Reflecting on today, and teaching in the homeschool community today.
When I started to organize CONTROVERSIES, we were deep in the Obama years. Not everyone liked or agreed with Obama, but debates and discussions happened fairly. Then came Trump, and the mood shifted. Students still kept their minds open, their mouths running (in a positive way), and their views strong. We stressed sources over emotional outburst, and this angered some teens who loved the emotional outburst. No one was ever banned, but some turned away.
CONTROVERSIES is still running. The teens met on election night 2020, and will meet again on Tuesday. Sometimes there’s a lot to discuss, sometimes not so much. Watching the news right now makes me think of them — and really all of my teens, too — who choose civil discourse over shouts, and choose to meet others who may not agree with them in an attempt to understand.
I have the BEST job in the world, and I am blessed to see this generation grow!
