What We Can Learn About Democracy From Children
Every year, right after Easter, one of the children always raises their hand to tell us about the exciting thing that happened at their house over the weekend. "The Easter Bunny came to my house and laid eggs!"
Then, after a moment's pause, someone always replies, "The Easter Bunny doesn't lay eggs. Chickens lay eggs. The Easter Bunny paints them and brings them to your house."
At this point, the conversation shifts into a debate, complete with raised voices. Factions emerge, sides are chosen, tempers might even flair. You see, the Easter Bunny is an article of faith and as we know, public disagreements about faith can often be quite heated. As their teacher, I have no interest in quickly wrapping up these debates because, after all, this is part of how a self-governing society works, and a self-governing classroom is the gold standard for a play-based educator. We have to be able to discuss everything of importance, together, even if it sometimes gets loud. Even if it isn't always polite. Even if it means that we have to set aside our plans in order for us to have the important discussions we need to have. And my job is simply to make sure everyone was heard and to, if necessary, prevent violence.
Some years, these Easter Bunny debates really rage, often CONTINUE READING: Teacher Tom: What We Can Learn About Democracy From Children