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I've also taught Of Mice and Men, in addition to Huck Finn.
I did have one parent who disagreed with the teaching of it. That's okay, he was entitled to his opinion - didn't change my curriculum. I taught it at the middle and high school level. I also taught various volumes of the Chronicles of Narnia. I had a student who didn't think he should have to read C.S. Lewis, as he found it offensive to his religious beliefs. He was a behaviorally disordered student with Asperger's Syndrome, and from an extremely fundamentally religious family who firmly believed that he should not be assigned any reading that was from any source other than the Bible. He would have doubtless attended a private Bible school, but those available to him were unable to meet his special needs, so he did not. He'd have been out of luck if he'd wanted credit without completing the work, so it was a good thing he got over it. I've taught The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is a contemporary YA novel that is frequently disputed as an appropriate choice, due to its depictions of violence and addiction on Indian reservations, as well as content that involves strong language and adolescent sexuality (mostly references to masturbation or looking at girls, as the main characters are all teen boys). I assume that Of Mice and Men disputing dad would have also disputed it, were he even remotely familiar with it, but as it stood, he was not.
It really doesn't matter who challenges my curriculum choices, I've always freely chosen my curriculum.
Thanks for your input. Glad to hear your schools are supporting you.
I think that based upon the link I provided that most "objections" only total in the hundreds nationwide. In a country this big it just indicates we have some vocal whiners with some sort of offense jammed up their posterior.
I was uncomfortable at first about an assignment where I had to guess about our teacher's childhood to Adulthood. My Teacher was Indian. Most of our stories were partly correct.
One of them was very funny where she is Indian princess in exile and hiding from some guys. Her boyfriend is her bodyguard.At the end ,I thought it was fun assignment that we actually learned something.
The funny thing here is if the assignment were offensive to some other group besides a pack of rich white Christians there would be charges of micro aggression and possible protests on the campus.
Imagine if they had a book talking about a "grey area" sexual encounter and how they struggled with identifying it as rape....and then handed out F's to offended college students refusing to read it? Then told them not to be such sensitive snowflakes lol. Triggered! Micro-aggression!
Me personally, I think they should expand their horizons but the double standard of whom gets to be offended and whom doesn't is frankly ridiculous.
It is interesting and amusing to see some posters who would normally be siding with the perpetually offended taking the stance that people have no right to not be offended. They are in some cases making the exact same arguments that they so glibly dismissed when they were being made by groups of people they found to be unsympathetic. I guess it proves that they understood the arguments all along and just chose to close their minds to them. The notion that they are now using these arguments as a way of promoting open mindedness is pretty funny.
Sure, and why don't you just venture out of your left-liberal "bubble" and read Mein Kampf and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. That's essentially what your suggesting believing Christians should do when insisting they read gay porn.
Not a left liberal, not in a bubble. Just saying if you only want to learn Christian beliefs go to Christian college. Regular universities will not conform to your beliefs nor should they. I have always read things of a wide variety without fear of changing my beliefs and agreed or disagreed with them.
As for reading the books you suggest, I would not be afraid to read them if assigned to a class I was taking and then have discussions about it.
What's going to be next, book burning for books you claim offend you?
The world has gay people all over it. You will have to hide in your bubble to avoid them. I have worked with many and I can assure you it is not contagious.
You all seem to be missing that this is not a book assigned to a class. ALL incoming freshman are supposed to read it. And talk about it, argue about some issues, agree on some issues. Just like real life.
Labeled a “tragicomic” memoir, Alison Bechdel’s autobiographical novel "Fun Home" has been selected as Duke University's Class of 2019 Common Experience summer reading book.
My daughter did her undergrad at a Christian college and came out of much more of a liberal than when she went in because her very good professors and fellow students taught her to think and question what she believed. Republican conservative does not a Christian make.
Not a left liberal, not in a bubble. Just saying if you only want to learn Christian beliefs go to Christian college. Regular universities will not conform to your beliefs nor should they. I have always read things of a wide variety without fear of changing my beliefs and agreed or disagreed with them.
As for reading the books you suggest, I would not be afraid to read them if assigned to a class I was taking and then have discussions about it.
What's going to be next, book burning for books you claim offend you?
The world has gay people all over it. You will have to hide in your bubble to avoid them. I have worked with many and I can assure you it is not contagious.
I'm confused as to why someone would think that reading books would force you to believe in ideas you choose to reject. One's own beliefs must not be so deeply held, if this is the case.
You all seem to be missing that this is not a book assigned to a class. ALL incoming freshman are supposed to read it. And talk about it, argue about some issues, agree on some issues. Just like real life.
Labeled a “tragicomic” memoir, Alison Bechdel’s autobiographical novel "Fun Home" has been selected as Duke University's Class of 2019 Common Experience summer reading book.
My daughter did her undergrad at a Christian college and came out of much more of a liberal than when she went in because her very good professors and fellow students taught her to think and question what she believed. Republican conservative does not a Christian make.
I don't think anybody's "missing" it.
The initial link posted, which spurred the discussion, did not at all specify that the book was optional reading and not, in fact, assigned reading.
Much later in the thread, someone else posted a different link noting that nobody was required to read the book, which basically renders many points of the discussion moot.
A pointless fuss made over something for no reason whatsoever. As it turns out, then, NOBODY's "beliefs were compromised," in any way. Shocking.
I agree.
In addition, a good way to avoid false martyrs over this issue in the future would be to ensure that the recommended books on the voluntary reading list present a mix of socio poltical beliefs. I would like to see the entire recommended list. There is a chance that the faculty designing the list may only value the kind of "diversity" that reflects themselves.
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