These past few months, I and many others within my age group have been enamored, confused, concerned, and shocked by many current events. Such times with significant political and social changes are very important to understand, and for many teenagers, finding the facts can be difficult. It should be the responsibility of the school to nurture productive dialogue and information sessions that will benefit the knowledge and critical thinking skills of students.
On November 6th, the day after election day, in all four of my classes, the election was discussed. This ranged from do nows, where students were asked to express their opinions, to short class-wide discussions on the event. The current event was acknowledged, and it was the only day at school when I felt like relevant information was being discussed in every part of the day. This was one of the first days I remember when a teacher inquired about our opinions about an event, rather than just simply repeating the facts or assigning an article to read. While some participated in the discussions more than others, almost every student in my classes had some comment or remark on the situation.
Current events are very important, as they can enhance critical thinking skills, and can make students eager to learn as it makes the lesson seem more relevant. Sometimes history or writing essays can seem useless and uninteresting. I mean, no student wants to learn about information from years ago and memorize random names of people who are not alive. I personally would be more accustomed to showing up to class on time if the information could be applied to policies that control the lives of many in today’s world. If current events were incorporated into the curriculum, students would be able to express their intelligence more clearly, as they are more likely to have strong opinions on events that they feel affect them directly.
Incorporating current events doesn’t have to deviate from the course of the curriculum or disrupt the learning of students. For instance, in English classes, instead of having students analyze speeches from political leaders from years or even centuries ago, teachers could have students analyze texts from relevant political leaders today. While some classes have students write summaries and analyses of current events, I believe that students would benefit more from a short discussion on the current event rather than just writing a few paragraphs on it without peer feedback.
Current events are a very useful tool to boost student productivity and engagement, and teachers may find students more interested in class rather than playing games on their computers or scrolling on their phones. If you are a student and interested in current events, I would sign up for the class Debate 1, taught by Mr. Smith, where students get to debate interesting and relevant topics. For teachers, in appropriate subjects, I recommend leading discussions for at least five minutes every week on what’s going on in the world.
