Civil Discourse Starts in the Sandbox
Civil Discourse Starts in the Sandbox
Our early childhood students are not discussing last week’s attack on the United States Capitol at school. Of course, many of them have been exposed to some news coverage and know that something happened, but details have certainly been kept age-appropriate. Students in the other divisions on campus are talking about it and trying to make sense of what happened in Washington D.C. on January 6. When you look at it through the lens of how we’re taught to behave in school, simply stated, violent acts against others are not an acceptable form of personal expression. This applies to all ages.
An example from the sandbox: A teacher may say, “If you want to use that shovel, it is not OK to push and grab it out of someone’s hands. Use words to tell her you would like to use it when she is done.” A more involved and very real 2016 scenario from a classroom: The first student said, “My mom told me that Candidate A doesn’t like girls so everyone has to vote for Candidate B.” The second student replied, “Well, my dad said that Candidate A is better because Candidate B is a liar.” Before it got past both students threatening to tell their mothers, the teacher explained that everybody can like different things but we have to listen and be nice when we talk about it. Thus, we have the beginnings of civil discourse.
While it is a part of my daily life to view things through the lens of early childhood education, I do not wish to dismiss a weighty topic by oversimplifying. After all, early education is designed to lay the foundation for further education. Because we know that situations facing students quickly become more difficult and complex, emphasizing civil behavior in the face of disagreement is critical for young people. Just as children practice adding before they multiply, they must practice solving “sandbox problems” before graduating to more impactful, interpersonal problems. Matters involving differences of opinion, race, cultural identity, political ideology, etc. do not wait until the adult years to show up.
For example, in a recent college application essay, a Meadows senior I know very well described an experience that took a friend out of his comfort zone, which led to gaining understanding and overcoming a fear. He wrote that the experience made him realize that his own lack of understanding has led to incorrect, preconceived notions. The student expressed that he was hopeful that “ignorance will not keep me from exchanging ideas and having experiences that could enrich my life.” I did not steal from my son’s essay to fill space for my blog post. If anything, I could fill more space with incredible examples from his classmates illustrating how they have applied the lessons from their years at The Meadows in preparation for the world beyond Scholar Lane. The world beyond The Meadows requires the ability to explore new ideas, consider opinions one has never heard, and work effectively with people who may not share the same beliefs. The lesson that freedom to express oneself does not include freedom to suppress others must be applied. Civil discourse is engaging in conversation that enhances our understanding, which includes considering opposing viewpoints. It is saying, “let us disagree without being disagreeable.” Again, this starts in childhood and develops continually throughout the education process.
Educators are thinking about civil discourse too. Current research is plentiful and curriculum materials are being developed for use across educational levels. Organizations such as Teaching Tolerance are active in this pursuit. Head of School Jeremy Gregerson is overseeing efforts at The Meadows to emphasize the importance of our core value of Inclusion. Our trustees, administrators, faculty, and staff are working to improve the student and family experience for the entire community. Students are also actively engaged in activities and discussions promoting inclusion, good citizenship, and civil discourse. We have worthy goals and ongoing work in these areas.
Finally, I will circle back to early childhood. As parents and teachers prioritize teaching civil behavior and responsible citizenship, it must be discussed and modeled. These discussions become difficult when it is impossible to reconcile the bad behavior of adults with the correct principles you are teaching. I found a few items on our three-year-old classes’ trimester reports appropriate to share this week: Works and plays cooperatively with others and Shares and respects the rights of others. If everyone is willing to play by these rules, applied at every level and in difficult situations, civil discourse will prevail and events like those that happened on January 6 in our nation’s capital will not be repeated. I am hopeful.
An example from the sandbox: A teacher may say, “If you want to use that shovel, it is not OK to push and grab it out of someone’s hands. Use words to tell her you would like to use it when she is done.” A more involved and very real 2016 scenario from a classroom: The first student said, “My mom told me that Candidate A doesn’t like girls so everyone has to vote for Candidate B.” The second student replied, “Well, my dad said that Candidate A is better because Candidate B is a liar.” Before it got past both students threatening to tell their mothers, the teacher explained that everybody can like different things but we have to listen and be nice when we talk about it. Thus, we have the beginnings of civil discourse.
While it is a part of my daily life to view things through the lens of early childhood education, I do not wish to dismiss a weighty topic by oversimplifying. After all, early education is designed to lay the foundation for further education. Because we know that situations facing students quickly become more difficult and complex, emphasizing civil behavior in the face of disagreement is critical for young people. Just as children practice adding before they multiply, they must practice solving “sandbox problems” before graduating to more impactful, interpersonal problems. Matters involving differences of opinion, race, cultural identity, political ideology, etc. do not wait until the adult years to show up.
For example, in a recent college application essay, a Meadows senior I know very well described an experience that took a friend out of his comfort zone, which led to gaining understanding and overcoming a fear. He wrote that the experience made him realize that his own lack of understanding has led to incorrect, preconceived notions. The student expressed that he was hopeful that “ignorance will not keep me from exchanging ideas and having experiences that could enrich my life.” I did not steal from my son’s essay to fill space for my blog post. If anything, I could fill more space with incredible examples from his classmates illustrating how they have applied the lessons from their years at The Meadows in preparation for the world beyond Scholar Lane. The world beyond The Meadows requires the ability to explore new ideas, consider opinions one has never heard, and work effectively with people who may not share the same beliefs. The lesson that freedom to express oneself does not include freedom to suppress others must be applied. Civil discourse is engaging in conversation that enhances our understanding, which includes considering opposing viewpoints. It is saying, “let us disagree without being disagreeable.” Again, this starts in childhood and develops continually throughout the education process.
Educators are thinking about civil discourse too. Current research is plentiful and curriculum materials are being developed for use across educational levels. Organizations such as Teaching Tolerance are active in this pursuit. Head of School Jeremy Gregerson is overseeing efforts at The Meadows to emphasize the importance of our core value of Inclusion. Our trustees, administrators, faculty, and staff are working to improve the student and family experience for the entire community. Students are also actively engaged in activities and discussions promoting inclusion, good citizenship, and civil discourse. We have worthy goals and ongoing work in these areas.
Finally, I will circle back to early childhood. As parents and teachers prioritize teaching civil behavior and responsible citizenship, it must be discussed and modeled. These discussions become difficult when it is impossible to reconcile the bad behavior of adults with the correct principles you are teaching. I found a few items on our three-year-old classes’ trimester reports appropriate to share this week: Works and plays cooperatively with others and Shares and respects the rights of others. If everyone is willing to play by these rules, applied at every level and in difficult situations, civil discourse will prevail and events like those that happened on January 6 in our nation’s capital will not be repeated. I am hopeful.
Sara Carlson
Beginning School Director
- All School
- Beginning School
- Preschool