Teacher Opinions Cloud Classes

During our careers as students, many of us have had teachers who have discussed controversial topics in the classroom. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with this in and of itself. Freedom of expression is an essential part of any learning environment. But problems arise when a teacher allows his or her personal biases to influence the curriculum. Students should be allowed and encouraged to think for themselves, independent of their teacher’s point of view.

That’s not to say that teachers should appear impartial regarding controversial topics such as abortion, LGBT rights or religion, to name a few. To do so would be both impossible and dishonest. In humanities classes, where issues of bias arise the most, teachers must be especially thoughtful about how they present information. These classes should be built on critical thinking and debate. Bill Pratt, a Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS) history teacher agrees, “We should be encouraging of a wide range of opinions. I want my students to think critically.” This means students should be given the opportunity to analyze and discuss issues before an opinion is just handed to them. “I think that at Berkeley High, it’s too easy to come out without ever having had your opinions challenged,” said Mr. Pratt.

A good teacher needs to be able to present both sides of an issue fairly, without arguing in favor of either one. This means knowing how to tell the class, “This is how some people see this issue,” and not “This is what I think.” Although this may seem like a trivial difference in wording, it is one of the most important parts of a teacher’s job. “There are no real right or wrong answers, there are only well–supported arguments or weak positions. I want students to be able to change their mind,” added Mr. Pratt.

Once this distinction is made, another question arises: how much of the curriculum should really be influenced by the teacher’s point of view? For example, in a lesson about World War II, a teacher might choose to highlight the threat that Germany posed to freedom and the rest of the world’s way of life; or, he might instead focus on the cruelty of the United States’ bombing of Berlin. The goal, though, is ultimately not to pick and choose which historical facts to emphasize; it’s to give students as many facts as possible, then allow them sort through them. To do this, it is essential to make a distinction between fact and opinion. To use the World War II example: if a teacher were to say that the Holocaust never happened, that wouldn’t be an opinion, it would simply be a denial of facts. However, if he said that Jews are evil, it would be an opinion. A teacher who omits or twists facts is much more detrimental than one who supplements his or her lesson with statements about their personal beliefs, because with the latter, it’s at least possible for students to separate the evidence from the teacher’s opinion.

Biased teaching not only hinders learning, but can also make students feel uncomfortable or alienated from school. Earlier this year, a Fresno City College science teacher told his students that homosexuality was a mental disorder that should be treated with psychotherapy (Washington Examiner). In the school’s Vice President report, he wrote that the professor in question “engaged in conduct that could result in the creation of a hostile learning environment by unreasonably interfering with students’ learning by making insulting comments directed at homosexuals.” The key word here is “hostile.” Imagine if you were a gay student and you had to sit in that class. It would damage your potential to succeed. It is therefore vital to make sure that no teacher is allowed to editorialize the curriculum to the point where the classroom ceases to be a safe learning environment.

Although this was a clear–cut case of a teacher who confused opinion with fact, there are similar instances where the issue is not so obvious. Here in Berkeley, many teachers hold strongly liberal political opinions and do not hesitate to make them known to their students. Since so many students at BHS are likely to share the same political beliefs as their teachers, we may not consider how a student with conservative leanings might feel in a class here. Ideally, the BHS experience should include having one’s opinions challenged, while being respectful of the opinions of others.