Social Education Teacher as Activist

Abstract

The modern public school presents a unique challenge to social education teachers as they are charged with instructing students with tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to master challenges of tomorrow. Today’s social education teacher must simultaneously carry out the increasingly diverse responsibilities of a citizen and activist, while still maintaining their obligations as an educator. These ambiguous issues are further complicated as education itself becomes increasingly scrutinized. In striving to build up effective citizens social education teachers are placed in the precarious position of combating new forces both in and out of the classroom. In facing these modern trials, social educators must it is imperative that social education teachers embrace their unavoidable role as part of the community as body politic. Social education teachers must understand how the different layers of their private and professional life intertwine that. Only after there is an understanding of multifaceted nature of the social education teacher can she or he make the necessary conscious choice to accept or reject their role in exercising their professional duty as an educator, their civic responsibilities as both citizen, and the conjoined obligations that their unique position innately carries. In this chapter we will discuss how a social education teacher chooses to embrace or reject their role as an activist. As the various challenges are presented in social education classrooms self-examination by the teacher is an imperative. In the role of an activist the teacher must ask him or herself three questions: (1) What does she or he believe about the role of the social education teacher in professional and civic activism? (2) Why does he or she believe as they do concerning the role of the social education teacher in professional and civic activism? (3) How does she or he articulate and/or demonstrate what they believe about the role of the social education teacher in professional and civic activism? Prior to engaging their students, the thoughtful social education teacher takes the time to self-reflect upon these questions. He or she is then prepared to either embrace or reject the premise of teacher activism within an empirical and value based cognitive framework. Armed with this insight, the teacher is able to formulate a philosophy of professional and civic participation that best serves the school, the community, and, most importantly, the students