Why do I have to deal with this garbage?

[Darth Ruger]

I was helping my son with his reading homework (he's in 1st grade). There was a page of cartoon-type pictures on it and he had to fill in the missing letter in the descriptive word under the picture. Under a picture of a car was the word "c_r", and he had to fill in the missing letter. After a few of these, we come to a picture of a revolver, under which is the word "gu_". I was about to ask him which letter was missing from the word "gun", but before I could ask him, he crossed out the picture with a big 'X'. I asked him why he did that and he replied "The teacher said when we see a picture of a gun we have to cross it out because she doesn't like guns."

My jaw hit the floor, then my blood began to boil. How dare she bring her politics into the classroom and influence all these kids to feel and think the way she does? Who does she think she is?

He also told me that when she said this, it made him feel like he should get rid of his BB gun (the one I gave him for Christmas that he loves so much, and I'm teaching him to shoot). I was steaming at this point.

I calmly explained to him the hypocrisy and illogical thinking that this attitude demonstrated (as best I could to someone his age), and why it was wrong of her to tell kids these things. He pretty much got the point, and he actually felt better. We finished his homework and he went off to play with his brother. I sat there thinking to myself "Why do I have to deal with garbage like this? Why can't certain teachers leave their politics at home and just teach what they're supposed to teach?"

I went to speak to the principal about it today, but she was gone, and school is closed next week. So I'll have to wait another week to deal with this. But come the following Monday, they're going to get an earful.

 

[tc300mag1]

Good for you i would be right up there if it was me to ..

DR office had a thing last time that asked if i had guns in the house first time i put No of you Fing business and got nasty looks

Next week return visit same form again i put down no because I'm carrying it right now ...lol


This kind of stuff gets real old

 

[Sergeant Sabre]

Keep us posted.

 

[tcrocker]

Try contacting the NRA. I'm sure they can give you some advice. I know what you are going through. I've had some problems with the school here with guns and some other thing that I can't print on the web. (Rosa Parks) But your kids must go to school try contacting the board of ed they are prety handy at times.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I went to speak to the principal about it today, but she was gone, and school is closed next week. So I'll have to wait another week to deal with this. But come the following Monday, they're going to get an earful.

America was founded by people who stood up and did the right thing instead of continuing to take abuse.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

Teachers should keep all political and religous views out of the classroom. Just stick to the facts. No editorializing.

 

[Lupinus]

be polite and profesional. Don't be a pushover, but don't be mean about it either and unless they make you do it don't take off the gloves.

Teachers like this tick me off. I remember when I was in the first or second grade a class asignment was writing some rep about a landmine ban. Back then sounded good, teacher said it was a good idea to ban them, and we were peraded with examples of how evil landmines were.

In hind sight it was idiotic and no way in hell should they be banned. Teachers belong there to teach, not to indocrinate. If everytime a gun loving hunter teacher told kids everytime they saw a gun to cheer and saw a deer to go mmmmmmm they would be pink slipped faster than an underprivliged youth running from the police.

 

[Joey2]

Darth Ruger,

Home school if you can. Your son will thank you when he grows up.

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

Nail her hide to the wall, and please resurrect this thread when you have news to report.

 

[CubDriver]

This stuff goes on in college too. I have a lot of professors that will give their personal opinion like its fact, subdue any dissention in the classroom, and continue. One of my favorite professors would always state his opinion, and acknowledge that it was just that, an opinion. He would provide some support as to why he believed that it was the correct opinion, and then tried his best to represent possible opposing views. He didn’t always do the best job, but he encouraged us to go out and gather our own information, and make our own decisions. He also allowed open debate in class (as long as it was fact based, and not mud slinging). We need more professors and teachers like that!

 

[KIDGLOCK]

Dont forget the RED markers .Be nice but firm till its time not to be nice . Good luck

fight the good fight!!!!

 

[veloce851]

I would insist on an apology and retraction in front of the classroom. And accept nothing less.

If it were me... it would be a good thing that you get a week to think about it and formulate a plan of attack.

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

This stuff goes on in college too. I have a lot of professors that will give their personal opinion like its fact, subdue any dissention in the classroom, and continue. One of my favorite professors would always state his opinion, and acknowledge that it was just that, an opinion. He would provide some support as to why he believed that it was the correct opinion, and then tried his best to represent possible opposing views. He didn’t always do the best job, but he encouraged us to go out and gather our own information, and make our own decisions. He also allowed open debate in class (as long as it was fact based, and not mud slinging). We need more professors and teachers like that!

At least in college you have a choice of which classes to take, and presumably college students are adult enough to make up their own minds (though as a former adjunct professor I don't know if that is often the case). Children in public schools are hostages to whatever (I am fighting the urge to use an un-High-Road-like slur regarding a hot water bottle used as a feminine hygiene applicator as an adjective) teacher they get stuck with.

 

[cracked butt]

If the teacher wanted to play that way, after your kid crossed off the gun, you should have drawn a booze bottle and instructed your kid to insert the letter 'I' instead of 'U.' That might have been a fun way to screw with the teacher.

 

[kentucky_smith]

Darth Ruger,

Home school if you can. Your son will thank you when he grows up.

 

[mountainclmbr]

Socialism is a religion that believes that intellectual people in government are the only path to utopia. This teacher is violating government establishment of religion since I am sure the school gets federal funds.

 

[torpid]

Weird that they had a picture of a gun.
If he'd have drawn one himself, he'd be suspended in some schools.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

Please do not lose the impetus to follow up on this. What the teacher did is just plain WRONG (not to mention possibly illegal).

 

[mustanger98]

If the teacher wanted to play that way, after your kid crossed off the gun, you should have drawn a booze bottle and instructed your kid to insert the letter 'I' instead of 'U.' That might have been a fun way to screw with the teacher.

I must be missing something here because I have no idea what you're trying to spell.

Now, regarding the red pen... write up a report card on the teacher, much like the ones they do on the kids. Fail her on everything you can that has to do with this issue. Don't forget the comments sections... stuff like "does not work well with parents" and "does not stay out of parents' issues". Maybe give her an F- or "goose egg" on RKBA. Send a copy to her, the principal, the school board... why not even put it in the local newspaper while you're at it. I think it's not libel if it's not slanderous or scandalous and it's the truth, but check on that first. Bring it up in PTA meetings. Alert other parents to what's going on.

 

[Berek]

I must be missing something here because I have no idea what you're trying to spell.

G _ N = G U N or G I N

I thought that was funny...

 

[Euclidean]

Sigh... here we go again.

I'm not apologizing for that instructor. That is crossing a line and violating professional ethics.

All the same however, I too am an instructor in a public school setting and I too am made out of flesh and blood.

My aspiration is of course to never force a belief on my students, and I have plenty of mathematics to show them anyway so it's not like I have extra time to sneak in commentary.

Teaching is many things of course, but on a fundamental level it's establishing a personal communication between yourself and the learner. A little piece of your soul goes into everything you teach. The point I'm trying to make is that a teacher is a human being with foibles and imperfections like anyone else, and will insert their own shortcomings as a person into their teaching.

The best you can hope for is to curb excesses and try to be ethical. I don't think this teacher remembered to do that this time.

But at the same time, if a teacher doesn't put who and what they are into what they teach, what they teach has no passion.

At some point in life, we all have to learn to deal with someone who has authority over us who is objectionable. Not everyone in this world is going to share the values you try to instill in your children. They're going to have to learn to deal with those people and the sooner the better.

And look at it this way: someday this same child may wind up in my room and my viewpoint on the issue is the exact opposite of this other teacher's. That seems, in some weird way, fair to me.

The whole tone of this thread bothers me a little... the teacher's always the bad guy on The High Road in various threads I've seen. I read between the lines that some people are upset that the teacher is anti 2A not that they did something professionally unethical.

 

[cracked butt]

Euclidean- you make a good point that different teachers have different viewpoints. On the otherhand, teachers, especially gradeschool teachers have a huge influence on shaping a students viewpoints, at least at that point in their lives. This is a great responsibility and when a teacher steps over the line and abuses that responsibility, people are right to be outraged.

Imagine if you will that a 1st grader comes home and the parents find out that the teacher is having them wear Swastika armbands in classand having the kids salute a nazi flag before class, or worse yet, the teacher has them say a prayer to jesus every morning.

 

[Euclidean]

Is Outrage an appropriate reaction here? No one's even suggested talking to the offending invidual and saying "Look, what you are doing offends me please stop it." besides Lupinus.

Case in point, I have a habit of pointing at students who I want responses from. Well I get a call one day from the mother of a student who believes very strongly that it's wrong to point at people and she was very upset but explained her point rationally. I listened, apologized I offended her, and I just don't use that gesture in that period.

On a personal level I think that's ridiculous. However not pointing helps that student feel safer in the classroom because that's what those people believe in.

All I see here is "Gather the logs! Start the bonfire! The witch hunt is on!"

Give a professional a chance to right their wrong.

 

[campergeek]

Darth Ruger,

Home school if you can. Your son will thank you when he grows up.

+1, emphatically.

My wife is a former public school teacher. We always talked the line that schools aren't as bad as people say and that home schoolers are generally anti-social freaks. It took one year of our son in kindergarten to realize that we were wrong. Politically, public schools in general take a decidedly liberal bent - away from the values we want to teach our children. Religiously, the schools squelch our family's beliefs. Socially, a school is a place where irresponsible, selfish children learn to be responsible, giving members of society from other irresponsible, selfish children. Most importantly, academically we watched the spirit drained from our son.

We spent the entire year trying to work with the school, trying to find ways that we could work with the teacher or she could work with us to give our son the challenges he needed. At the same time we encouraged our son to engage in and enjoy school (never sharing with him our discouragement or promoting his). Finally, when we decided that our child was not progressing in a typical classroom, and when he didn't quite make the cut for a local school for exceptionally gifted children, we were in limbo until the teacher who tested him (for the gifted school) recommended home schooling.

Crow dinner eaten, we dove in and everyone is happier except the school that lost one from their head count. Whether your child is gifted, delayed or right in the middle, a school trying to feed a mass audience can never adequately meet the needs of one individual. If it's at all a possibility for you, just do it.

One day home schooled kids will rule the world. Don't let yours be a member of the serf class.

BTW, mine LOVES his b.b. gun and dreams of a day he can go hunting with me. Nobody's going to take that from us, although I've already started teaching him that some people want to.

 

[cracked butt]

Is Outrage an appropriate reaction here?

I think 'outrage' was a poor choice of words on my part, 'exasperation' would have been better for this case.
The teacher had no business injecting her personal views into her teaching.