What I wrote to my kid's Chemistry teacher

[babydollhead]

my daughter came home from school distraught on November 5, she had left here that morning happy about the Obama win and came home saying, "He lied. Nothing has changed. Things are worse than ever" She said she was in your class and the kids were having heated arguments about Obama and that you told them, "We are not talking about the election. We are talking about U.V. rays" and as much as I understand your point of view I also see an opportunity to engage these kids in a conversation about this historic win, and the hope that comes along with reclaiming our democracy here at home, and our standing as world citizens. We need to talk to these kids about the important part they will play in the present and future of this, our only planet. They have been living in this post 9/11 country for more than half of their lives! They are cynical, jaded, unenthusiastic, reduced to passing PSSA's so much so that all of the other joys of learning, through Science, Art, Music, Literature, common decency, has suffered. I offer to listen and respond to them with you. Let's let them ask and vent and write down what is on their minds about the election and collect the questions and then hold a forum where the questions are acknowledged and answered, fears are calmed and more questions and conversations are borne.

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. Lucky it wasn't the English teacher

I'm just sayin'

:)

[Midlodemocrat]

27. No kidding. LOL.

[Texasgal]

33. OOOP! *zing*

:thumbsup:

[Cronus Protagonist]

35. Sorry, I couldn't resist it :)

n/t

[brentspeak]

2. I agree with the teacher

Had I been teaching that chemistry class, I would have said the same thing. Had I been teaching a social studies class, then I would have allowed a discussion about the election.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

18. I don't speak politics at school

I think the teacher was being professional about this.

[liberalhistorian]

44. I agree totally. My parents were both teachers

and, as liberal as they were and have always been, they always stayed professional and kept it out of the classroom. I can see where a history or social studies or current events class could legitimately do that, for that would be very much a part of what they're studying, after all. But not a science or English or math class, frankly. That's just not professional.

[donco6]

38. Me too. N/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

41. Me too

The teacher did the right thing. There's just no pleasing every parent.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

3. I Think The Teacher Is Absolutely Right And You Are Absolutely Wrong.

The teacher was 100% in the right by not wanting to inject politics into the classroom and stick to the class agenda. If you want your daughter to be educated politically and have her questions answered, then that's YOUR job to do, not her science teachers.

If you haven't mailed it or delivered it yet, rip it up.

[crikkett]

26. When I went to school in the 80s my teachers talked about politics

and critical thinking, and the meaning of 'freedom'.

Furthermore, my physics teacher talked about serving in the Navy, my Geometry teacher talked about law, my typing teacher talked about women's rights, my comp. sci. teacher talked about games, and my Algebra teacher, who was as bored as we were, talked about Brazil.

They were more than their curriculum, and they were allowed to be role models. I learned a lot.

[cobalt1999]

4. Isn't this a Chemistry class?

They SHOULD be studying U.V. rays.

[petronius]

24. Actually, that teacher should be fired

Discussion of UV radiation belongs in physics! :silly:

Seriously, I agree with the teacher. Discussing current events is great, but given the sorry state of science education in the US, I'd begrudge any time taken away from that curriculum...

[cobalt1999]

28. LOL.

Good one.

In the teachers defense, maybe it was a discussion on the ability of UV rays to break chemical bonds.

[brentspeak]

39. Right, or ultraviolet spectroscopy (n/t)

[realisticphish]

5. .... but it's chemistry class

i mean, it's hard enough to teach children with NCLB hanging over them, without allowing constant off-topic conversation.

I mean, hold a forum? on politics? in chemistry class?

[muntrv]

6. Memo to chemistry teacher: Obama's win means SCIENCE IS BACK!!

If you are one of those "intelligent design" people.....:spank: :spank: :spank:

[JuniperLea]

15. See my post #13

Are we really the only ones who get this? Shocking... disturbing!

[1awake]

7. nice thoughts, but the teacher was right. n/t

[gollygee]

8. In a chemistry class?

They are there to learn about science. I agree with the teacher.

[babydollhead]

9. they are being told not to talk about it anywhere in school

they are wound up and there is a lot of anger coming from the McCain supporting kids toward black kids and Obama supporters. She comes home and tells me that the kids are wound up and pissed. I understand that it was Chemistry class, but this went on in class after class and on the bus and in the cafeteria. There was a lot of fear and hate pumped into the kids of republicans. I am still hoping for a way to let them voice their concerns.

[realisticphish]

11. so write to the school board

ask for some sort of group discussions during class time in a different setting, or something like that. But they're there to learn about that subject, and it's not that chem (or bio, or math) teacher's responsibility to mediate a political discussion

[cobalt1999]

12. You are out of line and hopefully haven't sent the letter. n/t

[JuniperLea]

17. No she wasn't...

But she could have used the situation better... so could the teacher... see my post #13.

[cobalt1999]

21. Yes she was. n/t

Replied below.

[JuniperLea]

23. In your opinion...

I think my opinion is valid.

[IndyOp]

14. If it isn't being discussed anywhere in school, then I think you should take it to the principal -

or assistant principal - and ask about holding a forum of some sort. Maybe a writing wall on which people can write down their hopes for the future.

Chemistry class isn't the place. I teach science at the college level and I can promise that most science teachers aren't teaching science because they possess tremendous human sensitivity.

It might reassure your daughter to know that what she is experiencing is happening everywhere, to all age groups, and that it is going to take time to sort out. It is going to be better and worse and then better and then worse and then, finally, I think better.

:hug:

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

16. Then why did you write the chemistry teacher?

It didn't sound like he or she was concerned with anything other than teaching the students the subject he or she was hired to teach them.

David

[Midlodemocrat]

29. Well, that's a totally different issue than your OP.

[Sydnie]

10. I had a similar experience just before the election

but in reverse. My daughter's French teacher (who had already announced to the class that she was a republican early in the year) wanted to have a discussion about Obama in a derogatory manner. I went to school and did the opposite that you did. I demanded that the teacher stick to teaching French and leave the politics to someone teaching a history, sociology, or at the very least psychology class. I actually demanded a written apology from the teacher for her racially charged comments to the class and demanded that she stick with her lesson plans as written.


Good luck with that though.

[JuniperLea]

13. A good chemistry teacher

Would have used the momentum of the interest and asked the kids what in the way of science they thought might change with the advent of a new presidential administration. A short discussion on political policy and how it affects schools and science classes, a clever segue into the current study plan, and voila, everyone is engaged and happy.

I'm shocked at the lack of good teaching these days. Horribly shocked.

[cobalt1999]

19. No, a good chemistry teacher would keep kids excited about the planned curriculum.

A bad teacher would bounce around to a the daily hot topic.

[JuniperLea]

22. No matter how "excited" kids are about chemistry...

Something as monumental as this past election is bound to creep in.

My oldest is a chemical engineer... trust me, not all the kids in his classes were as absorbed with chemistry as he was. He would have been sitting in that class rolling his eyes and wanting the teacher to take control. Clearly this teacher was ALREADY out of control... my suggestion is valid in this situation.

[cobalt1999]

25. No, the teacher KEPT control

An "out of control" teacher would be discussing the election. A good teacher doesn't allow that.

[JuniperLea]

36. In your opinion...

Again.

In my world, the best teachers didn't "take" control... they finessed it. The hard asses who TOOK control LOST respect of the students.

[crikkett]

30. An Historic Election is a Little Bit More than a Daily Hot Topic.

These kids' world just went in an exciting new direction. What I think the Chemistry teacher did, was turn kids off to Chemistry.

[JuniperLea]

45. I think so too

And as a mother of a chemical engineer, who spent a lot of time with serious chemistry students, I was exposed to a lot of student chatter about what they did and what they did not like about their teachers... and later, professors. It's really like any other subject with regard to teaching. A teacher in high school can demand attention, but they can't demand respect. A good teacher can manipulate the conversation and redirect without being an asshole. Funny enough, kids tend to go for that sort of thing. Shocking, I know. I'm just happy that I never had many teachers like this! I was a daydreamer who was bored easily... I would have rebelled, no question... oh, wait! I did! LOL!!!

[babydollhead]

20. Yes. That's what I meant.

The teacher emailed me first to talk about my daughters lower grade and said it was from her missing so much school. My daughter was in a car accident and has missed school for tests ans tests to see why she has double vision and stomach pain all the time. I filled the teacher in on that and decided to mention the tension at school since the election in my reply to her.

[crikkett]

31. I'm sorry about your daughter, I wish her a speedy recovery.

:hug:

[Poiuyt]

32. What I'd like to know is what's Obama's position on intramolecular nucleophilic displacement

reactions of pi electrons??

[Dorian Gray]

34. It's Chemistry class

So what if he wanted to redirect them to chemistry!

[kiva]

37. If there is that much tension between the students in class,

there's no way the teacher should have encouraged that discussion in his/her classroom. As some people suggested upthread, having a special session or class, with specific ground rules (no racist slurs, no religious rants) sounds like a good idea. Also have to agree that class time really needs to be devoted to the subject--not nearly enough time to cover most subjects in class.

[Evoman]

40. No way....chemistry is way more important that a dumb, tense argument about Obama.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that kids should be discussing chemistry in Obama class too :D .

MORE SCIENCE. MORE SCIENCE. MORE SCIENCE.

If there is one thing people in this world are way too ignorant about, it is chemistry. And UV kicks ass.

[curse of greyface]

42. More science less yakking. The teacher couldn't be more right.

I'm pleasantly surprised by this teachers professionalism. Your daughter is lucky. She may learn some chemistry before the year is out.

[KitchenWitch]

43. I also side with the teacher on this one.

[RedCappedBandit]

46. What does an election have to do with chemistry?

Kinda like suggesting that intelligent design be taught in a science class (or at all, frankly :D ). if it ain't science, don't teach it during science! :shrug:

[Are_grits_groceries]

47. I taught and I would not have tried a discussion in a million years.

I might have them write down their opinions and collect them and tell them to remember
that everyone has a right to an opinion. I also might suggest that everybody check to
see if whatever they are saying is rumor or fact. That's as far as I would go.
I never would try to get involved in a political talk. I would have had parents and
God knows who else coming down on my head.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

48. Are you planning on giving any chemistry lectures at home any time soon?

Jesus fucking Christ on a bunsen burner.