I teach American History. I have a timeline in the back of my room. I think I'm going to temporarily put black paper over the events that showcase anything bad. I think it will be a silent form of protest and a stunning visual.
Do it with your students’ feedback! Have them choose which events are “unsavory” and paper over them as they watch. What a great idea for an impactful lesson 🙌🏼
As a middle school teacher, I will NOT stop teaching my students to think critically, analyze, and use the past to help prepare for the future. Thank you for putting this into words for us Sharon.
My son is in 8th grade and has loved his history class this year because it’s about the constitution and the founding of our country. He loves it. He loves the stories about the wonderful things people did and the truth about the horrible things we did. He just wants to know where we got it right and where we got wrong. Keep doing your important work. There are kids like my son who want to grow up and help shape the government. Without teachers like you shaping them and providing ALL the facts, how will they create a better world?
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 This should be required reading for the President and his staff, all of Congress, and anyone who is blindly accepting the propaganda that wants to ignore the mistakes of the past while seemingly repeating many of them and trying to blame the opposing party or anyone else they’ve chosen to “other” at that moment.
Honestly reading this reminds me of how my husband can be sometimes (and me tbh, and my kids…). Admitting you did something wrong, or ‘bad’ means you are unlovable. Since so many of us were raised with our parents’ (& teachers & authority figures) love and acceptance being contingent on us being good, we have a hard time as adults even talking about actions we did that may have hurt someone else.
I see so many ties to this old way of parenting in this (& other) EOs. Adults need to do the work themselves to be able to live with their own personal mistakes/imperfections, ie, forgive the people who (being hurt themselves…) hurt us, and practice radical self love and acceptance.
You and others on this thread likely have done some work to be able to see that just because you’ve done something wrong or hurtful to someone, it doesn’t make you a bad person. In fact, repairing the wrong helps you become an even better person, not walking thru the world afraid to make a mistake (& be sentenced to hell, literally; thank you Catholic upbringing).
Would be curious if anyone else sees the parallels. Certainly imo is why so many people turn to gaslighting, and being incapable of admitting wrongdoing - doesn’t mean they’re horrible humans. In fact, believing that just reinforces the belief that’s causing them to act that way in the first place. Somehow we’ve gotta become the people, and the nation, and the planet, that can see the good and deservedness of love in everyone and everything, which means not being afraid of making mistakes and getting it wrong. Looking at & healing the programming that caused us to feel so defensive that we can’t admit wrongdoing, is the only thing that will truly make us capable of living in truth and getting it wrong again in the future.
What I see in Trump and his cronies is fear & programming that told them they were worthless if they weren’t perfect. So they have to gaslight everyone and everything - including the history of our nation - to keep from feeling that hole in their hearts. Helps me get out of the hate spiral and find some compassion, since I think that’s gotta be the way we unify ♥️. Hate and fear got us here. Love and compassion (to fuel honest conversation and action) has gotta get us out.
I think everyone could benefit from some therapy. Taking accountability for our actions is critical. I don’t believe we can function healthily if we are over or under accountable for our actions. Everything is my fault or nothing is my fault blame everyone else. Or just say, yep, I made a mistake. Let’s learn from it, repair and move forward.
Yes! and I really believe embodiment has a huge role to play in building a cultural capacity to engage with truth, history and non-binary thinking. A mentor of mine, Bo Forbes, writes extensively on disembodiment and how our inability to tolerate the discomfort of complexity leads to all kinds of destruction, distortion and denial. I don't know exactly how an entire country can learn to regulate underdeveloped nervous systems but I am certain it's a crucial piece of getting out of this alive together.
I could not agree more. The somatic work I’ve been doing the last year (with a therapist) has been so rewarding and healing - and i thought I had already done a lot of the work through other means (meditation, mindfulness practice, EFT, IFS work… but all that was talking & quieting the mind or emotional body, and I def needed to work on the physical body/ nervous system esp ♥️. But now I can hold space for my kids.. and I hope that in a few generations we realize this is the way for all of us to feel true/actual joy, through the pain…
What you are so accurately describing is SHAME. Whereas some ancient, Eastern societies have been very outwardly shamed-based, our Western society has secret shame. It’s insidious. Shame is what tells us we’re bad people, that we’re not worthy. And yes, there are SO many parallels!!! People who have done therapy and dealt with their shame and able to live more authentically and empathize with others more easily.
One of these is indoctrination and it’s the one presented in the EO.
I have an 11 year old son who was sitting next to me while I read this. He couldn’t fathom why anyone wouldn’t teach the negative things that America has done. “But we have done bad things.” He gets it.
Every day of the week. Yes. That EO is loaded with so much “red meat” that I fear the nationalistic rhetoric will be glossed over. Thanks for shining a light on the indoctrination disguised as patriotism.
This made me think of a podcast I just listened to from Adam Grant and Dr. Lisa Damour. It covered the idea about what being mentally healthy means and why it's good and ok to have a variety of feelings, including being uncomfortable. Do we want to teach that being uncomfortable is bad? Or do we want to teach that being uncomfortable with what we're feeling is ok and normal. When we learn about something difficult in history it might make us uncomfortable, but is that bad? As you have laid out we can feel both pride in our nation's history and be uncomfortable. And that is I think a good thing.
It was so helpful for me to learn that emotions are neutral. Having tolerance to recognize what the emotions are and what they are communicating to us. Can help us manage our behaviors more effectively. For me, this led me to be much more open minded and willing to think critically.
Aa a middle and high school teacher the problem is that the curriculum we are required to teach swings one way or the other depending on the administration. I tell my husband regularly, " I'm probably going to be fired this week." I teach ALL of history and government. The good, the bad and the ugly. We can't lean one way in teaching and expect to continue to move forward and make our country better. It's just divisiveness implanted in our children that leads to adults that choose a party over principles.
In a separate but similar sentiment, I think about the Church. I am a Christian, and being a student of Church history, I see that the Church has many times failed its mandate to represent Christ on earth. But rather than whitewashing our failures, it is worth recognizing and repenting of them in order to cling more closely to Truth.
By the way, I am NOT equating the Church with America. To do so is dangerous.
What I am saying is that in order to be true to our principles we must repent of our errors and do whatever is in our power to make conciliation with those we have sinned against.
Thank you Sharon. I enjoyed your book, and regularly read your newsletter, but today's piece was simply beautiful. Thank you for what you do.
This discussion brings to mind the president I admire most, Thomas Jefferson. I have read numerous books about Jefferson, some glowingly positive, and others darkly negative. But one of the things that strikes me most about Jefferson was his willingness to engage in dialogue over issues with people of different viewpoints, particularly his good friend John Adams. He and Adams disagreed on many issues, but they strongly agreed on their desire to make our country a more perfect union. They were true patriots, because they always sought ways to improve the country.
What we are seeing come out of Washington these days reminds me more of Stalinist Russia -- propaganda and indoctrination.
My heart hurts for all the teachers out there who has to try and navigate this bullshit. Kids aren't dumb they will question why they are being taught lies. I wish our country to just except that when we all do better we all do better.
When my 1st grade son spent a MONTH this year learning about how great Columbus was and came home with photo copied worksheets that literally said "copyright 1985" on the bottom i was like.... this isn't right! We should have progressed more than that. I'm not suggesting telling 6 year olds every horror, but maybe we no longer spend a month on Columbus?? I can't imagine things get better under this new executive order. "As for me and my house" is right, Sharon. I will decide for my family and tell my children the truth instead of letting them grow up doomed to repeat history because they didn't learn it the first time.
I teach American History. I have a timeline in the back of my room. I think I'm going to temporarily put black paper over the events that showcase anything bad. I think it will be a silent form of protest and a stunning visual.
Do it with your students’ feedback! Have them choose which events are “unsavory” and paper over them as they watch. What a great idea for an impactful lesson 🙌🏼
As a middle school teacher, I will NOT stop teaching my students to think critically, analyze, and use the past to help prepare for the future. Thank you for putting this into words for us Sharon.
My son is in 8th grade and has loved his history class this year because it’s about the constitution and the founding of our country. He loves it. He loves the stories about the wonderful things people did and the truth about the horrible things we did. He just wants to know where we got it right and where we got wrong. Keep doing your important work. There are kids like my son who want to grow up and help shape the government. Without teachers like you shaping them and providing ALL the facts, how will they create a better world?
As a middle school parent, I’m grateful for you. Don’t ever stop.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 This should be required reading for the President and his staff, all of Congress, and anyone who is blindly accepting the propaganda that wants to ignore the mistakes of the past while seemingly repeating many of them and trying to blame the opposing party or anyone else they’ve chosen to “other” at that moment.
I worry it’s too late. And please sing it loud that Reagan wore a tan suit first, not Obama, for a minute bit of cynical humor. I need it.
Yeah, I saw that line and loved it.
That line is golden!
Honestly reading this reminds me of how my husband can be sometimes (and me tbh, and my kids…). Admitting you did something wrong, or ‘bad’ means you are unlovable. Since so many of us were raised with our parents’ (& teachers & authority figures) love and acceptance being contingent on us being good, we have a hard time as adults even talking about actions we did that may have hurt someone else.
I see so many ties to this old way of parenting in this (& other) EOs. Adults need to do the work themselves to be able to live with their own personal mistakes/imperfections, ie, forgive the people who (being hurt themselves…) hurt us, and practice radical self love and acceptance.
You and others on this thread likely have done some work to be able to see that just because you’ve done something wrong or hurtful to someone, it doesn’t make you a bad person. In fact, repairing the wrong helps you become an even better person, not walking thru the world afraid to make a mistake (& be sentenced to hell, literally; thank you Catholic upbringing).
Would be curious if anyone else sees the parallels. Certainly imo is why so many people turn to gaslighting, and being incapable of admitting wrongdoing - doesn’t mean they’re horrible humans. In fact, believing that just reinforces the belief that’s causing them to act that way in the first place. Somehow we’ve gotta become the people, and the nation, and the planet, that can see the good and deservedness of love in everyone and everything, which means not being afraid of making mistakes and getting it wrong. Looking at & healing the programming that caused us to feel so defensive that we can’t admit wrongdoing, is the only thing that will truly make us capable of living in truth and getting it wrong again in the future.
What I see in Trump and his cronies is fear & programming that told them they were worthless if they weren’t perfect. So they have to gaslight everyone and everything - including the history of our nation - to keep from feeling that hole in their hearts. Helps me get out of the hate spiral and find some compassion, since I think that’s gotta be the way we unify ♥️. Hate and fear got us here. Love and compassion (to fuel honest conversation and action) has gotta get us out.
really good point! people raised in authoritarian homes are probably much more likely to fall in line. D. L. Mayfield writes much about this...
I think everyone could benefit from some therapy. Taking accountability for our actions is critical. I don’t believe we can function healthily if we are over or under accountable for our actions. Everything is my fault or nothing is my fault blame everyone else. Or just say, yep, I made a mistake. Let’s learn from it, repair and move forward.
Yes! and I really believe embodiment has a huge role to play in building a cultural capacity to engage with truth, history and non-binary thinking. A mentor of mine, Bo Forbes, writes extensively on disembodiment and how our inability to tolerate the discomfort of complexity leads to all kinds of destruction, distortion and denial. I don't know exactly how an entire country can learn to regulate underdeveloped nervous systems but I am certain it's a crucial piece of getting out of this alive together.
I could not agree more. The somatic work I’ve been doing the last year (with a therapist) has been so rewarding and healing - and i thought I had already done a lot of the work through other means (meditation, mindfulness practice, EFT, IFS work… but all that was talking & quieting the mind or emotional body, and I def needed to work on the physical body/ nervous system esp ♥️. But now I can hold space for my kids.. and I hope that in a few generations we realize this is the way for all of us to feel true/actual joy, through the pain…
Thank you! I do agree with the parallels that you point out. This was also helpful to understanding some of my family relationships.
What you are so accurately describing is SHAME. Whereas some ancient, Eastern societies have been very outwardly shamed-based, our Western society has secret shame. It’s insidious. Shame is what tells us we’re bad people, that we’re not worthy. And yes, there are SO many parallels!!! People who have done therapy and dealt with their shame and able to live more authentically and empathize with others more easily.
One of these is indoctrination and it’s the one presented in the EO.
I have an 11 year old son who was sitting next to me while I read this. He couldn’t fathom why anyone wouldn’t teach the negative things that America has done. “But we have done bad things.” He gets it.
Every day of the week. Yes. That EO is loaded with so much “red meat” that I fear the nationalistic rhetoric will be glossed over. Thanks for shining a light on the indoctrination disguised as patriotism.
This made me think of a podcast I just listened to from Adam Grant and Dr. Lisa Damour. It covered the idea about what being mentally healthy means and why it's good and ok to have a variety of feelings, including being uncomfortable. Do we want to teach that being uncomfortable is bad? Or do we want to teach that being uncomfortable with what we're feeling is ok and normal. When we learn about something difficult in history it might make us uncomfortable, but is that bad? As you have laid out we can feel both pride in our nation's history and be uncomfortable. And that is I think a good thing.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1HdQtbLw3o1sRs5SALKVXF?si=HnAUpCDdRdCOJqnqN57_sw
I enjoyed this podcast too
It was so helpful for me to learn that emotions are neutral. Having tolerance to recognize what the emotions are and what they are communicating to us. Can help us manage our behaviors more effectively. For me, this led me to be much more open minded and willing to think critically.
This one brought tears to my eyes. So eloquently laid out. I'm grateful we have you, Sharon.
Aa a middle and high school teacher the problem is that the curriculum we are required to teach swings one way or the other depending on the administration. I tell my husband regularly, " I'm probably going to be fired this week." I teach ALL of history and government. The good, the bad and the ugly. We can't lean one way in teaching and expect to continue to move forward and make our country better. It's just divisiveness implanted in our children that leads to adults that choose a party over principles.
Yes, yes, yes!
In a separate but similar sentiment, I think about the Church. I am a Christian, and being a student of Church history, I see that the Church has many times failed its mandate to represent Christ on earth. But rather than whitewashing our failures, it is worth recognizing and repenting of them in order to cling more closely to Truth.
By the way, I am NOT equating the Church with America. To do so is dangerous.
What I am saying is that in order to be true to our principles we must repent of our errors and do whatever is in our power to make conciliation with those we have sinned against.
Hey Jonathan - I’m a Christian too and think and write about these things often. Would love to interact on Substack.
As a former history teacher, this latest action makes me the most nervous. (Until tomorrow's...)
To remove critical thinking and the full splay of history is indoctrination itself 🤦♀️ This isn’t going to fly
Thank you Sharon. I enjoyed your book, and regularly read your newsletter, but today's piece was simply beautiful. Thank you for what you do.
This discussion brings to mind the president I admire most, Thomas Jefferson. I have read numerous books about Jefferson, some glowingly positive, and others darkly negative. But one of the things that strikes me most about Jefferson was his willingness to engage in dialogue over issues with people of different viewpoints, particularly his good friend John Adams. He and Adams disagreed on many issues, but they strongly agreed on their desire to make our country a more perfect union. They were true patriots, because they always sought ways to improve the country.
What we are seeing come out of Washington these days reminds me more of Stalinist Russia -- propaganda and indoctrination.
My heart hurts for all the teachers out there who has to try and navigate this bullshit. Kids aren't dumb they will question why they are being taught lies. I wish our country to just except that when we all do better we all do better.
When my 1st grade son spent a MONTH this year learning about how great Columbus was and came home with photo copied worksheets that literally said "copyright 1985" on the bottom i was like.... this isn't right! We should have progressed more than that. I'm not suggesting telling 6 year olds every horror, but maybe we no longer spend a month on Columbus?? I can't imagine things get better under this new executive order. "As for me and my house" is right, Sharon. I will decide for my family and tell my children the truth instead of letting them grow up doomed to repeat history because they didn't learn it the first time.