By Steve Seepersaud
Keith Thompson, MSEd '06, sees political polarization in his classroom every day. Many of his students are unaware and uninterested in ideologies, or they strongly believe something but can't relate to those who disagree. To inspire students to be more informed and open-minded, Thompson knew he'd have to look outside the walls of Ithaca High School, where he has taught U.S. history and government for 18 years and psychology for five.
"In the U.S. in general, and as teachers specifically, we tend to get used to the ways we understand and navigate the world," Thompson said. "Real growth and innovation requires us to take a step back and question assumptions and see things from different perspectives."
That motivated him to apply for a Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching fellowship, and he was just one of 38 educators selected for the program. Thompson is in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he'll stay until June, investigating how schools in the United Kingdom help young people engage in challenging and meaningful conversations across racial, socio-economic and ideological lines.
"When I've talked to people, their response is usually, 'It must be exciting to be able to teach abroad!' Actually, the Fulbright is a research grant. As a teacher, you spend most of your time working with students, crafting lessons, reflecting and growing. It's rare to have the time, focus and funding to look at wider issues."
Thompson has been in Belfast for about a month, and has been making connections in schools and community organizations to learn how they've supported democracy and built a more united community. He's also taking courses at Queen's University Belfast. When he returns to Ithaca in the summer, he'll start to develop curricula he can share with students and fellow educators.
"Our understanding of democracy and how the world should work is changing quickly. This is a global issue and, if we share some of the same problems, we can work together on shared solutions," he said. "In Northern Ireland, political divisions led to riots, bombings and decades of terror. Yet through the hard work of a generation of leaders, it's now a more unified and peaceful society. While things here are far from perfect, I think they have a lot to teach us about how to approach a divided society."
Follow Thompson's Fulbright work at datteacherinni.com or on Instagram @datteacherinni.
