Politics Over Soup

Last Wednesday during lunch duty I sat down to enjoy a bowl of soup and chat with a table of first graders. One girl said to me, completely out of the blue, “Teacher Matt, Mitt Romney wants to get rid of Elmo.” A boy sitting farther down the table chimed in, “I heard that, too. He doesn't like Sesame Street.”

Clearly they had heard some discussion or news report following the first debate between the presidential candidates. I endeavored to explain that Mitt Romney hadn't said he wanted to get rid of Elmo, or Big Bird, or Sesame Street. He actually said that he likes them, but thinks the money that pays for them should come from somewhere other than the federal government. It was my own version of fact-checking, and the students at the table seemed to understand. Moments later they had moved on to singing a Katy Perry song.

I don't need to tell you that we're in the middle that season that comes around every four years in which our sensitivities are heightened around political issues (only four more days to go!). While we may wish our school environment to be protected from such societal influences, it really should be no surprise that what our children hear from the television and around the dinner table – complete with both facts and perceptions – makes its way into school. We are not immune, nor should we be. Given the polarized nature of today's political landscape, such conversations run the risk of polarizing our classrooms, but they are also great teaching moments – opportunities to explore issues, dissect facts from media spin, model the ability to respectfully disagree, and emphasize the importance of civility.

During October's “Chat With Matt,” a parent asked how we are handling the election in school. The quick answer is that we are addressing it in varied and age-appropriate ways, with the upper grades doing quite a lot and Early Childhood doing less. I am pleased to elaborate with some exciting examples:

• In fifth grade, students have formed six of their own political parties and have created a name and symbol for each. They are researching a set of child-related issues such as school readiness, nutrition, and safety; writing platforms; and preparing to make presentations in the near future (TBA – delayed a bit due to the storm).
• Fourth graders have diagrammed the tripartite system of the federal government, had rich discussions about the presidency as the “head of the executive branch,” and examined the ways in which the Constitution improved upon the Articles of Confederation.
• The third grade has joined the other upper grades in learning through Scholastic Magazine, and researching facts about past presidents that are displayed in the hallway (you should take a look if you have not already).
• Through read-alouds, second graders have learned about previous presidents with a focus on the job itself, as well as about features of the White House. They are even planning to build models of the Executive Mansion.
• Our youngest classes (pre-k through first grade) are only addressing the topic of the election as needed, and this is appropriate for their age and developmental readiness. When the topic does come up, the teachers are emphasizing civility and respect.

One of our overall goals as a school is to engender a sense of personal responsibility and prepare students to become actively engaged in our society. Helping children to understand the political process and the very important responsibility they will have as members of our democratic society is just one example of how this goal is achieved.

Navigating the political landscape can be difficult.  Voting is easy. I encourage parents to model for their children just how easy it is to carry out this critical responsibility. Talk with them about why you vote and, if possible, take them with you to the polls to see how it all works.  The continued vibrancy of our democracy depends upon their future engagement in the process.