Fake News Starts Here!

Fake News — it’s almost become cliche. When kids in the classroom talk about things and dispute what really happened, they accuse one another of “fake news”. In my view, “Fake News” has been the most overused phrase in the last six months in much the same way the “Happy Song” was a few years ago. (see this.) That song started out as an entertaining, cheerful song, in a cotton candy kind of way, and turned out to be the theme of every commercial, sporting event, montage at the end of any sports game and the every five minute song in the mall. The over-saturation diluted its meaning. In much the same way, Fake News started as something that had a legitimate meaning, but the over-saturation has diluted the meaning.

I would be remiss if I did not add to the over-saturation. I feel compelled to let you know that I, on this very day, have found the origin, the genesis, the root of fake news. It happened on row one, seat 4 during 6th period. Currently a math high school teacher, I was engaged in a review of Algebra skills, and presented this equation on the board: 9y + 1 – y = 49. Don’t glaze over if you dislike math, this is quick. The young man kept insisting that his previous teacher told him to add the y to the 9 y, resulting in an answer of y =4.8. Of course, the answer is y = 6 because you combine 9y with -y before anything else happens. He kept interrupting and finally muttered under his breath, “It doesn’t matter, Mrs. Former Teacher told me the right way.” I should note that I am very good friends with the woman he is referencing, and I know good and well that she is an excellent and professional teacher. Of course, I want him to learn it correctly, and I asked him to indulge me and listen. Eventually, he saw that he was wrong.

Isn’t that Fake News? You convince yourself that you know what you know and you are not open to facts? I think the term “your truth” is the popular expression to avoid calling someone out for being either a liar or wrong. There is no such thing as “your” truth. Truth is truth. You can have your own perspective, but not your own truth.

Fake news doesn’t allow for learning another point of view. Fake news doesn’t allow for the possibility of facts that contradict your beliefs. Fake news is a blight on society that encourages us to be closed to learning, to exploring and to critical thinking. These are all skills students need to be successful. These are also skills adults need to be successful citizens.

So, over in my classroom, I am working to eliminate fake news, whether it is a student misstating math procedures and claiming their teacher told him that was the right way or whether it is in a class discussion on a different topic. Listening is a skill. Truth is a maxim, not an opinion. Let’s work toward modeling good behavior so we can eliminate fake news. I don’t have to like your opinion, but I should listen and weigh what you say. We can even disagree without being nasty or characterizing each other with names and labels.

For me, I’m starting here. I’ll listen carefully to your opinion too if you want to put it below.

Fake news can stop here too. 🙂

First published April 7, 2019