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I think diverse viewpoints are valuable across many disciplines. Just look at Einstein and his thinking versus his peers. I am a special education administrator and some times college proffesor. I've spent the last week in and out of teaching moments that literally drip with passion--trying to teach teachers more effective strategies for working with kids. I want them to be excited about what they're doing for the kids. If you lack passion in that area--well, the research based strategies only go so far.
This came up in another thread, and I thought it was a question worth pursuing:
Do you believe that a teacher's values and/or opinion have a place in the classroom?
This is what I wrote in the other thread:
Yes, as long as its not in the form of preaching and as long as it includes a meaniful debate with the students and as long as it is presented as an opinion and not fact.
I know I have had many teachers in college with a problem of doing that.
I think diverse viewpoints are valuable across many disciplines. Just look at Einstein and his thinking versus his peers.
I think this is the key difference between the humanities and the natural sciences. In science, there may be differing viewpoints at the cutting edge, but the views are necessarily experimentably verifiable--and nothing taught in primary or secondary education falls into the cutting edge, despite what anti-science zealots might claim(I'm not saying in any way that you are such a person, but that this is a major issue in introductory science education today). In history, psychology, economics, etc, there are too many variables for most ideas to be properly validated, and therefore differing viewpoints are more valuable at the introductory level.
I don't think separating academics from opinion is ever possible, but teachers must acknowledge it for what it is. In my high school classroom I let students know what my opinions are and then tell them exactly which teachers on campus would disagree with me. They can always go and talk to those teachers for a different perspective. I think being in the midst of a controversy of some kind helps to motivate many students to mentally engage in the material.
I have a problem with teachers who do not acknowledge opinion. I found one freshman health teacher who was secretly using materials from James Dobson's Focus on the Family - WHAT IN THE HECK??? He was passing this crap off as scientific truth. I would have no objection if he had used Dobson along side material that espoused the opposite viewpoint regarding premarital sex, abortion, and homosexuality.
I am an English teacher with some Theological background. When I teach American Lit. to Eleventh graders I always give them some Christian Theological overview. It isn't possible to do it accurately in any other way. Early American Literature is ALL ABOUT Theology. Freedom of Religion is not Freedom FROM Religion. That just isn't possible.
I don't think separating academics from opinion is ever possible, but teachers must acknowledge it for what it is. In my high school classroom I let students know what my opinions are and then tell them exactly which teachers on campus would disagree with me. They can always go and talk to those teachers for a different perspective. I think being in the midst of a controversy of some kind helps to motivate many students to mentally engage in the material.
I have a problem with teachers who do not acknowledge opinion. I found one freshman health teacher who was secretly using materials from James Dobson's Focus on the Family - WHAT IN THE HECK??? He was passing this crap off as scientific truth. I would have no objection if he had used Dobson along side material that espoused the opposite viewpoint regarding premarital sex, abortion, and homosexuality.
I am an English teacher with some Theological background. When I teach American Lit. to Eleventh graders I always give them some Christian Theological overview. It isn't possible to do it accurately in any other way. Early American Literature is ALL ABOUT Theology. Freedom of Religion is not Freedom FROM Religion. That just isn't possible.
See, I tell my students at the beginning of the year, "I will argue both sides of a question or an issue, and I will do so (to the best of my abilities) with equal vigor. Whatever you assert, I'm going to be opposing it, not because I necessarily believe or disbelieve, agree or disagree, but because I want to be the whetstone against which the knife of your mind is sharpened. You'll have to tell me WHY you think so, what your data is -- and if you come to change your mind, that's up to you: you still won't know if I agree with you or don't. The point is to think for yourself, not to parrot what I think."
To the best of my ability, I try to follow through with that throughout the year, and to allow students with "unpopular" views to say why they think so, or to debate one another. I try to ensure that different sides are allowed to have a voice in my class without feeling that they have to adhere to what I say. I've had my mind changed on many an occasion, which is delightful.
A skillful teacher can/will teach students how to think critically for themselves, and in my opinion it's actually better for a teacher to have strong opinions and lead the students to understand all sides of the matter so that they can form their own basis of thought.
Values are a different thing insofar as I think a teacher should keep their religious values out of the classroom and remain neutral (while in the classroom).
An educated opinion is a valuable thing, as well as critical thinking skills. But when personal values come into play it often leads to judgement rather than open-minded, unemotional, rational and reasonable thought.
See, I tell my students at the beginning of the year, "I will argue both sides of a question or an issue, and I will do so (to the best of my abilities) with equal vigor. Whatever you assert, I'm going to be opposing it, not because I necessarily believe or disbelieve, agree or disagree, but because I want to be the whetstone against which the knife of your mind is sharpened. You'll have to tell me WHY you think so, what your data is -- and if you come to change your mind, that's up to you: you still won't know if I agree with you or don't. The point is to think for yourself, not to parrot what I think."
To the best of my ability, I try to follow through with that throughout the year, and to allow students with "unpopular" views to say why they think so, or to debate one another. I try to ensure that different sides are allowed to have a voice in my class without feeling that they have to adhere to what I say. I've had my mind changed on many an occasion, which is delightful.
Looking back, this is exactly how ALL of my very best teachers were. Well stated!
I can look back to other teachers whose classrooms were based on their own opinions and values, and....eh.....teaching one side of things, no matter how well you teach, is not very useful to an education.
Critical thinking and reasoning are the most important things kids need to get from an education. I also remember the teachers who did not teach us to think at ALL- you know, the classes where you just had to memorize information and regurgitate it on tests.
I had a college professor who proclaimed to be a former hippie, very free spirited and liberal....and his classes consisted of him doing nothing but spewing his one sided views. I consider myself to be liberal so he didn't offend me in that way but I didn't learn much from the class because he didn't challenge me or open my eyes. It was just so one sided. The class would have been better to have been taught by someone who never let you know what their own views were but challenged you to think for yourself. He would actually argue you down if you disagreed with him. So, he had a reputation for arrogance. It was a pop culture class. It should have been one of the best opportunities for learning a lot, actually, there was so much potential within the subject matter. I had a women's studies professor who was excellent at helping you delve deeper to work through your own views.
Offering both sides of an issue is always something you want to TRY to do, but we shouldn't kid ourselves here. If you have an opinion on an issue it will rise to the surface of your presentation of "both sides." It may be very subtle and in ways that you are not aware of. Would you like to hear an Israeli Zionist present the Palestinian side of the coin? Would you like to hear Donald Rumsfeld present the anti-war case?
Opinion is fine. I just think it needs to be acknowledged. I find it dangerous when I come across teachers who feign objectivity with the intention of luring young minds into their camp. I think it is better to say, "Well, this is my opinion. Take it or leave it. You can find another one when you talk with someone else."
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