Teaching Democracy: Civics Education in the Future Classroom

Introduction: Civics Education and the Democratic Classroom

Civics is one of the most complex subjects to teach children, particularly those in junior high school — grades six through eight. During these years, children are only beginning to gain a sense of centeredness in terms of their place in the world, their personal morality, and their responsibility to the larger community. Merrill Harmin's text Inspiring Active Learning Strategies of Instruction provides an acronym for the five core aspects of any educational program: DESCA, which stands for "Dignity, Energy, Self-Managing, Community, Awareness." Civics instruction must foster these elements in students so that they become effective learners, effective participants in the larger community, and so that these principles take hold within each individual as they engage with the subject matter.

Civics touches upon not just history and the social sciences, but also literature, politics, the implications of science and technology on modern society, and — most importantly — ethics. Civics stresses the reasoned responsibility of the individual to his or her community and the need for the individual to take an active, aware part in the life of that community. John I. Goodlad's seminal work on educational philosophy, In Praise of Education, argues that education itself can be an exercise in teaching the importance of democracy to students. Education is a "ubiquitous" process — it takes place constantly in the minds of children, day after day — yet it is also a complex one that, in its ideal formulation, must embrace faith in the student's eventual ability to be a full participant in the community and to exercise independent judgment. (Goodlad 2–3)

One of the difficulties in teaching civics to this age group, however, is that children of this age tend to turn inward, preoccupied with their social lives and developing bodies. The best way for an educator to acknowledge this renewed focus on the self is to bring civics to children's lives in a concrete, immediate, and active way. If the classroom is where democracy begins for a national society, then a civics educator must embark upon controlled experiments in democracy. Weekly class votes empower students and introduce civic procedures as a part of daily life. Should the class save money for a monthly pizza party? Should the teacher assess students with an exam or require a research paper instead? Introducing voting and debates about classroom issues that are immediately important to children demonstrates the living value of democracy.

How a Democratic Classroom Environment Transforms Teaching

This type of classroom experiment, of course, requires a teacher to take a risk — stepping outside the comfort zone of conventional professional authority. Such experiments in democracy challenge traditional authority structures, yet they can ultimately benefit students both in terms of personal enjoyment and their sense of responsibility to the growth and education of their peers. Using democratic choice in the classroom does not mean that a teacher must sacrifice discipline; discipline must always be exercised, in the most caring manner possible, in a way that does not interfere with any child's learning. Students are, however, more apt to take responsibility for their own behavior when they know they have genuine choices and a contained range of options. Modeling is key: how a teacher responds to stressful situations will shape how children respond to challenges themselves. Children model their responses on the way the teacher reacts to challenges to his or her authority. (Gootman 30)

Encouraging children to engage with their current political moment and America's historical past is also a key component of civic education. Having students cut out newspaper articles on a topic of interest and follow that topic over time — whether the issue is local or international — encourages the habit of engaged news reading from an early age. Making even enjoyable activities educational, such as having students come to class "in character" as figures from current events, is an excellent way to make learning real. This strategy increases participation between student, teacher, and the rest of the class: the student effectively "teaches" the classroom in the guise of another persona. (Harmin, Inspiring Active Learning Strategies of Instruction)

Adapting to Different Learning Styles in Civics

It is important — especially in a subject as diverse as civics — to allow students with different learning styles to shine in their own areas of excellence. Dressing up as historical or contemporary figures allows students with artistic or kinesthetic learning strengths to better grasp concepts such as how issues were viewed differently in the past than in the present. Verbally gifted children can shine in debates about classroom issues and current events. Visual learners may benefit from a classroom map where cut-out news articles are posted to mark the places around the globe where issues are "heating up." (Silvers, Learning Styles and Strategies)

Works Cited

Bitter, Gary. Using Technology in the Classroom. Fifth Edition. Pearson Allyn & Bacon, 2001.

Brophy, Jere. Motivating Students to Learn. McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages, 1997.

Goodlad, John I. In Praise of Education. (John Dewey Lecture Series) Teachers College Press, 1997.

Gootman, Marilyn E. The Caring Teacher's Guide to Discipline. Second Edition. Corwin Press, 2000.

Harmin, Merril. Inspiring Active Learning Strategies of Instruction. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development, 1994.

Silvers, Harvey F. Learning Styles and Strategies. The Unity in Diversity Series, Volume 1. 1996.