Partway Along the Path

Post #57

I started writing this post as I watched my State & Local Government students at Montgomery College take their final exam.  This year, as before, I grew quite fond of each student.  Most of them did not end up earning an A in the class; most are unlikely to pursue work in politics or government.  It is, however, a real privilege to get to know this talented and diverse group of young people for a few months as they continue to mature.

I look around the room, trying to conjecture what each might become.  What paths might they pursue?  Who will become parents and raise a family?  Who will finish their two-year program at Montgomery College?  Who will continue their education and complete their degree the Universities at Shady Grove or somewhere else?  Will any of my students go on to pursue graduate work in business, social work, the law, or other professions? 

Regardless of the career and personal paths each takes, I wonder what effect our class might have had on them.  I hope that this semester's many discussions of current events have given them a greater understanding of the world around them.  From budget cuts making classes unavailable to new laws regarding cell phone use, what government does impacts them directly. 

I hope that having our students role-play being a candidate, strategist, or reporter gave them a better understanding of electoral campaigns.  I hope that our discussions about advocacy and how individuals can make a difference will inspire them to speak out when they disagree with proposed government policies.  They should (they'd better!) have a fairly sophisticated understanding of how government makes budgetary decisions.  And, because the class was held in an era of scarcity, I hope they developed an appreciation for the vital role played by the nonprofit sector.  Finally, we spent significant time talking about ethics and the importance of perception, whether or not an action was in violation of a law.  I hope they carry these lessons into whatever they do.

My teaching colleague and I invested a considerable amount of time preparing for each class.  We leaned on a number of our friends and professional colleagues to share their knowledge by speaking to our students.  This semester, we got to know only a bit about these young people-- their jobs, family, and life struggles, but I think we connected with each of them.  I can only hope that – at the very least-- our students will become life-long voters who know that their voice can make a difference in our democracy.

I would love to hear from you, dear Blog reader!  If you've ever taught young people, what sort of goals did you have for them?  Were you ever able to find out if they were realized?  Please send an email to Blog@CherylKagan.org or click on the "Comments" link below to express your views.  Please be sure to indicate which post (#57) you're addressing.

Thanks for reading.  I will post again soon.