Not Talking About It Doesn't Make It Go Away

I'm hearing from educators across the country today that they received the directive to "not discuss the [2024] presidential election with their students," and I am concerned. Not talking about something doesn't make it less true. It doesn't make our feelings on a topic go away, and not talking about something doesn't give children--or adults--the chance to acknowledge the array of feelings they experience. There is no place for proselytization in our classrooms, but there is room for critical thinking and grappling with how the world around us impacts us. Silence doesn't erase feelings or concerns; it doesn't reduce confusion or anxiety; it doesn't provide tools for understanding. It doesn't build critical thinking skills, and it doesn't prepare students for civic engagement.

This moment feels familiar. It reminds me of this story from the Spring 2016 issue of Teaching Tolerance magazine that discusses the value of shifting out of neutral during conversations about potentially polarizing topics from history, politics, and current events in classrooms with students. Gold describes the importance that teachers ask open-ended questions, present various points of view, and acknowledge their power and their bias. To be real, our students (and our colleagues) have already made assumptions about what we think or believe, making sure they are right is up to us.

Perspective-taking is a critical thinking skill imperative to any community, including one focused on preserving democracy. History is, after all, reconciling the collection of varying accounts of what happened. Critical thinking encourages us to consider who is telling the story and who is missing from the story. It encourages us to evaluate power and position dynamics regarding the tellers of the story and the subjects of the story. It wants us to interrogate the context of a topic. Critical thinking requires we identify and call out our biases instead of pushing them under the proverbial carpet.

Children sense when adults are not talking, and they make connections, form opinions, and develop feelings for the times when that happens. Children are perceptive. When adults avoid important discussions, students draw their own conclusions, form opinions without guidance, develop feelings about the silence itself, lose opportunities to develop critical thinking skills, and miss chances to practice civic engagement.

Not talking about it doesn't make it go away.

As educators and caregivers, our role isn't to shield students from reality but to help them develop the tools to understand and engage with it thoughtfully. When we create space for open dialogue and critical thinking about current events, including highly polarizing elections, we're not just teaching about democracy—we're practicing it. By acknowledging rather than avoiding difficult conversations, we prepare students to become informed, thoughtful participants in our democratic society. The alternative—silence—leaves students to navigate complex realities alone, often without the context and critical thinking skills they need.

Thanks for reading! Here are some things to try.

1. Create a Feelings Check-In Space

   1. Designate a physical or virtual space where students can express their thoughts and feelings about current events

   2. Use tools like emotion wheels or journal prompts to help students articulate their feelings beyond a good/bad binary

   3. Practice naming and discussing emotions without judgment

      
      

2. Build Critical Thinking Routines

   1. Implement regular "Who's Missing?" discussions when examining news or historical events

   2. Use "What Makes You Say That?" as a standard response to encourage deeper thinking

   3. Create classroom norms for respectful discourse about challenging topics

      
      

3. Develop Media Literacy Skills

   1. Practice identifying different perspectives in news coverage

   2. Analyze how the same event is reported across various sources

   3. Guide students in evaluating source credibility and recognizing bias

      
      

4. Foster Community Dialogue

   1. Establish regular "Community Circles" for discussing current events

   2. Use structured protocols for difficult conversations, e.g., use a talking piece

   3. Create opportunities for students - and adults - to build personal relationships with one another while not involving a polarizing topic