Mr. Gaughan takes the tragic events of Colombine and uses them to influence his curriculum. While teaching the mandated materials, he takes the opportunity to encourage conversations about marginalized characters; he’s trying to teach empathy to his young students. He chooses books and projects that force students to examine their views on subjects such as racism and homophobia. Through these projects, he seeks to expose students to differences of opinion. In his own way, he’s trying to steer his students toward accepting and caring about each other. He views the Colombine tragedy as a wake-up call for teachers.
The contact zone idea is very interesting: taking important, controversial events and using them to make his students think in new ways. He calls this zone the place “where cultures meet, clash, and grapple with each other. “ This view is important. Beyond the purpose of engagement with controversial material, this practice opens the door to preparing students for life in the real world. This work serves a higher social purpose as well.
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