Cleveland Teacher Opens Students' Universe of Obligation

This story comes from Moira Clark, a theology teacher at Magnificat High School in Rocky River, a residential suburb eight miles west of Cleveland:

Moira Clark and her teaching partners at Magnificat High School wanted their students to understand why studying history is relevant to the present - and to their own lives. So, about eight years ago, Moira and teacher Betty McMahon developed a teaching strategy called "eyes and ears" to help students make connections from the content of their Facing History course to contemporary issues and choices. The teachers believe the strategy shows them how well students are learning in class and how that knowledge informs their own moral choices. The following is Moira's description of how "eyes and ears" works in their class:

"After the first few weeks of the course we introduce a component of the course that we've been doing from the very beginning. Year in and year out, students always say to us, 'don't ever stop doing this.' This is where they feel they start to get it. We call it 'eyes and ears.' I would say that's our prize - 'eyes and ears.'

'Eyes and ears' works on many levels. It provides students with a vehicle to be at the center of their own learning and develop class discussion skills. Learning to express themselves, respectfully disagree and listen to multiple perspectives are at the core of these conversations. Students also become reflective about the changes in perspectives and processing going on within themselves. This self-reflection process is an important outcome in a Facing History class- when students start to "think about their own thinking."

The assignment each week is to look for an incident or issue that reminds them of something that we're talking about in the course. Then, every Friday the students have to come with an 'eyes and ears.'

At the beginning of the scope and sequence, we talk a lot about identity, stereotyping, and prejudice. So students come up with connections such as 'I saw an article in the paper about the percentage of cars stopped in the all-white suburbs in Rocky River that have African Americans drivers,' and we discuss whether or not this is racial profiling. Or, a student saw a bumper sticker with a horrible slur against gays. She connected this to the prejudice against and the dehumanization of homosexuals.

Each Friday we sit in a circle. My job as the teacher is to have my hand on the rudder of the conversation and their job is to share what they've brought to the table and why. In listening to each other they really open each other's minds and expand each other's thinking. They can hear from each other much better than they can hear from us a lot of times. Those conversations tend to be where they really do start to see the connections. It's been an effective tool for us-not only in measuring whether or not they're internalizing and 'getting it,' but also in helping them get it. They help each other 'get it.'

As we keep introducing more concepts, we encourage them not always to do we/they. Try to find one for judgment-legacy-choosing to participate. Students' examples range from their own experiences in the mall, school, and work to international topics. They bring up the status of women in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and honor-killings. Last semester a big conversation piece in the 'eyes and ears' was the status of homosexuals in the U.S. and gay marriage. It runs the gamut.

'Eyes and ears' helps students understand complicated concepts, such as Universe of Obligation. (Defined by Helen Fein as the circle of individuals or groups 'toward whom obligations are owed; to whom rules apply, and whose injuries call for amends.')

Universe of Obligation can be a very complex concept for 17 year olds. They talk about the concept in the case study, but it never fails, sooner or later in some 'eyes and ears' a student is going to make the connection.

For example, in our physics class, one student blew the grading curve. There was a lot of anger at this girl who was ostracized by the other students. They decided she didn't belong in their class; she should be in the honors class. In the 'eyes and ears' circle one of the other students, Allison, said she realized that suddenly this girl was no longer in their Universe of Obligation and that the other students were no longer even kind to her.
Allison began to understand how a Universe of Obligation can change depending on a variety of factors in a given situation. The student who has been struggling with Universe of Obligation hears Allison tell this story. Maybe now this student is saying oh-now I understand how Universe of Obligation can shrink or expand depending on the dynamics that are going on in the group. It is fascinating to watch unfold."

Magnificat is an all-girls Catholic High School with over 850 students. Moira and her colleagues teach a 12th grade Facing History multidisciplinary elective course that follows the Facing History scope and sequence, with an emphasis on the moral questions raised by a study of the Holocaust. The teachers believe they have a unique opportunity to dig deeply into Facing History content and themes because they have the time and resources to teach Facing History in a multidisciplinary semester-long setting.