May 20, 2022 -- Teaching "Glocally"
As I may have mentioned somewhere on this site, my mind as a teacher always drifts to curriculum and not necessarily to "real life" experiences. This year, I made myself change this. With the help of a former teacher who is all about bringing the world to the classroom, I brought in two guest speakers to address my civics classes on the topic of the American Civil Rights Movement. These two individuals had grown up in our town of Versailles during the desegregation of the town's high school, and were "living Black history" as they put it.
My students were stunned to learn that this was only one generation ago. This isn't something that a textbook will ever show them. Lesson learned, this needs to be a regular practice an not just a detour at the end of the year. For next year, I have already decided to book at least two of these experiences for the year. Just as students need to regularly practice reading, writing, and perspective taking in class, so too do they need regular access to the living histories in their communities.