Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Teachers Teach Opinion along with Curriculum

This is an interesting story about a couple teachers disrupting a graduation ceremony for students going into the military. Why this ok but a 3-minute prayer is is not? Everyone tries to lead you to believe that school teachers never insert their opinions about war, religion, politics, and etc into their classes but this is just one example of what really happens.

Teach the subject – hold the personal opinions for after class and school functions.

13 comments:

  1. they always have and always will. How can they not inject their personal opinions into the classroom?

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  2. I agree that they are not the same thing from the perspective that the antiwar protests don't involve religion.
    However, I think that the same arguements can be made. People didn't go to the graduation to be preached to and people didn't go to the graduation to be have a personal opinion of a teacher forced upon them either.
    I don't belive teachers should use their "pulpit" to attempt to push their views on the students. Teachers should present facts as facts and their opinions as a sidenote but also providing a balanced perspective. Don't spend all semester promoting or bashing one point of view.
    There is even a facebook page with many of one HHS teacher's quotes. Most of which are bashing all conservatives.

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  3. Is there a link to an article? I am not seeing one.

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  4. Sorry- I was checking this from my blackberry and it does not show video links.

    Technically, the teacher does have the right to assemble, which I believe is what she did at the graduation.

    And she was not forcing religious opinion on the students.

    However, I do think that political opinion follow in the same line and also should not be shared in a high school classroom.

    If the students had pointedly asked her, or saw her protesting after class and discussed it with her then, it would be a different story.

    As to Mr. Koffler's page on Facebook- that is more of a fun way for students to discuss a favorite teacher. If he is ever out of line or makes a student uncomfortable, I hope they would speak up.

    I remember in high school biology, a student spoke to a teacher that she was uncomfortable about learning about evolution and was allowed to miss that section of the class, but had to do extra work in equivalent to what she missed.

    A lot of teachers, even in high school, make off hand comments that can be hurtful to students. If a student is not comfortable talking to the teacher, they should talk to the administration. I think the school should have kept this teacher in check if she was really offending the students. She is entitled to her own opinion and beliefs, but not while teaching at a state funded high school.

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  5. I have to agree that our students shouldn't have to be subjected to opinions. What is our learning system coming to? Their frailty cannot be overemphasized and this mindless torture must stop in our public institutions now.

    Yep, you guys are a kick.

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  6. Why should our students only be subjected to liberal BS from the teachers Bill? I wonder if you would be ok with it if most of the teachers were spouting the right-wing crazy stuff insead of the Al Gore lies and the Hillary Clinton sound bites?

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  7. You don't even want anyone on here to have an opinion that is not in line with yours without a "you guys are a kick" bull let alone let anyone have both sides of an issue.

    You are like all the typical superior intellects that have the tenure guarantee so you can be a loon without losing your jobs

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  8. Havre Hillbilly....did I miss the blog where Bill said you couldn't have your opinion? You guys are a kick....You think all teachers are liberals trying to indoctrinate your prescious little cherubs into a corrupt world. It is a kick, you are all a little too paranoid for my taste.

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  9. Red and Bill,
    You guys are a kick, too. I'll go out on a limb here and guess that you two don't see any bias in the media, either. Oh, except for fox. If you don't have an actual discussion, simply try to belittle other opinions.
    I am just as opposed to the very small minority of teachers extolling the virtues of GW and bashing everything the might O says as I am the opposite. If GW would have had grade school students singing his praises, you would have thrown a fit-and rightly so. But when Obama does it, it's perfectly alright because it falls neatly within your beliefs.
    It is no more the role of the teacher to "preach" their political beliefs that it would be for an employer to do the same to their employees.

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  10. Thinker--You make me wonder who picked your name for this blog.

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  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  12. Willy,
    Since you haven't weighed in on the topic, I have to presume that you disagree with my views since you questioned my name on the blog.
    Thinker comes from the idea that I think for my self. I suggest everyone try it.

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