your teacher, in this classroom, teaching and learning with you.

So what's this Social Science class about? On the most basic level, we'll be learning about civics and economics. But go a little deeper, and you'll see it's more about struggling with questions:

• What does justice look like? Think: What's fair and unfair? Who deserves what?
• What is the role of government? Think: What should government do and not do?
• What are our rights and responsibilities? Think: Where does freedom come from? Who gets it? When, if at all, can it be limited?
• What determines human behavior? Think: Why do people behave like they do? Can we predict what people will do or not do?
• What are the patterns of social change? Think: What causes communities and societies to change or stay the same?
• What is my place in the world? Think: What are my priorities? How will I contribute to my community and to society?

At this point, it may be difficult for you to make much sense of all this. That's okay. These are big questions - so big that if you're sure you have the right answer, you're probably not thinking deeply enough. The whole point of these questions is for us to struggle with them. When we're struggling - in a productive, intellectually curious way - we're learning.

Ultimately, we're here to gain the knowledge and skills necessary for us to meaningfully participate in our society. At the end of this year, you will be more knowledgeable about the social, economic, and political worlds around you, and more able to affect those worlds in ways that make sense to you. To get there, there will be some facts that we all just need to know - stuff so fundamental that without knowing it, we wouldn't even know what questions to ask, or what information to look up.

But we won't spend most of our time memorizing facts. We'll focus more on things like sound judgement, reasonable interpretation, and effective communication. Can we really believe that? Which is a better explanation? How do I inform and persuade others? The goal is to sharpen our thinking and strengthen our voices so that we can solve problems and take advantage of opportunities. I’m talking about big stuff, like how to make the world a better place. But I’m also talking about smaller things, more relevant to our day-to-day lives. Are my assumptions about this person true? Is the risk of doing that worth it? How can I advocate for myself effectively? What do I really value most, above all else?

Whether big or small, many of these questions require that we consider what is right and wrong. When that's the case, we will rarely come across a correct or agreed-upon answer. So too is life outside the classroom. I’m happy to explain where I stand on controversial issues, but I’m just one person giving one perspective. By considering many different perspectives, you will come closer to figuring out where you stand. As a result, not only will you be smarter, but you will uncover the ideals that shape who you are and who you want to be. There are few things more important from education, in my opinion.

That’s why we are here. The reasons are good enough, I think, for you to take all this seriously and try your best. If there’s any doubt at any time during the year why you’re doing what you’re doing, please ask. If nothing you’re doing feels relevant to your interests or aspirations, please tell. We’ll make it interesting. We’ll make it relevant for you. It's easy to do that with the social sciences. Challenge me. Challenge yourself. We’ll all be better for it. I look forward to learning with you throughout the year,

Your teacher,

Dr. Donnelly

P.S. Please write back. Introduce yourself, speak about your experiences and motivations, and tell me what I can expect from you as a learner. For more detailed instructions, see the Letter to Dr. Donnelly instructions.