Staff Ed: Teachers voice perspectives in classrooms
AP U.S. history is a class that heavily touches on aspects in the past. Many political views are shown in history and frequently involve students viewing the past from different perspectives. History teachers like Matt Kiedrowski often offer insight to their students about the different perspectives around a event.
January 8, 2020
Topics in politics keep rising, so do the voices of students. What students learn in a classroom strengthens their voice. When teachers voice their opinions they can inspire students to share their voice, respect others perspectives and put knowledge into their beliefs.
State of Arizona proposed the bill HB 2002, which prevents teachers from voicing anything that contains politics and other controversial topics. Other states have implemented these actions. The bill not only prevents educators from speaking, but it comes with a price to pay, being fired.
The First Amendment implements that an individual has the right to free speech. Teachers should voice their political views in class, it is their human right.
Everyone has their own beliefs. Teachers naturally have their own beliefs and being told not to share them can be difficult.
Preventing teachers from voicing their political views strips their human rights from them. The amendments provide protection and give power to individuals. Teachers are individuals, they have the right to share their views in class too.
Teachers sharing their political views can help students understand a current event. By bringing their views, teachers can create a spectrum where perspectives are respected. Having teachers share their opinions can be positive as long as there is an opposite idea so the topic is not favored to one side.
Using student views can cause teachers to look at the opposition, therefore, creating a diverse spectrum that can encourage students to be heard and respected.
Being open and honest among students about how teachers perceive a topic can eliminate obstacles. It can lead to better relationships between students and teachers. When teachers are able to speak on their political views, it breaks down a barrier between them and students.
Relations in a classroom are important, it can make a class more meaningful. When a teacher is willing to share what they believe in and have students engage as well, it would make a comfortable learning environment.
Students are the future, they are taught what they know now so they can be prepared. Teachers sharing political perspectives can help students feel assured of their facts. Students don’t want to feel like they’re being hidden from it all because they know what’s going on. Student don’t want to feel like teachers are keeping it as if they were too young to understand because students have a really important view they are willing to hear.
When students learn, they better understand a topic when the teacher gives a personal relation to it. Sharing political views can help students acknowledge and correlate information their views to understand.
When politics or any controversial topic are brought up in a class, it can make some students feel out of their skin. Having a teacher implement their views on the topic can cause students to perceive that the discussion is favored to one side. Students could feel that the teacher is being biased to whatever political party they belong to. Students that are on the opposite side of the spectrum from the teacher, could feel like they’re being taught biased content as well.
However teachers voicing their political opinion is not biased nor does it make students feel that they are being influenced. Even though they are sharing their views, they are not implementing that the student should believe in the same action. Teachers should talk about their opinions, it’s their right to free speech. Teachers should not have that right be taken away because of a topic being too controversial or political.
Teachers should share their political views. Firing a teacher because they are doing their job and putting power to their rights will only cause inconveniences. If every individual was given a right to speak up for what they believe in then teachers should too in their classrooms, of course with the consideration of other perspectives in the educational environment.
Gunnar Johnson • Feb 6, 2020 at 8:54 am
Great background information that accurately represent the main focus of the story. Good perspectives that show the pros and cons of adding teaches political views and personal views.
Isaak Sahulka • Feb 5, 2020 at 10:29 pm
The story here really takes a different side then what I am use to hearing. I completely support what the teachers are doing and this story really shows the bright sides to that. The story really turns my opinion on this subject.