I published a two-part series in 2020 sharing teaching strategies to apply during that post-election time, and it’s a safe bet that we educators can use all the help we can get coping with the election’s aftermath, including the possibility of not knowing the winner for awhile.
Jess Lifshitz, who is unquestionably one of the most thoughtful teachers in the country, graciously agreed to share plans she and her colleagues have developed.
‘Here We Are Again’
Jess Lifshitz is a 5th grade English/language arts teacher at a public school outside Chicago. This is her 21st year in education.
As the country holds its collective breath leading up to the general election, it seems as if for teachers the days carry an added layer of weight. Those of us who were teaching in 2016 remember all too well the emotions and the tension that filled our classrooms and hallways the day after the presidential election. For many of us, what sticks out the most is the complete loss for words that we felt. Somehow, a day after an election had never quite felt like that before, and so many of us felt ill prepared.
And now. Here we are again. Another tense presidential election. Another moment when we are left feeling ill prepared. Except this time, there seems to be even more apprehension hanging in the air. In the past eight years since the 2016 election, our educational system and our teaching have been at the center of political debate. The rhetoric around what we should and should not be doing as teachers has gotten so loud that sometimes it seems to scream right over the voices of the very children we are tasked with educating. Every single teacher that I know is exhausted, and the constant doubt of saying the wrong thing is a big piece of that exhaustion.
And so as we near this election and its results, we, as educators, are carrying all the things that all Americans are carrying while also losing sleep over what we are going to say to our students on the day after the election, no matter what the results will be.
Whenever I find myself feeling overwhelmed as an educator, I try to always go back to the children. I try to tune out the noise and center my students and think about what they most need from me. And on the day after the election, what my students need most is to feel safe. It is this need for safety that drove me and my colleagues to think about what words we will have ready to say to our students to make sure that we are doing all that we can to wrap them in a sense of safety no matter what kind of chaos is taking place beyond our learning spaces.
Through my district’s teachers’ union, I am a member of our diversity, equity, and inclusion committee. Together, our committee has done a lot of thinking about the ways in which our students will be feeling on the day after the election. There are so many things that we cannot control and so many things that we cannot change. But there are some things that we can do. We can be prepared and we can help support other educators while they seek to support our students in the days after the election.
With that goal in mind, our committee created the following document to share with educators within our school district to help give them some language that they can use with young people to create that sense of safety that we all seem to be craving. Our hope is that by having these words in mind, teachers will know that they can respond to the words and emotions that our students will walk in our doors with. We are hoping that this language helps teachers to not stay silent because our silence will not help our students to feel safe. Our students will be looking to us, and we want to be ready to respond. And while we will all hope for calm after Tuesday’s election, we believe that these words will help us to be prepared for whatever comes.
Creating Safety Post-Election 2024 | |
| In the days after the election, emotions will be running high. Our students will sense the tension around them and will be hearing words from adults that they may not fully understand. Any time of transition can prompt anxiety. Our job, as educators, is to listen to what our students are telling us and use their words and questions as a launching point for conversation. We cannot ignore our students’ reality and we have a responsibility to help them process the moment unfolding around them. In the coming days, we must ensure that all our students feel safe, seen, and heard. | |
| Things to keep an eye out for: | Ways to respond: |
Students expressing fear about what comes next “Everything feels really scary. I am worried that with a new president, we are not going to be safe.” | “There are many people feeling the same way that you are right now. That’s because elections bring about change and uncertainty, which is scary for people. And while the laws and policies elected leaders make have a real impact on our lives, there are also so many people in your own life who are here to work to keep you safe. That is our job, and we will do that no matter what.” |
Students chanting for the winner or chanting campaign slogans that could make other students feel uncomfortable or unsafe Example: Students loudly chanting a candidate’s name in the hallway. | “Remember that there are a lot of different people who are feeling a lot of different ways today. While it is OK to express your feelings with those who are able to hear them, we have to leave space for those who are feeling a different way as well. Let’s think about the ways your words might impact others in our classroom community.” |
Students noting the tension and anxiety among grownups in their lives Example: “I don’t understand. I saw a bunch of grownups crying last night and I don’t understand why they are so upset.” | “The days after an election are often filled with big emotions because adults are also having big feelings about who won or did not win. Some people have big emotions of happiness because the person they wanted to win did. Other people have big emotions of sadness because the person they wanted to win didn’t. What is important for you to know is that even when grownups are upset, they are still there to help you and keep you safe.” |
Students making hurtful comments about who won or those who voted for a particular candidate Example: “I am so mad about who won. They are going to ruin our country, and everyone who voted for them is dumb.” | “What is happening here in our learning space is the same thing that is going to be happening across the country today. That’s what happens when people with different lived experiences and beliefs share one leader. While we cannot control what happens beyond our learning space, in here we can make sure that everyone has a chance to say what they are thinking and feeling while also being aware of the impact our words have on others. We will do that while taking care of each other, ourselves, and our community, and it is my job to make sure that happens. Our job in this classroom has not changed. We are still here to learn together, be good people, and have fun. Everyone will be treated with respect.” |
Students sharing misinformation and/or misunderstandings about the election Example: “I heard that the election was stolen!” | “I am curious what is making you say that? Whenever I hear something that I am not exactly sure of, I always want to seek out some reliable sources to help me understand what is really going on. Do you think we can look for some sources together that can help us better understand this?” |
Parents and caretakers expressing concern that their child feels unsafe with classroom discussions on the election and its aftermath
Example: “My child feels like they can’t voice their opinions about the election without someone getting mad at them! Please refrain from any conversation about the election results.” | “I am so sorry that your child is not feeling safe and I am grateful that you let me know. Our students are noticing a lot of the events unfolding around them, and they often do bring up the election in our classroom conversations. When this happens, I meet the students where they are and help them to process what they are feeling in an age-appropriate way that allows for multiple perspectives. I am making sure to do this in a way that follows our district’s policies and curriculum. This is an important opportunity to help students learn how to exist in a community with others who may think and feel differently than they do.” |
Students questioning if a winner is not declared on Nov. 5
Example: “My grownup says that we don’t know who won the election. What happens now?” | “Sometimes, elections take longer because it is important that all the votes are counted. Over two-thirds of eligible Americans voted in the 2020 presidential election, with over 81 million people voting for the winner in 2020.” |
Resources:
American Psychological Association: Talking to Children About the Election https://www.apa.org/topics/politics/talking-children-election
Learning for Justice: The Day After: https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/the-day-after
Psychology Today: Talking to Children and Teens About Elections: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-full-picture/202409/talking-to-children-and-teens-about-elections-and-government
