Youth Forum: Just what are those kids thinking?

By Jon Bauer

Herald Opinion Editor

“Protesting and expressing our opinions is a key part of our right to freedom of speech. But what if I told you that this right is being taken away from students and teachers?”

That’s the opening sentence of an essay by Dega Hartwick, an eighth-grader at Lakewood Middle School. On this and following pages, your find the rest of Ms. Hartwick’s essay and others of fellow students in teacher John Johansen’s English language arts classes.

As preparation of the students’ state Smarter Balance Assessments, which evaluates student knowledge and achievement, including the use of essay responses, Johansen led the students over several weeks in researching, outlining and writing opinion essays, addressing a topic of each student’s choice. I joined the classes on two occasions recently, offering tips on research, structure and writing and providing some coaching and encouragement.

Just as the school day helps develop a range of educational “muscles,” the seemingly singular activity of writing an opinion piece not only reinforces students’ language arts skills, it also offers them the opportunity to think critically, learn more about a topic, refine their thoughts on the subject and gain proficiency in making persuasive arguments, a skill they will need throughout their lives.

What’s clear to me — and perhaps will surprise some readers — is how much these and students and certainly others are paying attention to the world around them and how much concern they have for the condition of a world that in a few years they will be contributing to as employees, business owners, taxpayers and — most importantly — community members. As they are paying attention to what’s happening all around them, we ought to be paying attention to them.

Space doesn’t allow for the publication of every student’s essay, but this sample should provide some insight into what students are thinking, how they view the world and how they are preparing to meet it.