Disclosing Opinions

“Who deserved the credit for the end of slavery, President Lincoln, or enslaved people themselves?” I asked students at the end of the abolitionists unit. I expected mixed responses because we spent the unit exploring resources about abolitionists’ diverse efforts.  One of the goals I had for this unit was to dispel the traditional narrative that Lincoln single-handedly ended slavery, so I was surprised when most students said “Lincoln.” Without explicitly telling the students that I disagreed with them, I asked probing questions to clarify their  reasoning using evidence from class. Eventually, one student asked me directly: “Who do you think deserved the credit?” I paused. I wanted to share my opinion because I knew that would be a direct route to my goal of dispelling the myth of Lincoln as the “Great Emancipator.” However, I was not sure if sharing my opinion would put an end to student inquiry, especially considering my voice carried extra weight in the classroom and could be automatically perceived as “right”.