If you would have asked me at the beginning of the semester what I thought about Social Studies I would probably have said that it was one of those boring subjects I had to take in elementary school. After having this Social Studies class this semester I have seen this subject in a whole new light.
In America today Social Studies is becoming a thing of the past. Why would we want to leave out information that has led to our country being what it is today? I feel as a teacher that it is my duty to create a classroom that incorporates as much social studies into every lesson as possible. I also do not want to teach just from the text. This term I have learned many techniques such as living history museum, role playing, and story paths as great interactive lessons to get students engaged into the class. I feel the more involved in a subject a student is the more knowledge they will take in.
I also want to have a culturally responsive classroom. I want my students to know about each other’s backgrounds. I want students to be aware of what is going on around the world. I also feel that students have the right to be taught what is correct, not what we are told to teach. This is where my critical voice comes in. As an educator, if I feel that my students are not getting the correct information, then it is my duty to speak up. I do not want to lose my job my first year as a teacher but I also do not want my students to lose out on their education. My solution would be to teach what I am told but incorporate more into the lessons. I also want to know what my students want to learn about. If you cannot get student interested teach something they are curious about. What better way to grab their attention!
The most memorable activity that I participated in this semester would have to be when we used balloons. We were all given a balloon and wrote something that people typical believed but was incorrect. An example is “people who work at McDonald’s are not stupid”. After everyone presented their balloons we all popped them. In one moment we were able to change 17 different misconceptions about people. What a great activity this could be in a classroom. This does not just relate to social studies it relates to life. I want my students to be able to look past each other’s differences and see how the many different cultures that encompass our country and their community.
In the end when I think about Social Studies today, in my classroom it is just as important as reading, math, and science. Our students deserve a balanced education; this will lead them to be well balanced human beings. They will be the people who lead our country in the future. We are the people to teach them what they should learn.
Thanks Bonnie!
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