Essentials of Middle and Secondary Social Studies

William B. Russell III, Stewart Waters

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781032107899
• eBook ISBN: 9781000585735
• Edition: 3
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Building on the success of the previous editions, Essentials of Middle and Secondary Social Studies Third Edition focuses on the key issues central to the teaching of middle and high school social studies, including lesson planning and instructional strategies. Written in an engaging, conversational style, the text encourages teachers in their development as professionals and enables them to effectively use creative and active learning strategies in the everyday classroom.

New to This Edition

This third edition has been refined with new and relevant topics and strategies needed for effectively teaching middle and high school social studies. New features include:

• An expanded chapter on the decision-making process in secondary social studies. This chapter provides additional discussion about the importance of helping middle and high school learners better understand the decision-making process and offers strategies for helping teachers make connections between choices, values, character development, and social justice
• An updated chapter on technology designed to better prepare secondary social studies teachers to effectively incorporate technology into their instruction. Focus is given to virtual teaching and learning, media literacy, teaching with film, and numerous other ways to improve teaching and learning in the digital age
• Updated further readings and helpful resources for all chapters to include supplemental digital and video sources related to various topics throughout the chapter. These resources were specifically curated to be impactful for preservice and in-service teachers, as well as anyone teaching secondary social studies methods courses
• Added a "Checking for Understanding" section of questions at the end of each chapter that focuses on comprehension, application, and reflection on key concepts throughout the chapters
• An expanded discussion of the Common Core Standards and C3 Framework and how it impacts teachers
• An updated chapter titled "Experiencing Social Studies". This chapter focus on topics such as teaching with drama, role play, field trips, and service learning
• Each chapter includes a "Helpful Resources" section that details various websites and online resources for further discovery

1 Becoming a Professional Social Studies Teacher

DOI: 10.4324/9781003217060-1

Looking Ahead

The purpose of this chapter is to help you understand what it means to be a professional social studies teacher and what is required. As you will read, becoming a professional social studies teacher takes dedication and commitment by the individual. This chapter will help you understand that teaching social studies is more than just lecturing in front of students. It will also help you understand what you can do to make the most of your profession. There is an entire field that many social studies teachers, unfortunately, never experience. A field filled with professional social studies teachers who care about the content and pedagogy and about making a difference in students’ lives. The field of social studies is full of rich resources, journals, and conferences designed to help you become and remain an effective teacher and professional educator.

Can You? Do You?

Can you …

• name at least two professional journals for social studies teachers?
• describe the principles of your state’s professional code of ethics?
• list at least two types of professional development?

Do you …

• know the principles of your state’s professional code of conduct for educators?
• know the qualifications of a highly qualified teacher?
• know the names of two professional organizations for social studies teachers?

Focus Activity

Before reading this chapter, try the focus activity below.

Becoming a professional social studies teacher takes years of dedication and professional training. At this point, most of you have decided that you want to teach middle and/or high school social studies. Why? Write down the reasons why you decided to become a secondary social studies teacher. Remember there are no wrong answers. Share and discuss your reasons with classmates. Do you share similar reasons with peers?

Influences and Experiences

FYI

This phenomenon is known as the “apprenticeship of observation,” meaning teachers often resort to teaching in the way that they were taught as students. Critical reflections about your experiences as a student, both good and bad, are vital to becoming a strong teacher and continuing professional growth.

Your experiences as a middle and secondary student influenced how you approach social studies and what you consider to be effective means of educating. Not only do your educational experiences impact your teaching, but so do your social, economic, and political experiences. No matter your beliefs and background, keeping an open mind toward the teaching of social studies is ideal. Throughout this book and throughout your career, you will learn new methods and strategies for engaging students. A willingness to change and to try new ideas is a necessity for the professional social studies teacher.

For many of you, the reasons you want to become a social studies teacher are tied directly to your life experiences. Many of you might have had a dynamic teacher who influenced you, and you want to have the same impact on students. Others might have had a negative experience as a student, and you want to make sure that does not happen to future students. Whatever the case, you have had influences and experiences throughout life that have made an impact on your career decision.

Unfortunately, not all students have had ideal experiences in middle and secondary classrooms. Many of you probably had a teacher who did not motivate you to learn and/or engage you in the learning experience. Reflect for a moment about all the teachers you had as a middle and secondary student. Now, pick three of the best teachers you ever had and three of the worst teachers you ever had. Compare the good teacher’s qualities to the bad teacher’s qualities. Are there any similarities? Differences? Are there common themes among the good teachers and among the bad teachers? What are they? In Box 1.1 you will find a list of teachers and their respective qualities.

Professional Certification, Conduct, and Ethics

Certification

According to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) Act of 2001, all teachers must be highly qualified. A highly qualified teacher is a teacher with a college degree, teaching certificate, and competence in a particular subject area. Measuring competence in a subject area is typically demonstrated by passing a standardized test in the subject area (e.g. Praxis or Florida Teacher Certification Examination). Requirements for becoming certified vary depending on the state in which you inhabit. Many states have reciprocity and allow you to carry your certification from one state to another. For more information on certification guidelines and policies specific to your state, contact your state department of education.

Box 1.1 Real Examples of Teachers and Their Respective Qualities

• Effective Teachers
  • Mrs. R.A. Teacher – Caring, passionate, encouraging, great lessons
  • Mr. Stud – Energetic, motivating, engaging, awesome activities, authentic assessments
  • Dr. Awesome – Brilliant, approachable, high expectations, real-life application
• Ineffective Teachers
  • Dr. N.O. Clue – Unclear expectations, sexist, dry, not engaging, non-authentic assessment
  • Mr. Hitler – Yelled a lot, no classroom management, boring
  • Mrs. S.A. Tan – Lots of busy work, rude, seemed to hate students and her job, unprofessional

Professional Conduct

FYI

Remember that professional conduct extends to your online and/or social media presence. Teachers can and do lose their jobs for social media activity, so always approach these platforms with extreme caution.

Every teacher must adhere to a professional code of conduct. Typically, each state provides its teachers with a professional code of conduct for the state. A professional code of conduct is simply a list of principles/rules that a professional teacher must abide by. Failure to adhere to the code may often result in suspension/termination and/or loss of one’s professional teaching certificate. In Box 1.2, you will find an example of the professional code of conduct from Florida. For more about your state’s professional code of conduct for educators, contact your state department of education.

Ethics

There is a large variety of professional codes of ethics for teachers developed by state departments, unions, professional organizations, and other non-profits. Most professional codes of ethics incorporate the same core principles; these include the educator’s relationship with the students, with colleagues, and with the community. In Box 1.3, you will find an example of the professional code of ethics from Florida. For more about your state’s professional code of ethics for educators, contact your state department of education.

Box 1.2 6B-1.006 Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida

1. The following disciplinary rule shall constitute the Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida.
2. Violation of any of these principles shall subject the individual to revocation or suspension of the individual educator’s certificate, or the other penalties as provided by law.
3. Obligation to the student requires that the individual:
   1. Shall make reasonable effort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning and/or to the student’s mental and/or physical health and/or safety.
   2. Shall not unreasonably restrain a student from independent action in pursuit of learning.
   3. Shall not unreasonably deny a student access to diverse points of view.
   4. Shall not intentionally suppress or distort subject matter relevant to a student’s academic program.
   5. Shall not intentionally expose a student to unnecessary embarrassment or disparagement.
   6. Shall not intentionally violate or deny a student’s legal rights.
   7. Shall not harass or discriminate against any student on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, handicapping condition, sexual orientation, or social and family background and shall make reasonable effort to assure that each student is protected from harassment or discrimination....

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Endorsement Page
• Half Title page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• List of Illustrations
• Preface
• 1 Becoming a Professional Social Studies Teacher
• 2 Contemporary Social Studies
• 3 Planning Social Studies Instruction
• 4 Assessment and Evaluation
• 5 Reading and Writing in Social Studies
• 6 Social Studies and Diverse Learners
• 7 Thinking, Problem Solving, and the Acquisition of Skills
• 8 Cooperative Learning in Social Studies
• 9 Experiencing Social Studies
• 10 Issues-Centered Learning and Decision-Making
• 11 Technology and Media in Social Studies
• 12 Lesson Plans for Secondary Social Studies
• About the Authors
• Index