The Duty of Teachers to Foster Civic Disposition
By Axel Ramirez
on civic education
Early in my career, my district focused on making sure that every teacher, regardless of content area, was involved in literacy instruction. The phrase “every teacher is a teacher of reading,” was continually heard in district trainings. In today’s world, we need every teacher to remain a teacher of reading, but they must also be teachers of civics—which means that civics training needs to be a part of teacher education programs. Understanding basic civic knowledge helps future teachers better understand their profession and will help them build the civic dispositions of their future students. Graduate level courses in civics create civic liaisons to policy makers while equipping educators to teach stronger civics in the classroom.
A few years ago, I was asked by a state legislator why I teach federalism in my college-level Introduction to Education course. My response was that my students coming into the course did not understand the impact of federalism on funding and policy for local education. They had learned about federalism in the abstract, but did not see the specific role it played in their chosen careers.
Many teachers believe that civic dispositions, like active citizenry, are only the domain of social studies teachers, but that is not the case.
It became imperative that my college students learned how to find and contact their local and state representatives. I explained that as government workers, they are affected by current legislation and policy while at the same time, they are also citizens who can affect change through their own legislators. Because I continue to see the necessity of this kind of basic civic instruction, I continue to make sure these fundamental concepts are understood while also discussing the duty that we have as teachers to foster civic dispositions.
Many teachers believe that civic dispositions, like active citizenry, are only the domain of social studies teachers, but that is not the case. Teachers in all grades and content areas need to understand the role they play in the civic dispositions of our students. While there really is truth that many of our positive dispositions go back to what we learned in kindergarten, civic dispositions are embedded into content objectives across grade levels and content areas for the purpose of inculcating strong civic individuals.
For example, a civic disposition that we can all hope for in our communities is civility during sporting events, from both athletes and spectators. This ideal is actually part of the Utah Fitness for Life teaching standards. A similar standard in the fine arts asks that students understand the protocols of audience behavior. Accounting students are asked to explore ethical situations within their career areas, and future welders are asked to engage in teamwork. No content area is void of the necessity of explicitly teaching civic dispositions, which means that schools of education should continue—or begin—to make explicit the importance of civics education.
Teachers who have advanced training in civics will better challenge our students who come with so much potential information at their fingertips.
Consequently, it makes sense for schools of education to sponsor graduate-level programs in civics education, since only basic civics instruction and dispositional teaching is discussed in undergraduate teacher programs. Teachers who deeply understand student, parent, and teacher Constitutional rights can best intercede at the local level too, so that Constitutional issues do not escalate. As legislatures increase civic requirements and programs, who better to inform districts than those who have studied under scholars who approach content from a non-partisan perspective?
Finally, all teachers know that a teacher can only differentiate learning to the highest level of their personal understanding. Teachers who have advanced training in civics will better challenge our students, who come to class with so much potential information at their fingertips. Schools of education that promote a deep understanding of Constitutional law, government, and history will increase the depth of learning for teachers, who can then pass on this rich understanding to their own students.
All teachers need civics and are teachers of civics, but schools of education must make that explicit for undergraduate students and give practicing teachers the tools to extend their knowledge, influence, and skill through graduate programs in civics.
About the Author
Axel Ramirez teaches elementary social studies methods classes for the Utah Valley University School of Education and was formerly a middle school social studies teacher.