Should Teachers Hide Their Beliefs?
April 20, 2008
Every teacher that steps into a classroom brings with him a set of values, beliefs, and biases that he has formed throughout his lifetime. Perhaps the teacher is a Republican, a Catholic, an ardent environmentalist, a Red Sox fan, an avid outdoorsman, a member of the “911 Truth” movement, or a person who swears that music hit its pinnacle in the 1960s and has been on the decline ever since.
Whatever the case may be, is it OK for a teacher to express those views with his students? Or must teachers attempt to hide their beliefs in an attempt to reach out to students and families with differing values, beliefs, and biases?
It’s an interesting dilemma. On the one hand, it’s tough to expect teachers to shed major parts of their own identity for 1,080 hours each year. But due to the imbalance of power in the typical student/teacher relationship, it doesn’t seem fair to have students subjected to repeated pro-Obama rhetoric or “World Trade Center Seven was brought down by planted explosives” propaganda, either.
Is there a point at which a general consensus is reached, and at that point only, teachers can go ahead and express a belief? For example, anti-smoking and anti-drunk driving messages are OK, but “all people should be vegetarians” is not?
Also, does a teacher’s freedom to express his beliefs increase as the students get older, since they are in a better position to respond to it?
Teachers: where do YOU draw the line in terms of what can and cannot be expressed? Parents: would you prefer a teacher who hides or reveals his views?
Entry Filed under: Education, Elementary Education, Fifth Grade, Fourth Grade, Learning, Secondary Education, Students, Teaching, Third Grade, school. Tags: Education, Students, Teaching.
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1.
Q | April 20, 2008 at 7:45 pm
I see a big difference between stating your beliefs (“I’m a Republican”) and championing them (“all people should be vegetarians”). I see no problem with the former, although perhaps I might wait until asked.
2.
Q | April 20, 2008 at 7:46 pm
uh… I have no idea why the winky face showed up there. Not my intent.
3.
Jenny | April 20, 2008 at 8:27 pm
As an elementary school teacher I’ve tried to keep my thoughts on politics and religion to myself. I’ve talked with my students about various political issues (immigration is a big one for my students), but I try to avoid linking myself to a candidate or party – although I have bumper stickers on my car. I discuss things with them in as neutral a way as possible.
Other, less hot-button, topics I discuss and share my thoughts on freely – sports teams, music, hobbies, etc. It’s an interesting question and one that I think typically has to be addressed on a case by case basis.
4.
Liza Lee Miller | April 20, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I’ve shared with my students that on most things I will keep my beliefs private but that on big issues like slavery and Nazism, I’ll share my thoughts with them. But it is a hard issue — kids will ask me what I think about the current political candidates. I consider that private. I have heard teachers tell kids flat out that a certain political candidate is an idiot — I think that is wrong. If there families don’t agree, it puts the child in an untenable position. For older students, that may be okay but for younger ones (say below 6th grade), I don’t think it’s fair to them to be put in that position.
5.
eyeingtenure | April 21, 2008 at 7:38 pm
My favorite teacher in high school was the one who would rail against Bush during our work-on-homework time, and was not opposed to openly arguing politics at any level, especially the school board level.
As a teacher, I’m careful mostly on matters of race and gender. I don’t worry about sharing my preferences. However, I also encourage them to disagree with me — disagreeing means they’re thinking.
6.
ter | April 22, 2008 at 8:42 am
As a parent to a third grader who is increasingly interested in and aware of the world, I would prefer you share openly your thoughts with him! If we happen to disagree with ideas he brings home -it is just a great discussion/learning opportunity. I understand the dilemma as a teacher however and believe it would be essential for teachers to punctuate “hot topic” beliefs with statements of support for many different views. Isn’t that what this country is all about anyway?
7.
Jasmin Loire | April 24, 2008 at 10:05 am
I draw the line when I’m preaching. For the most part, I tell students that I’ll play devil’s advocate to their beliefs but that I’ll respect those beliefs of my students if founded on well reasoned thought.
The same applies from them to me. Every now and then, they’ll ask me, “But what do you believe?” I’ll tell them. And they’ll ask, “Why?” And I’ll tell them that as well.
This is on things such as the value of bottled water or what dietary restrictions I enjoy.
On the other hand, if it is a belief that will infuriate parents (I’m agnostic, for example) then I say “nonyabusiness”. They usually only asked so that they could share with me, anyway.
8.
Angela | April 27, 2008 at 7:42 pm
This was something I always struggled with as a teacher. I struggle with it now as someone who provides staff development TO teachers. I try to leave my personal beliefs out of things for the most part, figuring that my job isn’t to talk about me–it’s to encourage others to talk about their own beliefs and experiences. As a mom, though, I think I would be okay with a teacher sharing his or her beliefs with my older daughter….who can debate a bit more. The age issue offers an interesting angle.
9.
Blue Moon | April 30, 2008 at 11:09 am
Hmmm, I’ve struggled with this quite a bit myself. Being agnostic and a Democrat in a Bible belt red state doesn’t help much either. Mostly for that reason I keep my opinions to myself.
10.
Jeff | May 3, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I agree with the general trend in the comments that it’s OK to express your personal beliefs as long as you leave room for students to disagree with you. While it’s important to be professional, and especially important for students to feel comfortable expressing their own beliefs, a teacher who remains rigidly neutral on all topics risks appearing robotic and inhuman to the students. Being appropriately honest and real in the classroom has always seemed to me an important part of creating a healthy learning environment for my students.
Also, as a Red Sox fan who has spent many years teaching in Yankee territory in New Jersey and Long Island, the banter that goes with being a fan of something that the kids don’t like can also be an example to the students that it’s OK to disagree with the teacher sometimes.
11.
totally3rdgrade | May 16, 2008 at 9:34 am
Wow. This post has a spooky similarity to the discussion going on in my neck of the woods. Our discussion, at it’s core, is also about beliefs. Specifically, it’s also about the external constraints placed on the very beliefs that led led my wife into teaching in the first place (I’m the devoted husband of a third grade teacher).
I’ve spent 11 years watching my wife throw her heart and soul into educating kids in a Title 1 school. Because of the demographics of her school, it is not unusual to have to produce 3 or 4 different lesson plans per subject every day to accommodate the range of abilities that exist within the same classroom.
There’s also a neighborhood teacher’s supply store that we’ve single-handedly kept afloat with all of the special resources she’s personally contributed to her kids’ educational process. (Un-reimbursed, of course).
On top of that, she now has to try to apply that level of effort within the framework of NCLB, an externally imposed set of rules that arbitrarily censors what teachers can and can’t do for the actual kids in their rooms.
That final straw has created an underground cult.
It’s remarkably to me that my wife and other dedicated teachers now have to have clandestined meetings and have to find secretive ways to slip education into the school day. It’s as if meaningful, time-proven, constructivist educational practices have been outlawed.
Now, if teachers are to truly service the kids in their charge, they have to risk their jobs, their tenure and their retirement packages to overcome the destructive short-sightedness of a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
Quality teaching is now in the realm of a cult practice.
Why are we allowing this? I think its time to more forcefully say “Enough!” If you believe that you, as a teacher, know more about teaching and especially about teaching the kids in your own class than some beaurocrat who has never met you or your students, then let that belief be known.
The critical mass of support to get rid of the idiotic NCLB exists… if everyone will just speak up. Let that belief be known.