澳门跑狗论坛

Opinion
Professional Development Opinion

6 Things Teachers Can Do When Bad News Strikes

January 19, 2017 4 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

By Angie Miller

A couple of months after September 11, 2001, a parent called me, concerned about his son鈥檚 grade.

鈥淗e had an A last quarter, and now we鈥檙e looking at a C-. What鈥檚 going on?鈥 he insisted.

A first-year teacher, I hadn鈥檛 yet developed the knowhow to read data for identifiable trends or patterns, but as I looked at the overall picture, it became clear that over the past months his son was not the only student who had increasingly turned in late and low-quality work. How had I missed this? 鈥淒o you think that Tyler is having a hard time wrestling with the news?鈥 I asked.

鈥淚 think that鈥檚 an easy excuse,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 doubt that September 11 is impacting 8th grade English.鈥

I wondered.

I turned seven the day after Ronald Reagan was shot, and not one teacher talked about it. On a cold, sunny, January day, the Challenger space shuttle blew up with a teacher from my state on board, but not one of my teachers addressed the tragedy. And the morning after our country entered the first Iraq war, not one teacher spoke of it to my senior class.

The morning after the 2016 election, a first-period 11th grade English class sat in front of me visibly subdued. I knew, from my own experiences, that if I did not acknowledge their discomfort and fear, they would learn nothing, except perhaps that I did not value their feelings. Upon reflection I still find myself asking, what can teachers do when events in the news affect our students and their ability to learn?

Teachers are understandably uncomfortable bringing the outside world into their classrooms for many reasons: What if something controversial comes up and parents complain? How will I ever get through my content? How do I facilitate an honest conversation without my own bias coming through? Can I allow students the space to process events without it consuming our day?

Though there is risk involved when talking about news or controversy, there are ways to integrate important current events in the classroom responsibly.

Show both sides. Sites like or help students understand opposing views of events, and their improved awareness can minimize their feeling of helplessness. When students are allowed to explore their concerns in school, they feel respected. Using these sights helps teachers to keep their own biases at bay.

Connect current events to the curriculum. Use immigration numbers in math. Connect current laws in question to earlier times in history. Investigate bias in science and connect it to bias in other areas. Show students how to read graphs and charts by using graphs and charts about news topics. Look at NFL concussion rates in health. Study speech styles of prominent newsmakers for English. If our curriculum is relevant, it can always be connected to something meaningful.

Include reflection in current events assignments. Many of us assign weekly current events, but do we ask our students to reflect upon them? Grant your students the space to write about what they think and feel. Does this news make them sad? Hopeful? Confused? Does it open questions for them? Help them understand that there鈥檚 a big difference between consuming news and reflecting on it.

Invite guest speakers. Guest speakers provide your students with firsthand experiences and broaden their understandings of the greater community. When my brother-in-law from Egypt came in to talk to my students about the Middle East, he was the first Muslim Arab any of them had met. Stereotypes were broken down and students approached the news differently after that. After a Sudanese Lost Boy spent a day with my middle schoolers, they watched the news about Darfur with a renewed interest and a fresh perspective.

Show students ways to make a difference. If students are upset by the news and want to talk about it, encourage them to look at what is being done and how they can help or support. They might hold a fundraiser or write a letter to a legislator or a newspaper editor. When students actively contribute to solutions, they will be more optimistic, and less passive, about their world and their future.

Offer students outlets for expressing worries or concerns. When students become visibly upset about an event, a teacher saying, 鈥淚t will be okay鈥 or 鈥渄on鈥檛 worry鈥 feels belittling. Instead, connect them with a school counselor or another adult who will listen and offer them ways to process their emotions. Whether or not you agree with how students feel, always acknowledge that their feelings are valid and offer them healthy routes to talk about it.

Following the events of September 11, I did a disservice to the students in Tyler鈥檚 class. I led them on a forced march through the curriculum, reading Dracula without acknowledging the immense confusion they wrestled with. I know better now.


Angie Miller is the 2011 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year, a TED presenter and a National Geographic Teacher Fellow. A freelance writer and school librarian, Angie can be followed at and @angieinlibrary.

The opinions expressed in Teacher-Leader Voices are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of 澳门跑狗论坛, or any of its publications.

Events

Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum Big AI Questions for Schools. How They Should Respond鈥
Join this free virtual event to unpack some of the big questions around the use of AI in K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 澳门跑狗论坛's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 澳门跑狗论坛's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Spark Minds, Reignite Students & Teachers: STEM鈥檚 Role in Supporting Presence and Engagement
Is your district struggling with chronic absenteeism? Discover how STEM can reignite students' and teachers' passion for learning.
Content provided by 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Professional Development Opinion Why Educators Are Abandoning X to Join Bluesky
The rapidly growing social media platform offers connectedness and learning opportunities, all of which can be helpful to educators.
3 min read
Untitled design (2)
DeWitt/Nelson/Canva
Professional Development Spotlight Spotlight on Professional Development
This Spotlight will help you explore innovative approaches to PD that prioritize teacher needs and foster meaningful learning experiences.
Professional Development Opinion Most Teachers Don鈥檛 Think PD Is Relevant. What Can Principals Do?
Two educators offer a blueprint for structuring professional development around teacher learning.
Jessica Calabrese & Elham Kazemi
5 min read
A team collaborates at a desk. A clock in the background represents using PD time differently.
Vanessa Solis/澳门跑狗论坛 via Canva
Professional Development Opinion It Takes a Village to Design the Best Professional Development
How to bring a community-based leadership to your professional learning this year.
Brooklyn Joseph
4 min read
A team huddle. Cooperation. Game plan.
Vanessa Solis/澳门跑狗论坛 via Canva