Democrat? Republican? No.

By: Jennifer Veatch

Teachers should separate their political views from the classroom. A separation should be maintained because it can bias students and prevent them from developing their individuality.

“Some students take their lead from teachers and we should not teach students how to think,” social studies teacher Vaden Fowler said. “We are in the business to let students create their opinions and their own conclusions. We are not here to make them smaller versions of ourselves.”

We value individuality and opinions in our culture and teachers expression of their political views would create unity.

“The effect of teachers expressing their political opinions would create social unities,” junior Drew Bowers said. “For example, in the ‘70s with The Wave when a teacher expressed his own political views. It created unification especially with the more impressionable high school aged students.”

If a teacher expresses a political opinion that someone strongly disagrees with, it can cause students to lose respect for the teacher. Respect plays a huge part in the relationship between students and teachers. After a teachers expression of their political opinion it can hinder learning in the classroom.

“No one ever wants their opinions to be shot down,” Bowers said. “A lot of teachers and students are very adamant about their opinions and two clashing ideas can escalate and cause arguments.”

Whether or not a student is influenced depends upon how they view the teacher. The teacher’s political view may also differ from parents’ ideology and that has the possibility of conflict.

“It depends on how the student views the teacher for whether or not they are influenced,” Fowler said. “Some see teachers as authority and other students take what the teacher says and measures it with other standards. It is only part of the recipe and not the whole thing.”

When teachers express their opinions it may lead students to worry about how the teacher views them or if their grades will be affected if they have a differing ideology.

“You are in class to learn and in the past I have had teachers with conflicting views,” junior Harry Garrett said. “Teachers are trained to view everyone equally and if a student expresses their political view the teacher needs to be open to what the student has to say. You can always learn something from what others have to say.”

Political views should be open for discussion in class when they are relevant only after all students have had the opportunity to form their own opinions prior.

“The whole purpose of school and class that allow discussion and sharing of opinions is for the growth of the teacher and students,” Fowler said. “Everyone has the ability to learn. Teachers as well as students can learn. We should be welcoming of others opinions and share them in a matter where the child is not demeaned because they have a different opinion.”

A teachers expression of their opinion can lead to a student feeling singled out.

“Students would feel singled out especially with today’s concern,” Bowers said.

Conflicting ideas can have the ability to evoke new ideas for a student as long as they are open minded.

“If a teacher expresses political views that are liberal when a student is conservative it allows to the student to learn and further develop their own ideology,” Garrett said. “Opposing ideas can create new opinions.”