Comments on: Politics with Kids

By: kobetchou

kobetchou — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 22:34:40 +0000

I really appreciate your experience of the life. we all know that in this world the force for the horizon are the youth, therefore children have the right to know all about the world,even about the politics, race, and other such as culture.they have to know that learn about other culture is not the bad things, because America is a settlement country. may GOD give you a great life expectancy to continue.

By: Amanda Fogelman

Amanda Fogelman — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 06:20:12 +0000

Ginelle,

This is a beautiful story! Thank you for sharing it with us. I am glad to see that you were able to use your privilege to brighten the days and spirits of so many kids whose voices are often not taken as seriously. It was brave of you to confront speaking of the election results knowing you could get into trouble. It was a great tactic to have them say only one word to relieve any pressure from being on the spotlight. It’s very empowering to see that you are using the election to explore your dreams.

By: Aliza Borker

Aliza Borker — Sun, 11 Dec 2016 19:29:44 +0000

Thank you for sharing Ginelle!! I loved reading your post! You made your student’s voices to be heard and you gave them a space where they could express themselves. I think that you tackled the situation eloquently and allowed your students, who do not necessarily have a voice, actually speak up about their feelings on the election. I remember when I was their age, I had no idea what was happening in the world, but due to social media and advanced technology, children are sometimes more informed than adults are.

By: Jenna Gainsboro

Jenna Gainsboro — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 23:05:25 +0000

Thank you for sharing this, Ginelle! I love that you created a community where kids could feel validated no matter what they were feeling. We talked in class today about how kids were affected by the election and some of the responses were so heartbreaking. Thank you for sharing this experience, hope you are well!

By: brittanysmith2

brittanysmith2 — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 01:31:32 +0000

Ginelle, this is amazing! You created a community for your students and made it possible for them to feel validated in their very real feelings — something that people don’t do for kids enough, even in less extreme circumstances. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!

By: Victoria Marsala

Victoria Marsala — Sat, 12 Nov 2016 22:22:30 +0000

Ginelle, first of all congrats to you for actually opening up a dialogue with the kids instead of brushing it under the rug like the rest of the teachers. It’s easy to ignore matters of race when you’re White (and needless to say this election has definitely been concerning in terms of race relations), but you didn’t. That takes a lot of courage, and you did the right thing in asking them all how they felt about it. After this election I think we’ve all needed some time and a place to ruminate on these results, and I’m sure the kids appreciate you letting them share their thoughts and feelings. What you did is also a wonderful example of meeting people where they’re at. As much as some of us would like to I’m sure, it’s a little bit more complicated trying to explain the inner workings of contemporary racism to children, but just by showing these children that you value each and every one of them you are teaching them how to approach racial matters.

By: Jessica Sperber

Jessica Sperber — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 22:03:37 +0000

I completely empathize with you and your experience. What that anchor said on CNN the night of the election still rings true “…people are afraid of breakfast with their kids.” It’s a very difficult and confusing conversation to have, and I think you did a great job comforting the students. It’s disappointing to hear how so many teachers did not want to have the discussion at all, though. We’ve talked in class about how not acknowledging issues like these for students of color, or in this case any student, is extremely distressing for them! How can they be expected to learn when they are truly frightened? I had to have a similar conversations with students I work with, and my heart broke when I had a student with learning disabilities say to me “Trump shouldn’t be president, because he makes fun of people with disabilities…and that’s not nice.” I’m scared about how students of Latinx descent, Muslim faith, minority identities, LGBT parents or identification, disabilities, etc. will grow up to perceive themselves when the man that represents their country has explicitly threatened their well-being.

By: Alexandra Frazer

Alexandra Frazer — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 19:19:40 +0000

Thanks for sharing this story with us Ginelle!

By: Gretchen Hanson Gotthard

Gretchen Hanson Gotthard — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 10:52:02 +0000

Well said, Ginelle! Thank you for being a source of comfort and support for your students. And great work you’re doing in this class and beyond, Connie!