Last week was Constitution Week in Illinois. And a good question these days would certainly be; with the tense political atmosphere often all around us, how are the students doing in their understanding of the Constitution? Danville High School Government teacher Susan Sadler says things are going well. She starts every new class by setting the ground rules that you can disagree, but still have a respectful conversation. And she freely admits, some have dropped the ball on that.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: And I’ll even tell them that the people of my generation haven’t done a good job being an example of that. We can say, “I disagree with your opinion,” without being disrespectful to the person. And, as a general rule, for the last several years, I’ve really not had any issues with that being understood and followed in my classes.
Sadler says high school seniors taking Government are usually discussing the Constitution for the first time since 7th or 8th grade. So this time around, the key is, apply it to their own lives.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: Throughout this course they will read the entirety of the Constitution. And we talk about; how does that impact our day to day lives from what was written in 1787 to how does that play out in 2022; and how does that affect your student loans that are coming up; to your right to vote, and your right to marry who you want to marry, and all those different things that are in the news right now.
Sadler says from what she can see as a teacher, when it comes to today’s students understanding the Constitution, and being able to express their differences respectfully, the future looks very positive.
