Teaching Despite Historical Biases and Perspectives

At some point in my adult years, I came across the following saying, and I have held on to it as it as proved true again and again. The saying goes as follows:

There are two sides to every story, and always three.

I like this saying because I think it speaks volumes about how our perspectives can sometimes cloud our judgements. When two people are having a disagreement over something, the two sides to the story are the participants' sides. The third is the side of the truth that usually lies somewhere in the middle.

So, what does this have to do with history? Well, I truly believe that all historical events, as printed in US textbooks contain a bias toward western, democratic values. Consider what the history books may say about the Iraq war in the future. Regardless of an attempt to present a realistic picture by including mistakes made by Americans during they war, the account will likely paint the picture of the United States stepping in to rescue a country from itself and its own religious practices. Whether or not we believe the Iraqis need to be rescued, we should consider their view of the situation based on their religion. In an upper elementary classroom, a factual discussion that examines the Iraqi way of life and their perceptions of the war and Americans would be very appropriate.

As a teacher, I will have students of all races and religions in my classroom. As a person with strong religious views, I will need to work very hard not to let those biases affect my ability to provide information on multiple religious views without discounting other religions.

Experiencing elementary school in the 1970s as an African American student, I had a desire for relative cultural references and historical figures in social studies. So, I do understand a little about being or feeling left out and biased against in elementary school social studies. My goal will be to create an open environment for all students, including those from widely divergent cultures or those who do not speak English.

Yes, I will still have biases, but I will be proactive in letting students share when their views are different.

Actually,
Aricka