The First Read

Today is my first post on Medium. I hope for this to be a place to get my thoughts out and to keep you up to date on the going-ons in my classroom. First, lets set some ground rules. All opinions expressed expressed in this space are mine and mine only. They do not represent my employer and are purely my ideas. I will refrain from getting to opinionated, but that needed to be gotten out of the way.

Second, I will write a lot about my classroom and what is happening inside. You can think of this as a bit of a newsletter if your student is in my class. This is your peak behind the current of “what did you do at school today?” only to get the classic “nothing.” I will do my best to show photos and examples, but will keep students identities out of the photos for their personal privacy. Where possible I will show close up shots of the work they are doing or images that have obscured or blurred their faces. Lets face it, you know your kiddo, so if you see an image you love, reach out to me and I am happy to pass it along, unedited.

So… what is my class like? I teach two sections of US Government and Politics. The first is a College Predatory, or as it is referred to here CP, class. Because I am at an independent school, I get a lot of leeway into how to design a course and this one… its my baby! I love the structure and design of this class. The course is broken up into four curricular “themes.” each theme acts as a unit that guides students in their development of new thinking. Throughout the themes we will touch on ideas that were previously discussed to give a cyclical approach to the concepts. The themes for CP USGP are as follows:

• THEME 1: Foundations of American Democracy — Here students come to understand the Founders’ arguments for the new nation. They try to develop an understanding of the core principles of America and what values and beliefs American’s hold deer.
• THEME 2: VOTE! — Easily my FAVORITE theme. Students explore the reasons why people do, and do not, vote in America. They will discuss whether or not, throughout America’s history and today, voting has been treated like a right, a privilege, or a responsibility.
• THEME 3: The 3 Branches — Here students explore the inner workings of the three branches of government. They are also introduced to the concept of federalism and learn of their state and local governments also affect change.
• THEME 4: Civil Liberties — In the final curricular theme, students explore the rights and privileges that many American’s hold deer. They come to understand how those privileges have developed over the centuries through the work of politicians, civil rights leaders, and the work of the Supreme Court.

But wait… There’s more! I haven’t even told you the best part of this class… the one that makes it “my baby.” Throughout the course students will take part in a year long simulation. This simulation will see students take on a role of a member of the House of Representatives. Students will learn about Robert’s Rules of Order and Parliamentary Procedure. They will learn about the level of decorum needed to function in a large legislative body, and they will begin to form political parties and work towards writing legislation that they hope to become law. The entire simulation culminates in a half-day legislative session where students debate and discuss their bills in hopes of building enough consensus and support to see their bill become law. But they still have to worry about one thing, the dreaded veto! Each year students will pick a Speaker of the House, the next year, the previous Speaker gets a promotion and acts as our President. That President will listen to debate and read each bill that is sent to their desk and decide whether to sign or veto. It really is an amazing experience!

Ok… that was a lot. I think I will split this post into two to discuss AP USGP and Intro to Business and Marketing, so more to come. Thanks for reading and please reach out if you have any questions. You can also find my classroom website at teachbarker.com.