you know, as a teacher, NONE of my students know my politics I am amazed some teachers are

[greenbriar]

so blatent about their politics with their students.


It is not my place

[greenbriar]

1. see this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x911844

[dsc]

2. I think it depends on what you teach

A government teacher I can see but a science teacher I don't think so.

[greenbriar]

3. I teach Govt...I raise issues on both sides

and really try to stay neutral

[dsc]

9. I think either way is acceptable

I think one part of a government class can be debating people who believe the opposite of you can be a good thing. That said, I think keeping your politics out also is good. I just can see a justification here where I wouldn't in most other subjects.

[ulysses]

10. the really fun assignment

is to have an in-class debate on topics in the news, let the kids pick the topics (middle schoolers will go for the hot buttons) - and then assign them a point of view to defend randomly, no matter their actual beliefs. I did that a couple of years ago and it messed with them in large ways, but they got more out of that one unit (and it took more than a week to prep and do) than most of what I did that year.

[dsc]

11. that is why I liked Model UN so much

We had to represent the country we were accurately. I was Afghanistan one year while the Soviets were in charge, which was a blast.

[wildhorses]

4. i think intelligent design comes in thru the back door as an

opening for discussion in science classes:shrug:

[Sanctified]

5. Growing up I never knew the Politics of any of my teachers.

Yeah some of them were hippies but they never talked about there political beliefs. Although I did have a really cool Civics teacher who taught the class how to read a search warrant and how to defend yourself from the Government when they perform an illegal search and seizure, I think she was a Democrat but not positive.

[northofdenali]

6. No teacher should put politics into the classroom,

unless it is in the form of a discussion with the students, and then I feel the teacher should try to maintain objectivity.

If, say, a science teacher should come out with anti-evolution, "intelligent design" bullshit, offended students (and there would be a LOT of them, kid's aren't dumb) should tell the folks, then go to the principal. Ditto a math teacher who brought his/her Bible into the classroom, unless it was to help figure out how many feet is in a cubit....

Objectivity teaches. Bias doesn't.

[ulysses]

7. kids have asked me.

I had one assume I was a repuke because I'm white. It was a teachable moment. :D

[dsc]

8. I have been asked as well

I generally will answer that I am a Demcorat but not go into great detail. Like you, as a white person I am sometimes assumed to be a Republican.