What is Social Studies and why do we teach it?

For my field experience I have been shadowing Mr. Harms at the Penta
Career Center. Mr. Harms teaches government to juniors. I went in with a few
big questions like: What kind of classroom atmosphere is healthy? What is
the best way to achieve a close yet still professional relationship with
students? After two field experiences I can say I now scratched the surface
on answering my questions.
What kind of classroom atmosphere is healthy?
Ive pondered this question as long as I have wanted to be a teacher. No
question there is a fine line to walk across of being a cool teacher, if played
right students will still maintain a degree of respect but more comfortable
around you and I believe that will carry over to more engaged and involved
students in your class. However, then there are the teachers that students
love because the teacher becomes more of a friend than teacher, class time
is used more as a social hour and the content is rushed over with little depth.
One handout on the culture of US higher education (Cimasko, Paiz,
Gherwash, 2013), prepares students for academic life and although its
meant for students it explains why teachers do certain things so the students
can better understand. Such as why classrooms are often participatory.
During my field class I have payed attention to how open the classroom is,
what do the students share with the teacher, how does the teacher respond
and interact, what can the students do without asking, how comfortable to
the students appear, etc. At the beginning of class Mr. Harms asked the
students about their day and, those willing, had further conversations about
it several minutes or so after the bell rang. His class has a rather positive
feeling to it. He was discussing government, relating comments back to
previous projects and things outside of school life and the class continued to
interact with him. One girl in particular couldnt sit still during the first part of
class when he was refreshing them on what they learned earlier but she was
participating and only standing at her desk so he allowed it, when he moved
on to new content he let her lay on the floor to take notes because she
continued to stay engaged. During this one of our tasks was to take pictures
of one of their recent projects which was to draw and compare characters of
movies to early politicians. For example, a character of The Purge with
Patrick Henry. He often has the class work in groups so they can learn from
each other because they might understand something more if learned from a
peer. This matches the handout (Cimasko, Paiz, Gherwash, 2013) that
teachers often use collaboration to provide added perspectives and unique
insights, and to give students practice with intellectual authority and
responsibility

Whats the best way to achieve a close yet professional relationship with
students?
Of what I observed, not just in my field experience, but of all my teachers in
the past, that the ones you remember years later and you learned most from
has a special kind of relationship with the students. In the handout about the
culture of US education (Cimasko, Paiz, Gherwash, 2013) one section in
particular, Its about more than a good job, stood out to me. Once again
yes the intended audience is students and the purpose of this section is to
tell students individual learning is just as important and teachers fully
believe that. I think they should show this section to teachers as well
because it is about more than a good job. Outside the content builds
character.
Being at a career center is different, same teaching values but different
audience. I asked Mr. Harms how he likes teaching at a career center and he
responded telling me that he came from similar situations as most of the kids
there and he wanted to be a difference. Its the reason that you came to
teach that makes the teacher. I think back to my second grade teacher, a
person that I still try to see once a year. She was an old fashion teacher that
knew her way around kids, she loved what she did and the only reason she
retired was the school made her take down all the papers and projects on the
walls and hanging from the ceiling that she accumulated over the years
because it became a fire hazard. She was involved in her students lives
outside of school, she taught manors and character, she would even go to
sports events if she happened to have the time. She became the type of
teacher that showed you real love that unknowingly led you to behave and
prosper in the classroom simply because you didnt want to disappoint her.
Her fire hazard was the result of students gifts over literally generations of
teaching and various tools she used for an enjoyable environment for
example a real tee-pee she made for students to read in. She showed
dedication on an elementary level, same thing for high school just different
demographic. Another successful teacher of mine was my high school
English teacher, he didnt put himself on a pedestal in front of us. He was
equal with authority to us, he knew we werent just students and he
acknowledged that, he would connect with us in a still professional yet not
what you would typically connect with a teacher on. When discussing various
topics with us we had to think critically and deeper. This matched the culture
handout discussing deeper importance of learning, While professional
status is an important goal of many students, the instructors and curricula of
the US university system place at least as much importanceif not moreon
the more traditional goals of individual learning, the building of new
knowledge, and the creation of an informed and well-rounded citizens
(Cimasko, Paiz, Gherwash, 2013)
My thoughts.

Its not what you teach its how you teach. Given this, how you teach social
studies can heavily influence individual learning of the students and creating
a well-rounded, deeper thinking, educated citizen. Seeing Mr. Harms care for
his students and the goal of sending them off educated into the real world is
the best way of teaching. One thing that I have seen and want to avoid is an
influence on grading because of care for students. Going soft on grading
students because you dont want hurt their grade wont help them. Being the
teacher that students connect with is good but they need to learn the
subject, openness in the classroom should promote questions on the topic
and critical thinking can help them understand the topic, but they need to
understand it or else youre just a friend.
References
Cimasko, T., Paiz, J., Gherwash, G. (2013) US Higher Eduacation: A Local
Introduction.
OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab.
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/684/01/