Doubt
Even as I collected the last of the more than 70 stamped envelopes on Friday, I already felt the doubt creeping up on my conscience: This is not good enough. Not enough. A common theme in the closing of all of my classes' projects, this humbling doubt courses through my teacher soul and mind. In desperation I often turn to the finished products, the connections I hope that all students make to their own experiences in this world, for proof that my approach (Project-Based Learning; Social Emotional Learning; collaboration over content) works. So here goes...
The Project
Entry Doc: Political Participation Unit
Evaluation: Rubric
Essential Questions: To what extent do various forms of political participation enhance freedom, order, and equality? What is the impact of conventional and unconventional methods of participation?
Overview: U.S. History juniors spent 4 weeks investigating Propositions on the 2018 California midterm election. Teams created petitions (based on Props), contacted political organizations and politicians by phone or email, met with San Ramon Valley HS staff, and needed to collect 100 signatures from students, in order to evaluate the U.S. democratic process.
Scaffolding: Propositions / Planning / Voter Suppression / Team Roles
Finished Products: Open Letter mailed to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); Six Word Memoir concerning the election process.
Product Excerpts
For their Open Letter students looked at several famous examples, like Martin Luther King, Jr.'s A Letter to the Birmingham Jail. Although we mailed all letters to the ACLU, I wanted the individual student to choose a real audience to boldly address. Because I prefer students to advocate for themselves, which is why I tend to keep minimalist conversations with parents (especially concerning grades, yuck!), here are their voices.
The Basic:
"Dear Young Voters,
We recognized the magnitude of our voice in this democracy, and it is important that each of you, with the ability to shape the country, recognize it as well."
"Dear New Voters,
As a sixteen year old pre-registered voter, eager for the day that I can proudly voice my opinion in our democracy, I believe voting is key to our society."
Introspective
"Dear Future Self,
As you turn eighteen, and your ability to vote in the midterm election arises, I hope you remember the importance of your vote."
"Dear my 18 year old self,
You know [your vote matters] because for the first time you were taught. So what if everyone was taught? Not an opinion, not who was right and who was wrong. Taught what was going on, how to educate ourselves, where to get good information. Everyone should be able to educate themselves, this is something that should be taught in school."
Passionate
"I want to be different than lots of my relatives and fellow Americans, and not just make [voting] decisions based upon which party."
"Voting should unite us as a country, not divide us."
"Dear Dying Brother and Sister,
Many people weren’t as lucky as we were. Too many families lose their loved ones because of a lack of basic healthcare. No one should go through the pain of losing someone because they didn’t have the right coverage or enough money. The lack of accessible healthcare in this country is appalling."
"For many years I thought I would never vote because I was never educated enough. This project has showed me it’s not hard to become educated and to have an opinion."
"Dear Uneducated Voters of America,
You are screwing up the democratic process that the U.S. government praises.
You can’t necessarily reach out to the people around you, as they believe their opinion on politics is private, politicians don't want to answer your emails unless it would benefit their campaign, and political organization’s email boxes fill up fast. In the end it is up to YOU to educate yourself and make an informed vote, so your voice can get represented in the U.S. government."
"By choosing not to vote, we will disregard the hard work Americans truly battled in the past."
Lofty
"Dear Ms. Betsy Devos,
The solution [to lack of voter turnout] I propose is introducing a more informative education plan, one that would inform students of modern politics, how voting can affect the students’ futures, and ways they can thrive (by teaching financial literacy and entrepreneurship) in the 21st century economy. By improving and extending current education to include topics that tie directly into modern politics, their importance, and important life skills, the future of the U.S. would secure itself into a position of innovation that allows it to keep up, and perhaps even surpass, modern economic shifts and competing countries."
To Adults in my Young Life
As a parent and educator, this category remains the most crucial for me. I expected students to meet with staff at our school for discussions on the Propositions. Here students share their experience:
"Schools and history teachers tend to spend a lot of time talking about things that happened 2,000 years ago but fail to keep us educated on important, relevant information."
"I immediately went to staff members that I feel the most comfortable with. First, I reached out by email and barely got any responses on the topic. Then as I would see them around campus many of them would sorry and apologize for not responding. I mostly got an explanation that would include, 'I am so sorry for not responding, but I don’t know anything about these propositions and I didn’t want to respond and seem ignorant about the topic.' Obviously, I understand, but what bothers me is that I only asked about their views about one proposition and went out of my way to include multiple links to informational websites that explained each proposition so that, if they didn’t know much about the topic they could gain a general understanding before responding." [emphasis mine]
"All the teachers I asked wouldn’t allow me to interview them as they didn’t know what they were voting for, were uneducated, etc. Sounds familiar? I could think of a few people it reminds me of...such as YOU [everyone 18 and older]."
"Dear San Ramon Valley Unified School District,
Students need to be given the opportunity to truly learn about the propositions before voting. Kids are not going to go home and [choose] to research the props in their free time, they need to be educated on them during school. Isn’t the whole point of high school to prepare us for the real world?"
"I also learned that when people are put in a political conversation they tend to be more close-minded and do not take into account the other [party's] arguments. "
Takeaways
I typically treat Finished Products as prototypes, many still raw and barely formed - not close to polished. Still, I celebrate the many dusty jewels poking out amongst the dank caves of grammar, organization, and the nascent ideas of our young people. As tempted as I am to collect these gems and claim them as evidence of my own effectiveness, I leave them to shine with their creators. Instead, I own the dankness and darkness: the scaffolding I failed to provide; the lack of clear instructions; the confusion.
Many of the letters employees at the ACLU will read contain issues in formatting, grammar, argument, and organization. But I wouldn't want to intercept them, polish them for another week, and herald my students' exemplar models. Most of my students' authentic voices are creaky and dry from disuse. Let's afford them space to exercise their voices, free from the scarring of chastisement and grading. Before we require they hesitate to speak to consider perfection, allow them to release their true thoughts and ideas, regardless of the "appropriateness" of their perspectives. I say blurt it out... then reflect on the process, the message, and other approaches for next time.
Most of my students'
authentic voices are creaky and dry from disuse.
Let's afford them space to exercise their voices, free from the scarring of chastisement and grading.
The beauty of Project-Based Learning lies within the original products for which I never could have planned; the connections students make beyond anything I could have tried to "force" them to do. The success I feel emanates from the light, the permission, I provide for my students to explore these dank caverns of knowledge and of learning. We cannot lead them by the hand to either end, only inspire them to stumble and bump along the way without fear of punishment (bad grades). Coddled people don't learn meaningful lessons.
But I proudly admit: seeing the reflecting of these lovely nuggets of learning goes a long way to convince me that I'm on the right path. Thank you, all my lovely students...
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