Politics and the English Language

To me, teaching has always been inherently political—certainly not in the sense of pushing some partisan agenda, but in the far more fundamental, personal realm of advocating for the children, families, and communities I serve. Empowering young people to think critically, analyze systems of power, and raise their own voices is a profoundly political act. The materials we choose, the ideas we curate, the passions we bring to our work are inescapably political. Many teachers face pressure to project a kind of neutrality, and Tim Walker addresses the disservice this does to both students and teachers in this excellent piece for the NEAToday forum.

As you might guess, I find injunctions against political speech in schools both absurd and absurdly oppressive. Attempts to circumscribe “difficult” or “contentious” issues are worse than misguided and, at least with adolescents, utterly impracticable. And political issues--from regulating corporate practices, to environmental protections, to education policy, to allocation of funding resources for MaineCare and public assistance—impact my students and their families every day in innumerable ways. Without the ability to confront new and uncomfortable ideas, to seek information through real inquiry, to interpret and synthesize different sources and viewpoints, authentic learning is impossible.

If kids can’t ask questions, try out arguments, or encounter pushback, it only impairs their own abilities and degrades our collective discourse. This is not a call for the kind of apocryphal proselytizing and indoctrination that haunts right wing fever dreams regarding liberal educators. There are legitimate differences in values and culture that must be respected. There are also non-negotiable values of empathy, respect, and intellectual honesty that go beyond mere ‘tolerance’ to help young people develop strength as individuals and community members. For as long as I have been teaching, I have built my instruction and approach around social justice. I truly believe that students (well, humans) want to connect and understand the lives and experiences of others, and to share their own. 

Whether we are studying the erasure of Malaga Island’s mixed race community in the early years of the last century, attending Wabanaki REACH reconciliation hearings, submitting public comment on a state bill designed to coerce the cooperation of local law enforcement resources with ICE/CBP efforts, engaging in public forums on the NECEC corridor development through a student’s home town, or researching referendum and ballot questions ahead of a first voter’s first registration and election, we are digging deeply into the stories, data, and concerns on all sides. 

One of the things I am hoping to do in this blog is address the pitfalls and parameters of political engagement in the fraught sphere of public service--and what it means to be engaged in civic and political action for teachers and for students in these tense and polarized times. Some resources that I have found particularly helpful can be found below:

Social Justice Books is a great resource for texts and materials categorized by theme and learner age/reading level.

The Southern Poverty Law Center helps organize all the Teaching Tolerance education and outreach materials as well as following an amazing array of national and regional human and civil rights issues through their Hatewatch bulletin.

The Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine is an amazing resource, hosting educator workshops, and fielding educators to deliver instruction and support across the state. Some of their excellent curriculum materials are drawn from the Facing History project, which is available to classroom teachers as well. Incidentally, following my engagement with a serious situation I will detail in a followup post, I was contacted by the HHRC education coordinator, Marpheen Chann about an open position with their organization. I am extremely overextended this year, but hoping to follow up on a volunteer basis. And if any fellow Maine teachers are passionate about social justice education, they're hiring!