What is the purpose of Social Studies and why do we teach it?

For my field experience, I have been shadowing Mrs. Hanna, a seventh grade social
studies teacher at Springfield Middle School in Holland, Ohio. Although I was more or less upset
at the fact that I was placed in a seventh grade class, I recently realized that this is a great
firsthand experience for me into a modern class and teaching methods. I did have a few
questions: How much freedom is too much freedom? What makes social studies enjoyable?
What makes someone a good social studies teacher? Through both observation and conversations
with Mrs. Hanna and the students, I was able to find answers to all three of my questions.
How much freedom is too much freedom?
Within Mrs. Hannas classroom, the students are allowed a great deal of freedom, while
still maintaining control and order. Today, Mrs. Hanna was telling me about an activity on
Fridays where the students vote and decide a fun, yet educational activity to do on their free
Fridays. This gives the students a choice in their learning and studying, making it a fun and
interactive environment. Yet, there are some students that I was given the task to watch over and
make sure they are on task. So, yes, freedom and democracy is important, but control over the
class is necessary.
What makes Social Studies enjoyable?
Although social studies is considered one of the more boring or pointless subjects, the
students in Mrs. Hannas class seem to really enjoy the material. Whether it is attributed to the
teacher or just a growing interest in social studies in the youth. To me, social studies was always
the best subject and the most interesting, so watching the students be interested and active in the
class is very exciting.
What makes someone a good social studies teacher?
According to the article Beyond Personally Responsible (Patterson, Doppen, and Misco,
2012), there are three distinct categories of teachers. Those three being: Personally Responsible,
Participatory, and Justice Orientated. I believe that the most important and best category is
Justice-Oriented, who are those that try to change the current state of the world and stress the
importance of civic responsibility. This is the path I plan on taking when I become a teacher.

Patterson, N., Misco, T., & Doppen, F. (2012). Beyond personally responsible: A study of
teacher conceptualizations of citizenship education. Education, Citizenship, and Social
Justice, 7(2), 191-206