Educator and AFT Civics Design Team Member
Since 2012, Valerie Sewell has been teaching elementary school students in grades 2-6 in the District of Columbia Public Schools. Currently, she is an instructional coach with a focus in English language arts, and she is a member of the Washington Teachers’ Union. Her school is working toward deeper integration of language arts and social studies, fostering students’ ability to see connections across disciplines.
Her experience teaching different grades gives her a rich perspective into how much students develop, both intellectually and emotionally, throughout elementary school. “I love working with all of these age groups. Second-graders are so compassionate and have so many questions. Sixth-graders are able to think more abstractly, explore ideas outside themselves, and pick up on more nuances,” she says.
Although Sewell’s undergraduate education started with a focus on computer science, her experience as a tutor gave her exposure to the public school setting. Ultimately, she changed her major to elementary education and never looked back.
Sewell learned about the opportunity to join the American Federation of Teachers civics design team from a colleague who had gotten involved with the AFT. “My co-worker spoke about the opportunity to meet with people from different backgrounds and work together to help educate our students,” Sewell says. “It sounded like a project that could be really powerful.”
Beyond wanting to get more involved with the AFT, Sewell believed in the civics education project’s goals. She recognized the importance of the civics design team’s work, particularly the influence it could have in giving teachers the tools and strategies they need to teach civics effectively: “When you think about how our world has evolved and changed, even in 2021, and thinking about what teachers, students, and parents are facing as different laws are enacted, it’s crucial to make sure we hold true to our civic values and know how to engage and be informed.”
To Sewell, the value of civics education lies in developing active, educated citizens. Helping equip teachers to teach civics effectively, including supporting their ability to foster discussion in the classroom, is part of that effort. “If we want to make sure that our government stays ‘for the people,’ we need to use our voices and take action as citizens to make sure our government is representing us in ways that align with our core values and democratic principles.”
Teachers can face challenges in teaching civics, and knowing how to engage in difficult conversations with students is valuable. “It can be difficult to teach the truth, and in some places teachers may face consequences for trying,” Sewell says. “As a result, teachers may feel uncomfortable, or they may feel as though they do not have enough information to grapple with controversial topics. One of our goals on this team is to provide tools and strategies to equip them for that work.”
At the conclusion of the civics design team’s work, Sewell hopes they have developed a module or course that empowers teachers to empower their students. “I hope that the product we put forth will help teachers feel confident incorporating civics into all areas of the curriculum,” she says. “I hope that our professional development resources resonate with everyone who encounters them, no matter where they are in the country.”
“I want teachers to know that although our journeys may come together or diverge at different points, our goal is the same,” she says. In developing the tools and strategies that are required for productive, active citizenship, the AFT’s civics design team is making measurable forward progress toward that goal.