Dallas ISD middle school teacher reflects on her life teaching social studies.
Social studies is a required class in the Dallas Independent School District beginning in students’ sixth grade year – their first year of middle school. This is the grade I primarily teach, and unfortunately, most students come to me with little to no civic knowledge, social studies having been pushed out of the elementary grades in favor of spending more time on common high-stakes subjects like reading and math.
It is not only time that we lose when social studies gets pushed to the side: it’s high- quality resources. We are given a vague online curriculum that roughly follows our ambiguous state standards, and this year, after 13 years, we were finally issued new textbooks (but given no training on them). Resources are allocated on a more school- by-school basis in DISD, meaning that, while some teachers have access to rich curricula, informative posters, and supplemental texts, others are relegated to having the bare bones district website memberships and standard-issue textbooks. I think that all teachers would agree with me when I say that we could all stand to have more engaging and relevant source material for our lessons.
While, in my opinion, social studies is perhaps the most pertinent course for students’ day-to- day lives as members of society, it is one of the least emphasized subjects of all. The class is a seamless combination of math, reading, science, art, dance, and more, yet because of low prioritization by districts and administrators, many students miss out on opportunities within the field, regardless of their interest or potential. As a social studies teacher, I would love to see more time, energy, and, of course, money funneled into social studies departments.
#ftk,
BT Bubble Sheet
BT Bubble Sheet (BTBS) is a Dallas ISD middle school teacher. Visit her blog here for more blogs in addition to what she writes for us!
Follow us on Facebook; Twitter; iTunes; Soundcloud; Stitcher
Related Articles:
Dallas Teachers Attracting Different Students than Planned
Dallas ISD Middle School Student Vomits on STAAR Test
Dallas ISD News and Politics Rundown - May Week 2
It is not only time that we lose when social studies gets pushed to the side: it’s high- quality resources. We are given a vague online curriculum that roughly follows our ambiguous state standards, and this year, after 13 years, we were finally issued new textbooks (but given no training on them). Resources are allocated on a more school- by-school basis in DISD, meaning that, while some teachers have access to rich curricula, informative posters, and supplemental texts, others are relegated to having the bare bones district website memberships and standard-issue textbooks. I think that all teachers would agree with me when I say that we could all stand to have more engaging and relevant source material for our lessons.
While, in my opinion, social studies is perhaps the most pertinent course for students’ day-to- day lives as members of society, it is one of the least emphasized subjects of all. The class is a seamless combination of math, reading, science, art, dance, and more, yet because of low prioritization by districts and administrators, many students miss out on opportunities within the field, regardless of their interest or potential. As a social studies teacher, I would love to see more time, energy, and, of course, money funneled into social studies departments.
#ftk,
BT Bubble Sheet
BT Bubble Sheet (BTBS) is a Dallas ISD middle school teacher. Visit her blog here for more blogs in addition to what she writes for us!
Follow us on Facebook; Twitter; iTunes; Soundcloud; Stitcher
Related Articles:
Dallas Teachers Attracting Different Students than Planned
Dallas ISD Middle School Student Vomits on STAAR Test
Dallas ISD News and Politics Rundown - May Week 2
RSS Feed