Seeing & Teaching The First Amendment in an Authentic Way

The First Amendment. When I said these words to my journalism class last school year I saw their eyes glaze over. I could practically read their thoughts: "Oh no. Can't we just WRITE? I really wanted to use a press pass today, and a recorder...".

Unfortunately, my journalism students seldom connected the First Amendment to our newspaper. This may seem crazy, but their concern was always reporting what they could, not questioning what they could not (according to administration). Part of this problem has been me. My approach to teaching about the First Amendment has been dry; it has deserved the glazed eyes and unfocused thoughts. However, Ken Paulson of the First Amendment Center enlightened me today about not only the amendment itself, but also about how to approach it as a topic in my own classroom in an engaging and fun way. I feel empowered and ready to approach the First Amendment in a much more authentic way when I return to my classroom in September. Thank you Mr. Paulson.

Amelia Wolfe Wright
West Morris Central High School
Chester, NJ