I consider myself to be a fairly honest and open lecturer. I tell it like it is - as they say. I don't hold my punches, I freely talk about the injustices of the systems and how as a country and a nation we have a lot to learn about one another and how we're all just pink and squishy on the inside. I will admit: students who are more eager to learn, or who show interest in their subject I am open to them exploring their topics with grater latitude than those who show no interest at all. I still mark fairly however. A pass is a pass is a pass, regardless of how interested one is in the subject or not.
But I find myself bumping into students who are so intolerant of others it is almost like finding a spitting cobra in the condiments section of a Woolworths. Today for example I had a student - lets call the person Bob. Now we're handling the subject of creative writing, and each student is tasked to invent a story. So Bob invents a story that is intolerant and that goes against the constitution of the country. It also happens to go against my personal beliefs. What should I do? What did I do is perhaps the more interesting question? I treated Bobs idea with as much respect as the rest of the idea's from the other learners.
What it did though was open up a series of questions in my thinking:
A - I wasn't aware that such intolerance existed anymore,
B - As a teacher should I try to enforce my morals?
C - As a paid teacher should I totally avoid contentious issues?
D - Should I ask for another teacher to mark the persons submitted work as I might be biased?
I'm not sure. I'm going to raise it with my boss tomorrow. Like I said it opens up some interesting questions: Teachers across the world must be faced with these issues all the time. Does a Christian Teacher allow a Muslin child to write a fable from his religion where the Christians all burn in hell? Should a gay man be allowed to teach young men? Should a straight woman be allowed to teach young men? Should heterosexuals be allowed to teach homosexuals? What about bisexuals?
When I was a lecturer at another college we had a female lecturer take some young male students out for coffee for 'scoring the highest marks' in class. When I say some young male students, I actually mean one. And the highest mark was on her 'to shag' list. Sadly or luckily for her as it turned out, he turned out to be married. But what does it mean? If he'd slept with her would she have marked his exams unfairly? Would she have slipped him clues as to what she was setting in the exam? A morally upright person wouldn't. I like to think I wouldn't. I'm particularly anal about following the rules... I doubt I'd break them for my own family ( I didn't when I had the chance), let alone for a student I was 'involved' with.
Which leads one to then ask - should I, as a gay man be teaching young men? Surely my eye will wonder? In truth Professor Mature comes out when I lecture and sex vanishes from my mind. If I think of my students - and I'm aware that some of them could read this and feel queasy - I'm thankful to say that although there might be some good looking lads, none of them are my cup of tea. I'm attracted to artists sure, but artists of my own age group, and with my own sense of warped reality. My class are all young innocent individuals more concerned with what they're wearing than whether the warp core of a Galaxy class starship is more powerful than the Stardrive of a Victory class destroyer. Odd I know, but then again, today's youth have their priorities all mixed up.
But what if another Star Trek nerd walks in who is instantly 'my cup of tea'. How would I react? Would I be the same? No. I'll answer fairly. I'd form a friendship with that person very quickly. How could we not? It's not often one meets a fellow Trekker. Would I treat him differently? Yes. I'd chat about Trek, provide insight into how they made the series, future plans etc. and certainly be much more open to him asking me questions about film making. I'd definately lend him my books on the subject, and I'd happily look for a job for him. Because he is no longer a student? No. Because he is a friend, and perhaps a lover.
But what about during class? If I was setting a test? What would I do? I'd personally fail the son-of-a-bitch if he came even close to answering stupidly. Because I'd expect more of him. He'd need to be sharp to keep up with me, and so when doing an assignment or an exam I'd expect him to push further, to excell, and to challenge me and my knowledge. Perhaps it is because I don't seek sex in a partner, I seek an equal to share my existance with that I can have this kind of detachment, or singular drive to push my partner to greater hights? I hope, I know that if I were tempted by a student, he'd have to work twice as hard to pass. Is that fair? No. Others could coast past - but I'd expect more. So that answers the question for me and sexual misconduct...
But what of the male teacher teaching young women? I know of several friends - thankfully not teachers - who only target the empty headed 18 year olds. If they became teachers would the temptation become too great? And what about post education sex? Student graduates and six weeks later is in bed with the lecturer? Is that moral? Doesn't sound moral... but then what about six months? Is that enough time? How about a year?
What about the old school idea of only employing married people or widowed people? Rare these days to find a married couple, or a widowed couple. A divorcee is, in my opinion, equally as likely as a single person to sleep with someone.
And what about teaching my morals or ethical codes? When parents hire me to teach their children how to be movie makers do they expect me to impart some kind of moral value into that? The argument for that - I need to make the student aware of the laws of the country so that their films are legal. I also need to make them explore the options of 'What If', which requires a certain ethical flexibility. But do I have the right to turn around and say - "Bob, you moral degenerate, that's backwards thinking! Amend your ways or get out!" I don't think so. I think I have the right though to point out - if you join the Hairdressing fraternity and you 'hate all queers' that your career will most likly struggle...
I feel that if the subject is raised in my class that I - as a being of thinking mind and body - should host that debate, and ensure representation from all sides, whilst maintaining law and order (if the debate is during a creative writing or media ethics class). But then the question that is left to answer is:
Who exactly IS teaching the country morals, ethics, values, and ideals? Churches? Well yes, but they, by definition, can't teach alternatives.
"Open to Psalm 54 if you like, or check out the Koran... unless you'd like to consider a past life?"
So religions can't help a student to choose for themselves. Most of the religions actively oppose students looking to alternatives (burn in hell, reborn as a slug, accrue bad energy etc.).
How about schools? Nope - I've just pointed out we are not paid to do that. Besides unless you get a total nut-job you'd need 10 teachers for the one subject: Morals and Ethics. Week one - Christian views - marry ONE wife, Week two - Traditional Cultural views - marry TEN wives, Week Three - Homosexual views - Marry or don't, just live as life partners... Can you imagine? It would be wonderful. I'd actually like to attend a couple lectures on that subject.
So that leaves the parents of the students. Does that mean that the parents are right? If we say yes to that - I'd be a racist who hates Indians, Zulu's, Afrikaaners, and Germans - just because members of my immediate family do. Thankfully I don't, if only because I had to rebel against that teaching because up until I came out - some of the family hated fucking poofta's as well. So if not the teachers, the schools, the parents, the churches, who then? The Government? If the government tried to teach us what to think - well we'd have Nazi's or Stalinists running around. The reason being that we're all so violent about defending our opinions.
If you don't believe in our system - DIE, or spend eternity in shit. Or come back and repeat the world again as a crippled person in Java somewhere... None of us are willing to say - hey you know what - Just do whatever makes you happy, as long as it doesn't affect the rest of us. I totally agree with the 10 commandments - in places. Thou shalt not kill - it's good up until my husband is being murdered, my student is being raped, a dog is being burned to death etc. Then you can chuck out those commandments. Do not covert thy neighbours wife... what if she wants to be coveted? Live in denial for eternity? Hell no, get together.
So in short dear reader I am again amazed at us -Humans - at how we invent pain and suffering for ourselves quite happily, and develop these wonderful things called beliefs and ideologies about what is right and what is wrong and about how to achive happiness, about why we should and why we shouldn't. Isn't it marvelous to think that somewhere someone is having a jolly good laugh at all of us, fighting about changing the rules - rules which we ourselves invented in the first place? Only Humans can be that mad...
4 comments:
The idea behind "Creative Writing" is to be creative. If I were to write about a dashing young hero, riding in and saving the princess and marrying her and living happily ever after, then that would be (cliched) creative writing, but still creative writing.
The 'Bob' that you referred to also wrote "creatively" however, our own morals and biasses are hard to ignore when reading another persons' writing, since it is our own "movie theatre" in our minds that we see the story playing out. The problem comes in with the popcorn (so to speak) when you see something that you dont like.
For your situation with 'Bob' its difficult. Did he write out of his own beliefs? Or did he write from the perspective of a racist or otherwise disagreeable personality (which he wanted to narrate from)?
Either way, its a piece of writing, and not a personal statement or testament to his own beliefs.
Lest we forget, if we play a Dungeons and Dragons character who rapes, pillages and murders innocents at every turn, then we are "morally" obliged to object to such behaviour. However, the person who is playing that character might be the biggest wallflower out there. So the question is: where do you draw the line? When do you object?
My opinion of the situation would be a consultation with said 'Bob' to garner the nature of his expression and the motivations for such themes. A decision can then be made upon that. I would caution however, that if he only expresses his 'distaste' with whatever the was writing about, through his writing and not his actions, would that be grounds to 'prosecute' him?
Another way to deal with a potentially explosive situation, or a disagreeable character would be an open debate in class on the merrits of such a standpoint. You will of course open a can of worms, with allot of different perspectives and opinions. But carefully handling the situation and playing "auditor" will ensure a fiery, yet constructive session. The big key to such things are; the debate is taking place in a class (4 walls and a door) and not outside of that space. It should not leave the room, since it could ignite a "veld fire" outside. A careful unwinding and conclusion to the debate is necessary before all parties leave the space, in order to avoid any "unsaid" words leaving that space. Difficult to manage, and not for the feint of heart.
I have yet to meet a Muslin child, but I do think that they should not be encouraged to play with matches :)
Your arguments with the "Teacher / Student" relationship of varying degrees (homosexual, heterosexual or divorcee) are valid, but we must all remember: your own personal biasses or feelings toward a student (who is an adult) but in your care as a 'student', should not interfere with the imparting of knowledge. That is why you are paid, and that is why the student is there. It isnt a place to "pick up" the next heart throb or "blonde bimbo"...
Yes, sometimes its difficult to keep your eye off a particularly exciting specimen, but as long as they are in your care, as a student, those impluses must not interfere with your abilities as a teacher.
When the student has finished his/her studies and would like o form a relationship with the teacher, then its a different matter. You are both adults and it will be outside of a 'class' relationship.
Your duties as a teacher come before your own personal motivations.
On the subject of Student/Teacher 'relationships', all I'm going to say is: imagine what would happen if things turn sour, and you're stuck teaching said person for the next X years... How will that affect your ability to impart knowledge? I speak from a slightly different perspective, of having dated 2 woman I worked with (not at the same time, and they didn't both work for the company at the same time, thank god), and it was a rather interesting experience having to work with someone you used to go out with who now hates your guts. Obviously this is a different power/responsibility dynamic, but still. Just another aspect.
Believe me, intolerance exists. Its normally well hidden, but well hung on to as well. I suppose these people need to cling to these beliefs as a sort of protection, or to enforce imagined superiority. I certainly can't claim total innocence, as I do have the occasional though. However I am always consciously on the lookout for them and squash them. Does that make me a bad person for having them in them at all? Possibly, but I'd like to think its a shade better than those people who openly display and enforce their intolerant ideals.
All in all, two very tricky topics, I wish you luck working them out. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to!! :-)
And that person having a jolly good laugh is me ;-P
As an educator i believe that you have an obligation to impart knowledge not only of the subject being taught, but of life in general. I agree with what Brutus suggested. Open a debate. As an educator, it is obviously not your place to judge a students beliefs however socially unacceptable they may be. You have no right to tell them what to say, or think or believe. But nothing stops you from trying to remove there blinkers and impart a little knowledge about the alternatives...and what better way to do that by getting his fellow class mates to challenge his thinking?! You act as a mediator - and therefor nobody can even suggest that you are trying to impart your beliefs on them! It is up to each individual to draw there own conclusions, and it is unlikely that Mr bob will openly admit that perhaps he is wrong, but hopefully what he has heard from his classmates will rattle around in the back of his head and one day make some sense to him...if not, well, you could always kill a monster called bob in D&D to vent your frustration! lol
Post a Comment