Heather Smith

I know how conservative media describes the work we are doing as something negative and something to be feared, causing confusion to the public, including teachers as to what should and should not be taught in the classroom. However, education is not about telling students what to think, it’s helping them develop the skills on how to think critically about the world around them, enhancing their curiosity.

The only way to help students understand the present world is to gain a more accurate understanding of our past. We should ask what stories are missing and why. Who had a voice and who did not? Who did the voices from the past benefit? Who was harmed? The first step in the problem solving process is to define the problem. If you cannot accurately define the problem, then the solutions proposed will not work.