it’s a web log

The Moral Responsibility of Teachers, or, Reason 1356 Why I Will Homeschool My Children

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:50:52 -0400

I came across an interesting bit of news on a blog called “Modestly Yours”. From what I can tell, it’s mostly a collaborative effort with many women submitting opinions, reactions, advice and other tidbits about modesty in clothing, dating, media, and society in general. The article that got my hamster running on his wheel is about the responsibility of teachers as role models. The post is asking a question that I think a lot of people don’t give much thought. Are teachers role models, and if so, what does that actually mean?

I think this is a great question. I’m glad you asked. Read this, then this. Ok, let’s discuss.

It seems to me that the answer is obviously yes. Honestly, it surprises me that anyone would try to argue otherwise. I have a hard time trying to believe that dress codes and expectations of language and behavior are to ensure a comfortable work environment for the other teachers. Teachers must be careful with what they wear, how they act, and what they say for the simple fact that kids notice everything and in a lot of cases, accept the actions of their respected elders as canon on how to behave. I wholeheartedly agree with the conclusion of the Modestly Yours article - like it or not, it’s an awesome responsibility.

And this incident doesn’t even begin to address the parents who rely on the school system for more than just education. The Onion recently published an article titled “Increasing Number of Parents Opting to Have Children School-Homed” It’s funny, and I appreciate the way it playfully mocks the homeschooling community, but it also contains uncomfortable amounts of truth. With parents continuing to step back to leave it in others’ hands, who is transmitting values and morals to children? Dale Wallace from the Calgary Beacon makes an interesting point:

“As well, many educational theorists have argued that teachers and education in general does not set moral standards; rather, they simply imitate what those standards are in a society. So what goes on in schools is simply a reflection of what goes on in society.”

There is a lot of truth to that statement. In the context of religion, schools do not tell children to believe or to not believe in God, or in which, if any, contexts sex is right or wrong. But schools do emphasize some of the morals upheld by society, such as honesty, integrity, and cooperation. Schools also punish lying, stealing, plagiarizing, and vandalism, much like the law will when children grow up. In Massachusetts, where gay marriage is the law of the land, schools use books about same-sex parents all the way down to kindergarten classrooms. Like Wallace points out, it is merely a reflection of what is already a standard.

That brings me to my next point rather nicely. Parents DO expect morals to be transmitted to their children at school. Parents who are uncomfortable with their children learning about having two moms or two dads pull them from the public system and put them in private school. Often times, the schools have a particular religious affiliation where they can guarantee transmission of a certain set of values and morals. (Whether it is done effectively or not is another matter!)

Personally, I am uncomfortable with this denial of responsibility of teachers. The overall tone of Wallace’s article is one that dismisses teachers of their responsibility. As for the particular situation in Canada, if we are going to be scrupulous, I’m willing to bet you have to be 18 to get a lap dance, therefore making it totally inappropriate for those teachers to simulate the act in front of children. Moreover, simulating any kind of sex act in front of children is scandalous and inappropriate in a school setting. Should they be fired? I don’t think so. It was remarkably bad judgement, but we all make mistakes. The school system is recognizing the importance of the teachers and is punishing their bad behavior accordingly.

If nothing else, I hope these kinds of incidents cause parents to question what they hope their children to learn as opposed to what they actually are taking in. I firmly believe that it is a parent’s responsibility to instill their kids with good morals and a strong faith. I also firmly believe that I can teach my children way more effectively than a massive school system. Why would I place my children in the hands of a system that denies the responsibility of it’s role?

Status Update

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:06:14 -0400

I have enjoyed Chuck’s “My Week in Review”, so I am going to adopt that kind format to give some updates.

- I have kind of lost steam with project 365. I missed a lot of days in June and now a bunch in July. I will probably get around to uploading what I have, but it’s not at the top of the priority list. I enjoy the project, but some days I really run right to the end of the day and before I know it, it’s 12:30am.

- I bought an erg (Concept2 Model D).

- I hit zero home runs in the home run derby. I suck.

- In lieu of hitting home runs, I ate two helpings of Famous Dave’s.

- I cracked the screen of my iPhone. I have insurance and I will be getting it back soon, but for the next 3-7 business days, I’m stuck with the LG Shine. I hate it. It is SO hard to use. I have a newfound love and appreciation for the iPhone.

- I watched Run Fatboy Run. It is absolutely hilarious while still very poignant, and it stars Simon Pegg. Win all around.

- I went to French Creek State Park. It was lovely to get out of the city and enjoy nature. I plan to do that a lot in the future, possibly with staying overnight, other people and fire.

I have had a lot to think about recently and very little time to properly digest it. Hopefully I can post some of those thoughts here if I manage to sort them out.

Be Satisfied With Me

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 02:38:37 -0400

I’m not really sure where this comes from. I got it from a quarter sheet print out that was given to me by the Sisters of Life. It’s not on a holy card. The text is attributed to St. Anthony, though it does not cite a particular document or piece of writing. I don’t think this is a mystical conversation with God, rather what St. Anthony, in his holy wisdom, imagines God would say. With texts like this, I don’t think it really matters which document or letter it comes from. The message is so powerful that even if St. Anthony didn’t write it, it would bear the same weight.

This is a beautifully hopeful and uplifting text.

+M

Viva La Vida

Sun, 31 May 2009 00:55:41 -0400

Coldplay’s song “Viva La Vida” off their fourth album Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends has been lingering on my conscience for the past two weeks. I got it stuck in my head after I downloaded a free copy of their live album. Usually, I only listen to Coldplay on rainy days because the two albums I have are so overwhelmingly quiet and suited to the grey weather. That’s a more polite way of saying that their music is kind of depressing.

Truly, “Viva La Vida” is a good song, so I shouldn’t feel strange that have it stuck in my head. It won the Song of the Year award at the 2009 Grammy awards and this is the first time I’m paying attention to it since I heard it in the iTunes TV spot. Sidebar, the music video is weird and I don’t like it.

But it’s not the tune that is weighing heavily on me. The lyric “For some reason I can’t explain I know St. Peter won’t call my name” has been really irking me for the entirety of the two weeks. Here is my attempt to articulate why.

Without diving into a serious theological debate, I am bothered by the ironic/discordant relationship between that lyric and the title. The recognition of a final judgement makes it clear that the subject, the fallen king, believes in God and understands that there is a certain standard by which he will be judged. He also recognizes that he has fallen short of the standard and anticipates that he won’t make the cut. It bothers me because the king is condemning himself. One of the core principles of Christianity, and I think it’s safe to say he believes in Christianity, is that a contrite heart is all that is needed to obtain everlasting life in heaven. The aforementioned lyric implies that even though the king knows this, he’s resigning himself to his sinful state. I don’t think he prefers it. Lyrics like “Never an honest word, but that was when I ruled the world” seem to suggest some amount of atonement. The name of the song is “Long Live Life”, but this king is willingly turning away from everlasting life. This irks me.

And, to offer a non-musical parallel, the character of this song reminds me of Petronius from Quo Vadis who makes a similar choice about his life. Even though that book and this song are only works of fiction, it saddens me to think that there are so many people who share that view.

More Reasons To Hate the Internet

Thu, 28 May 2009 22:46:24 -0400

I got “told” by a stranger in an Awesomeopolis comment thread. Two people immediately confirmed him with supporting comments. See the offense here.

Sigh. It’s a new low. :(