Democratic Engagement in Secondary Classrooms, McEnerny, Fall 2025

Course Number:	EDX 5710 S14
Instructor:	Monica McEnerny, Ph.D.
Location:	Online
Dates and Times:	Sep 22, 2025 - Oct 31, 2025. Zoom meetings will take place from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. on the following Mondays: September 22, September 29, Oct 6, Oct 13, Oct 20 & Oct 27.
Credits:	3 Graduate Credits
Tuition:	$1,195

Course Description

This course provides teachers with tools to encourage the preparation of secondary students for meaningful participation in their communities and civic spaces. Participants will learn about and study current initiatives that encourage civil discourse and constructive dialogue across the nation, with an emphasis on gaining resources that support voice and choice in classrooms. Teaching is examined as a sociopolitical endeavor with specific consideration of professional, ethical, and legal contexts. Participants will explore, analyze, and reflect upon social values and personal commitments and will explore teacher resilience, balance, and wellness. Attention will be drawn to educational agents, organizations, policies, and practices that move schools toward compassionate and inclusive environments. The course will culminate with a goal-centered advocacy project plan.

Audience: Practicing Educators and Teacher Leaders with an earned Bachelor's Degree

Course Goals & Objectives

Course Goals:

• Goal 1: Provide participants with tools to encourage the preparation of secondary students for meaningful participation in their communities and civic spaces.
• Goal 2: Provide participants with information about current initiatives that encourage civil discourse and constructive dialogue.
• Goal 3: Provide participants with the opportunity to examine the teaching profession from a sociopolitical lens.
• Goal 4: Provide participants with the opportunity to examine their personal goals and wellness strategies.

Course Objectives: What Participants will know and be able to do:

• Learning Objective 1: gain knowledge of the historical, political, legal, and multicultural foundations of education in the US with comparisons to other national and cultural settings;
• Learning Objective 2: acquire and develop strategies and resources that promote civil discourse and democratic engagement in classrooms;
• Learning Objective 3: determine a critical perspective regarding the role of social institutions such as schools, families, and youth in a democratic society; and
• Learning Objective 4: examine and construct a vision of one’s ethical self, with the goal of further understanding personal backgrounds and teacher wellness strategies.

Course Schedule

A detailed Schedule/Activities List will be shared with participants.  All work is due on Saturday nights at midnight.  Guest speakers will pop in as planned.

Week One:

Professor-Led Seminar:

Participants will review the Schedule/Activities List, Resources List, and Proficiency Tracker and choose to write weekly reflections on three resources of choice - depending upon their personal goals).

Week Two:

Participant(s)-Led Seminar:

Civil Discourse and Constructive Dialogue Discussion and Resources

Week Three:

Participant(s)-Led Seminar:

Center for Civic Education and discussion of other civic organizations.  Lesson plans will be created and shared along with crowdsourced items.

Week Four:

Participant(s)-Led Seminar:

Voter education and voter registration information, including connections to Fair Elections Center (fairelectionscenter.org) and Vote Early Day (voteearlyday.org). Participants will discuss what and ways in which to share in classrooms.

Week Five:

Book Reviews Share

Week Six:

Final Projects Share

NOTE: Final Project is Due October 31, 2025.

Required Texts

Required Texts are not included in the course tuition.

A detailed list with a limited choice of texts of various formats will be provided.  All materials will be relevant and timely.  Here are a few of our texts:

Marschall, C. (n.d.). The Power of a Democratic Classroom. Edutopia. Retrieved July 15, 2025, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/power-democratic-classroom/

February 9, 2021. (n.d.). PBISApps | Teach By Design—Supportive Environments Create Classroom Community. Retrieved July 15, 2025, from https://www.pbisapps.org/articles/supportive-environments-create-classroom-community

Contributor, J. B. (n.d.). What Does ‘Public Education is the Cornerstone of Our Democracy’ Really Mean? | NEA. Retrieved July 15, 2025.

Personalized Learning Plans | Professional Learning Network. (n.d.). Retrieved July 15, 2025, from https://pln.education.vermont.gov/self-paced-courses/proficiency-based-learning/practices-in-personalized-proficiency-based-learning/personalized-learning-plans

Staff, W. A. T. (2022, January 24). 10 Things About Childhood Trauma Every Teacher Needs To Know. We Are Teachers. https://www.weareteachers.com/teachers-help-childhood-trauma/

For additional course information

Monica McEnerny

(802) 989-8274

For additional registration information

Center for Schools Team

(802) 468-1325

Register Now!