Originally published in TEACH Magazine, 75 Years of the United Nations Special Issue, 2020
By Nikita Griffioen
“What do you mean, we have rights as minors?” Thirty pairs of quizzical eyes met mine. Brows furrowed in confusion. “Aren’t rights made by adults, for adults?” I heard a student mutter. Even the most distracted of students gave me their full attention, convinced I was teaching about some mythical topic.
This was the response I received as I introduced my Grade 9 social studies class to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). I made the decision on a whim to dedicate one lesson to the UNCRC, thinking (wrongly) that it would be quick to cover before moving on to further topics. It wasn’t long before I realized that I needed to spend much more time on this.
Nikita Griffioen currently teaches in Abbotsford, BC. When she’s not in class, you can find her traveling, snowboarding, surfing, reading, or making art.
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