It’s likely that almost every high school student in the United States is aware that Charlie Kirk was shot and killed last week. And there’s a good chance that a majority of them watched the video of the actual shooting.

How should teachers respond?

Engaging in Critical Conversations

Christie Nold (she/her) is a social studies teacher at South Burlington High School in Vermont:

Like many educators across the country, I watched the news unfold last Wednesday afternoon and began to ready myself for the conversations ahead. It was at this moment that I was thankful for our established classroom routine, which could provide the necessary container to navigate challenging conversations.

Our 9th grade social studies classes begin each day with the headlines. Students are asked to predict what they might see, and after watching a brief overview of the headlines, share what they are noticing and wondering about. Going into class Thursday, I imagined students would bring up the murder of Charlie Kirk.

Having heard how gruesome the video was, and that it was circulating widely on social media, I asked how many had seen it. Over half of my students in each class had seen the video. Together, we paused to consider the impact of witnessing violence and just how regularly it is has become part of our news cycle.

This week, now that a few days have passed, we’re returning again to the story but through the lens of media bias. Together with my colleagues Geoff Bennett and Isaac Cota, we created a lesson that examined the various ways media outlets covered the story.

Using excerpts from six different news sources, students were asked if they could identify the perspective of the source. After exploring the ideas of perspective and bias, and watching a video from the Center for Civic Education, students were asked if all media is biased (many agreeing that though all media might contain bias, it exists to various degrees). Ultimately, students were provided time to reflect on the question: “Why is it important for people to recognize and check for bias in the news they follow, and what could happen to society if most people aren’t careful about checking for bias?”

Because current events are part of our daily routine, it felt appropriate to take this space and discuss what had happened. In our classrooms, students are keenly attuned to noticing differences: when do we pause instruction to talk about something that has happened in the world, when do we move on without observation?

Why might educators pause for the death of an influential figure while leaving other events unrecognized? This can be particularly hurtful when events that have a direct impact for some of our students slip by seemingly unnoticed. Having a routine with dedicated space each day allows for discussion following any major event while ensuring that students have opportunities to bear witness to news that matters most to them.

When engaging in critical conversations, whether they connect to current events or other aspects of our world, it is essential that educators remember their role. My friend Alex Shevrin Venet has helped me understand the importance of role clarity in moments like these. As a social studies teacher, I understand that it includes creating the conditions to discuss local and global events.

I also understand that students who are visibly struggling through the news cycle might be best supported by their school counselor or social worker. At times, my role includes guiding conversation, while at others, it means building a bridge to additional wonderful professionals in our building.

Given the microscope placed on educators who tackle current events in their classrooms, it can be tempting to avoid them altogether. Additionally, it is important to recognize that, depending on your school community, addressing current events can come with varied levels of risk.

I am fortunate to work in a school system that has regularly supported its educators to engage openly in critical conversations, recognizing it is not about teaching students what to think but rather how.

When considering how to bring current events into the classroom, it can be helpful to reference the course standards, consider applicable curriculum connections, and evaluate the level of support (or lack of support) you might experience. Resources from Civic Online Reasoning and the Center for Civic Education can be helpful tools when diving into media literacy as a lens through which you might consider discussing current events. I believe that through leaning into this challenge, rather than away from it, we can help support young people in navigating their world.

Thanks to Christie for contributing her thoughts.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at lferlazzo@epe.org. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

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