This week, James Corbett who has taught at Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo for over 20 years, was found guilty of "disparaging Christians," in his classroom, against the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Corbett is said to have referred to "Creationism as 'religious, superstitious nonsense' during a 2007 classroom lecture," in his 2007 AP Euro class. Student Chris Farnan then filed a suit against his teacher for allegedly "promoting hostility toward Christians" and advocating "irreligion over religion."
Corbett is said to have referred to "Creationism as 'religious, superstitious nonsense' during a 2007 classroom lecture," in his 2007 AP Euro class. Student Chris Farnan then filed a suit against his teacher for allegedly "promoting hostility toward Christians" and advocating "irreligion over religion."
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/corbett-religion-court-2387684-farnan-selna
Do you believe that as a teacher, you should have the right to state your beliefs in the context of a classroom lecture? Or, is it our duty as teachers to strive to provide a biased free education?
I was troubled by this question because in the college setting I feel that this would absolutely be a non-issue. What do you think?
This is a really good topic...It's something that we will all be exposed to, and something we will have to be aware of in our classrooms.
ReplyDeleteIt is my belief that while teachers should have the freedom to live their lives as they wish and believe what they do, it is our duty to provide a classroom that is not bias. We are there to help shape students' minds, but not mold them. We want to give students as many opportunities to decide for themselves as we can, but I think that this particular teacher went to far.
I agree with Katie. While everyone has the right to believe what they want, a teacher doesn't have the right to call what some kids may believe in 'nonsense.' Our job is to open our students minds to multiple perspectives, stay unbiased, and not put one belief over that of another. While teachers may feel passionate about what they believe in, it is not in their right to make another belief not as important or demean it. While students should be encouraged to share their beliefs and talk with others, one shouldn't be held to higher importance than another. I would hate to see this happen in the classroom against student from different cultures, religions, etc.
ReplyDeleteI agree that teachers should aim to create a classroom environment that is unbiased. I believe that the point of teaching is to give students all the information they need to form their own opinions. If teachers are calling students' beliefs "nonsense," they are not only demeaning that belief, but they are discouraging students from forming their own opinions.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I need to say that I was speechless when I read this blog because CAPO High is one of my "hometown" schools! Anyway, I think that even though teachers have every right to believe what they want to, they need to be careful in how they are promoted in the classroom. If a teacher's goal is to promote a non-bias setting where all students are not afraid of expressing themselves, then I think that it is critical for teachers to insure that students don't feel scrutinized by their own ideas and perceptions about certain issues like religion. I think that if in this situation the teacher would have been more cautious of what he promoted in his classroom and posed his personal opinions, but in some way heard that of the students without judging what they had to say, than he could have probably avoided this whole mess.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is our job as teacher's to keep an open mind and keep are private lives at home. We need to show are students that their are many types of religions and we need to respect them all. I feel in college more professors can get away with this kind of thing, but I still think it is not ok. We don't want to make the students feel that their religion is bad or not right.
ReplyDeleteI think that there is a very fine line between what is acceptable and what is not acceptable for teachers to say in the classroom. My feeling is that as teachers our job is to instruct and educate students and help them grow in their learning and understanding of the world, not push our own views onto them or make anyone feel inferior for believing a certain way. If there is ever a time in which you want to express your personal beliefs to your class (or feel it is an appropriate time to do so) you should go about it very tenderly and let the students know that this is how you feel but you realize there are many different viewpoints and beliefs in the world. Telling his students that Christianity is a bunch of religious nonsense was in no way appropriate or well-stated. Teachers always need to be careful about what they say to their students; lots of things can be greatly misconstrued!
ReplyDeleteI think that this was a troubling article, and this is definitely something that I worry about. I think that teachers have to be so careful today because people can often misinterpret something and become offended. Teachers need to be diplomatic if they are presenting a sensitive topic, and students need to also have a sense of diplomacy about them as well. The college setting can be different, but I think at every level teachers need to be aware of what comes out of their mouths. It takes one word or sentence to offend someone in the manner that teacher from the article did.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we can not judge teachers for what they believe in and teachers are allowed to have an opinion and their own beliefs. The classroom is not a place to share those beliefs. Teachers have a responsibility to their students as role models. They can not influence their personal beliefs. Young children are vulnerable to new ideas, but in college students are adults and more able to stand up for what they believe.
ReplyDelete