RepGuardian

As a geography teacher I am required to teach my students how to read a map. This is a fairly normal task, but my students always break out into a debate about the wars the U.S. has fought in.

When they do a lesson with a map of Vietnam, I hear about the Vietnam War. I stay out of the politics but I always ask them if they know what the Vietnamese call that war. They usually don’t know and for some reason they are surprised when I say, "The American War."

There has been much heated debate recently when it is time to do a  lesson with a map of Afghanistan. I of course stay out of this one also especially because it is still going on. My job is to cultivate teachable moments, not to judge my students on their beliefs.

One other thing that gets them excited is when we do a lesson with a map of Cuba. The Bay of Pigs was not a war but it was a battle and my kids like to talk about it.

I can’t complain about any of this, though. Teachable moments don’t happen everyday so when these lessons encourages my students to debate, I let them