How do you navigate around activist teachers? (valid, assignments, university)
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Let me say this first off. I won't make this political, and I will not specify ideology; I will speak in generic terms so as to discourage flaming. Only respond if you can stick to the topic and my question.
Our friend's daughter is a high school senior. She wants to be an attorney someday. She believes she will be accepted at Cornell, Virginia, and Wake Forest. She is planning on majoring in history as an undergrad.
Here is the question. She has been warned by friends who have taken the same path that she will encounter professors with a very different ideology from hers. History is a subject that is especially open to interpretation. They tell her she will face this dilemma in taking tests: Either she will have to regurgitate the professor's political opinions in order to get a good grade; or she will stick to her guns, give answers which may be counter to the teacher's, and likely suffer grade consequences. One of her friends said it's best just to play the game, get along, then get out and fight battles that really matter. Had I had this dilemma as a student, I don't think I would have played ball. I would have probably taken my lumps.
In some cases, you don't have options as to the teacher. How do you navigate this potential minefield? Anyone?
This comes up a lot on the talk radio shows I listen to. Students have to choose between a rock & a hard place:
Voicing their opinions and getting bad grades because the professors disagree vs.
regurgitating or producing what the professor wants to hear in order to get good grades and get through school.
I can see both sides. On one hand, I respect a young person who has the conviction to speak up, with well researched opinions, even when her opinion may be unpopular. That takes a special kind of courage. But on the other hand, I've always valued good grades, so it's pragmatic to produce what the instructor wants. I tend to be the type to bite my tongue and choose my battles, choosing not to battle in a classroom with someone who holds my academic future in their hands.
I have heard that many colleges now have student groups starting up, for coping with exactly what you are describing. It would be great to have a small group of students who are all in the same class schedule discussion groups to process their reactions to the lecture that they can't voice in class. I might have seen this in Indoctrination by David Horowitz, or in other articles I was reading at the same time. Not sure which.
Make sure she also knows to keep up with reading history from other points of view, so that she doesn't just get that of the professor.
When I was in grad school for Social Work (a very biased field politically), I learned that I could write papers on my political opinions that differed from those of the instructor, if I convinced him/her that I was purposely writing to "explore all sides," to "play devil's advocate," or with the idea that having to explore and argue an opposing point of view can actually strengthen your original point of view. I never told the instructor flat out that I agreed or disagreed with his agenda; but just that I was interested in "exploring all sides."
Perhaps she can try to keep an open mind and decide what to believe after deliberating over the various opinions she hears and learns instead of being convinced at 17 that she has it right and her professors are all wrong-headed activists.
Let me say this first off. I won't make this political, and I will not specify ideology; I will speak in generic terms so as to discourage flaming. Only respond if you can stick to the topic and my question.
Our friend's daughter is a high school senior. She wants to be an attorney someday. She believes she will be accepted at Cornell, Virginia, and Wake Forest. She is planning on majoring in history as an undergrad.
Here is the question. She has been warned by friends who have taken the same path that she will encounter professors with a very different ideology from hers. History is a subject that is especially open to interpretation. They tell her she will face this dilemma in taking tests: Either she will have to regurgitate the professor's political opinions in order to get a good grade; or she will stick to her guns, give answers which may be counter to the teacher's, and likely suffer grade consequences. One of her friends said it's best just to play the game, get along, then get out and fight battles that really matter. Had I had this dilemma as a student, I don't think I would have played ball. I would have probably taken my lumps.
In some cases, you don't have options as to the teacher. How do you navigate this potential minefield? Anyone?
WRT history, the best defense for an ideologically-based argument is a well-deployed series of well-verified facts. The second-best defense is the understanding that history, like most human endeavors, has a variety of outcomes from people operating from a variety of motives.
Let's say, for laughs 'n' giggles, that you're a liberal professor decrying the Christianization of Hawai'i by Congregationalist missionaries. The professor (accurately) states that the missionaries did much to eliminate the original worship of the islands and (inaccurately) states that the missionaries "stole the islands" from the native Hawai'ians. The conservative and pro-missionary student can counter with the fact that the missionaries did not "steal" the land: they were given large tracts by the ruling Hawai'ians in gratitude for their service and out of a desire that the missionaries remain in the islands and raise their children there. S/he can quote from or reference the appropriate documents.
In either case, whether from the student's case or the professor's, the aim should be to find as close to the truth as history and distance will allow, and that means having an understanding of both sides' point of view -- or the multiple "sides," really, and understanding that each of them may have a valid point. That is NOT the same thing as saying they are equally valid or should be equally believed, but it does train the student to collect data, including data from people she doesn't initially believe, consider it in light of the historical evidence, weight it accordingly, and come to an honest conclusion.
In short, this teacher has great potential to teach this student to be a better historian: one who thinks for herself, who conducts original research, who considers data from multiple angles, and in short, acts more like a professor than like a student whose only job is to regurgitate the professor's point of view for the test.
This comes up a lot on the talk radio shows I listen to. Students have to choose between a rock & a hard place:
Voicing their opinions and getting bad grades because the professors disagree vs.
regurgitating or producing what the professor wants to hear in order to get good grades and get through school.
I can see both sides. On one hand, I respect a young person who has the conviction to speak up, with well researched opinions, even when her opinion may be unpopular. That takes a special kind of courage. But on the other hand, I've always valued good grades, so it's pragmatic to produce what the instructor wants. I tend to be the type to bite my tongue and choose my battles, choosing not to battle in a classroom with someone who holds my academic future in their hands.
I have heard that many colleges now have student groups starting up, for coping with exactly what you are describing. It would be great to have a small group of students who are all in the same class schedule discussion groups to process their reactions to the lecture that they can't voice in class. I might have seen this in Indoctrination by David Horowitz, or in other articles I was reading at the same time. Not sure which.
Make sure she also knows to keep up with reading history from other points of view, so that she doesn't just get that of the professor.
When I was in grad school for Social Work (a very biased field politically), I learned that I could write papers on my political opinions that differed from those of the instructor, if I convinced him/her that I was purposely writing to "explore all sides," to "play devil's advocate," or with the idea that having to explore and argue an opposing point of view can actually strengthen your original point of view. I never told the instructor flat out that I agreed or disagreed with his agenda; but just that I was interested in "exploring all sides."
Everything you said sounds good. I guess the hope is that all professors will be as open as yours. The fear is that some will be so extreme, they can't listen to logic.
Let me say this first off. I won't make this political, and I will not specify ideology; I will speak in generic terms so as to discourage flaming. Only respond if you can stick to the topic and my question.
Our friend's daughter is a high school senior. She wants to be an attorney someday. She believes she will be accepted at Cornell, Virginia, and Wake Forest. She is planning on majoring in history as an undergrad.
Here is the question. She has been warned by friends who have taken the same path that she will encounter professors with a very different ideology from hers. History is a subject that is especially open to interpretation. They tell her she will face this dilemma in taking tests: Either she will have to regurgitate the professor's political opinions in order to get a good grade; or she will stick to her guns, give answers which may be counter to the teacher's, and likely suffer grade consequences. One of her friends said it's best just to play the game, get along, then get out and fight battles that really matter. Had I had this dilemma as a student, I don't think I would have played ball. I would have probably taken my lumps.
In some cases, you don't have options as to the teacher. How do you navigate this potential minefield? Anyone?
That is very diffacult and I would not recommend it. First off her first semester in what ever college she chooses, unless she knows people at her university, will be completely luck of the draw as to teacher's ideologies. After or during that semester she can sign up with an advisor with similar political views and discuss individual professors with that advisor trying to navigate both professors and requirments (not an easy task). While this can work as I said in the begining I would not recommend it. This is because if she does cull teachers based on ideology chances are that she will be short changing herself out of some good professors. My advice would be take classes with the best most respected professors in your field regardless of ideology. Chances are you will learn much more from professors of a different ideology and if they really are the best professors they will accept and grade assignments on the quality of the argument and research not the opinion. On the other hand if she wants to coast through college dealing with more mediocre professors who agree with her on most things that is an option as well. However, be warned an undergradute education is much more than just a slip of paper and some numbers especially if said person want to go on to graduate school. It is more importantly what said person gains in knowledge, ability, maturity, and overall academic growth.
Perhaps she can try to keep an open mind and decide what to believe after deliberating over the various opinions she hears and learns instead of being convinced at 17 that she has it right and her professors are all wrong-headed activists.
Deliberating various opinons can work for ideas that lend themselves to it. Some don't however. For example, if a women's studies teacher even breathed an opinion about abortion, there could be no common ground there. You either think it's OK or you don't.
Why a woman's studies teacher? What about if a theology teacher or philosophy teacher or political science teacher breathed an opinion about it?
Regardless, you gave an example of history and that's what I was responding to. If you don't believe there are gray areas there, I don't think any number of responses here would make the slightest dent in your opinion.
Sir, she's a child. She may be an intellectually capable child, but a child nonetheless. In a few months, a very, very young adult. Her intellectual capacities, curiosities, and ultimately conclusions should be evolving during this time. If she is steadfast ideologically at age 17, and unwilling to hear the perspective of various intellectuals with whom she may or may not disagree, then frankly, she might as well go wait tables at Denny's. She'd be missing the entire point of college.
If she is as smart a young woman as you imply, surely she can digest the material, disregard whatever she deems to be invalid ideology, and ultimately strengthen her own beliefs. To the notion that history is "open to interpretation:"actually, it isn't. It's the process of learning straightforward facts based on the logistical analysis that we use in all forms academic research. Nothing more.
Further, the notion that academia is, in general, just this bastion of far left ideologues spouting DNC talking points is mostly propaganda. While it is true that most academics vote a certain way, it's important to appreciate the fact that these individuals did not choose to earn a PHD all with the master plan of brainwashing youth, or regurgitating an ideological perspective; they deal in facts.
I can understand your concerns from a philosophical perspective, but in the real world of academia, the student won't be expected to espouse a certain ideology. That's just propaganda.
I wish her luck, and hope she keeps her mind open.
Last edited by andrew2341; 03-23-2009 at 05:40 PM..
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