Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed that almost the entire world is engaged in a geopolitical argument. Of course, I am referring to the Israel–Palestine conflict. Many teachers, including myself, feel that if students are old enough to experience something, they are probably old enough to learn about it. This issue is no exception. As an 8th-grade social studies teacher who regularly discusses current events and global conflicts, the Palestine and Israel conflict is not off-limits. My students have read articles and watched interviews from experts. Still, allow me to be the one to tell you: You do not have to do that.

There is an ongoing debate about whether teachers should have discussions about controversial topics. Conservatives have led the charge against teachers addressing these subjects. My opinion is not coming from this place because I feel like a teacher may be the perfect person to address such a topic. But to their point, a teacher may not be that person either. Teachers generally like to think of themselves as well-educated and well-read individuals who know enough to lead a class to an objective. But the truth is, not every teacher is equipped to handle every topic, especially not one as delicate as the Israel–Palestine conflict. If you fall into that category, then maybe your preparation for that particular topic should look different or you should avoid it altogether.

Just for the record this particular issue is one that even Ivy League schools are struggling with. If places like Cornell with in-house experts, significant financial resources, and some of the brightest students in America are having difficulty with this conversation a K-12 teacher can certainly be forgiven for not knowing exactly how to approach the subject.

There is a common saying among progressives: “Silence is violence.” However, it has become very obvious over the last few weeks that some people need to remain silent because they don’t know what they are talking about. Many clueless celebrities made fools of themselves with inaccurate posts or wishy-washy statements. The only difference between us and them is our failures at understanding the nuance of a topic usually happen behind the closed doors of our classrooms. But that doesn’t make the errors any less impactful.

One year I made an off-hand comment about the Jordan vs. LeBron debate during a reading portion of my 6th-grade class. I was lucky enough to have these same students as 8th graders. Inevitably the debate came up, and they mentioned my comment from the previous years… My comment was inaccurate and basically just an unsubstantiated opinion. This seems trivial when talking about an NBA debate, but every day teachers make that same mistake with actual important topics. Don’t let that teacher be you. Educate yourself on sensitive topics before you address them or don’t address them all.