“I Think We Should Have That Conversation”: Teachers Need to Talk About Current Events

On Jan. 6, the Capitol of the United States was breached for the second time in history since 1812 when the British burned it down. Let me repeat that: the Capitol was breached for the second time in history–however, apparently, some teachers didn’t find it necessary to discuss this event in class. 

It’s an age-old dilemma. The concept of teachers discussing politics in class is such a taboo topic. Teachers usually have to remain impartial in the classroom to foster a safe environment for everyone, but when the United States Capitol is mobbed by white supremacists literally pouring through the windows, it’s time to speak up. This isn’t the time to stick to the status quo when the current state of the country is anything but normal.  

We’re all living through several major historical events: a pandemic, the era of Trump, and now an assault on the nation’s Capitol. Nothing we’ve experienced in the past four years has been anything close to normal. It’s no secret that students are already stressed, and when there’s complete chaos going on in the world, it’s hard to focus on anything, let alone school work. It’s important to take time to pause, not only to discuss the magnitude and historical significance of our current situation but to gauge how students are feeling about it and allow room to process. 

Let this sink in: white supremacists stormed the Capitol. We’ve never seen anything like this before on such a national scale. The amount of hate and bigotry in the air was so thick I could feel it from across the country, radiating through the television screen. Not bringing this up feels reckless and irresponsible, especially given all that we’ve been through as a school community in regards to race. While there are some events that may be harder to discuss, such as hate crimes and racial violence, acknowledging them and letting students decide if they want to discuss them is better than nothing at all. When teachers don’t discuss what’s going on, it feels like they don’t care. A senior at the School shared the same sentiments, adding, “I definitely think teachers should talk about matters relating to social justice, fascism, and the like. When they don’t, it feels like they’re trying to sweep a lot of hurt and genuine pain under the rug, and it becomes harder to feel safe in that space.” 

Both English teacher Sunisa Manning and Chemistry teacher Jacqueline Spivey agreed that teachers should devote time to discussing current events. While Manning believes that the depth of discussions can vary based on the class, she also believes that “[the] idea that we’re in the academy [and it’s] divorced from what’s happening outside isn’t true. When we can’t acknowledge what’s happening outside, [for students who might feel othered], I think we encourage students to hide how they’re feeling. Naming what’s happening can allow us to focus on the academics more.” While hesitation to talk about current events from teachers can stem from “their own discomfort with the injustice itself and how to talk about it,” Manning expresses that “if it’s something students really feel strongly about and [they] told us more about how it’s being received, it would help teachers decide to learn to do it.” Spivey added that for STEM classes, “We’re so wedded to the content, and if you can’t directly correlate [it], it almost feels like you’re not allowed to take time away from it to address things that are happening…we have to learn to prioritize that, and it can be challenging.” When discussing these important events, Manning explains that “[teachers] should be thinking about not triggering students. It can be useful for students to name what happened and acknowledge that, but not necessarily ask students to share about them or expect vulnerability.”    

Not discussing current events with students does them a disservice. Part of receiving an education is learning how to become an informed citizen and interact with the world around you. It’s crucial to have a general understanding of what’s going on in the world, and the classroom (even if it’s on Zoom) can be a great way to cultivate that knowledge. Spivey states: “This is the life that we’re living in this very moment, that’s the real-life learning. You need to be able to take current content, take it apart, and find the parts that are important. How can you use that to learn about the future? [It’s about] giving you all that you need to go out into the world and be a fully functioning human being.” Manning adds that discussing current events “can help students feel seen, [included], [possibly] safer, and supported.”