Nico Remembers Mr. Galt

I took a political science class in high school, and I enjoyed it. But recently, my appreciation for that knowledge and the teacher who imparted it has grown. Mr. Galt not only taught me about the branches of government, how policy works, and the process of elections, he also taught me how to have productive conversations around these topics.

Mr. Galt frequently assigned an issue about which we would research and determine our position. Then he put us into small groups to discuss the issue. Before the discussion, he always reviewed the civility rules, such as no interrupting and no personal attacks. A helpful list of response starters was on the board. For example, we could respond to another student’s statement by saying, “I agree with you because…” Or, we could say, “I see it differently because…” Every argument had to be supported with facts and evidence.

In our current political climate, I have longed to return to Mr. Galt’s classroom. I miss the days when we could disagree about issues and still be friends. I miss my teacher’s commitment to civility in political discourse. I know we could all benefit from Mr. Galt’s rules and response starters. I’m certainly grateful to have learned those lessons from him.

I hope Nico’s story helped you see how much your work matters.

Julie

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