Comments on: National Politics

By: Sam

Sam — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:32:16 +0000

Thanks for the clarification! I’m still not sure I agree — some of my favorite, most influential (in a good way) teachers in school were the ones who were least shy about expressing their beliefs. It is possible to be open about one’s opinions without making kids feel pressured to share them.

Though as you say, it has a lot to do with the relationship you have with a specific student, and with the climate of the school as a whole.

By: Jami Schwarzwalder

Jami Schwarzwalder — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:01:28 +0000

I am sorry that I am unclear in that statement. For me having conversations with teens about which candidate they would vote for if they were 18 isn’t the same as sharing my personal convictions. Often in conversations like these I play the role of probe by asking them the questions who would you vote for, why, what about their policy on ______, We tread a dangerous line however when we tell students that Obama, McCain, or someone else should be president because of a specific reason if the students don’t first expresst interest in our opinion.
Wrong: librarian checking out books at the circ desk telling a teen political feelings
Questionable: librarian telling student who asks which candidate they would vote for. If a student walks up to you to and asks out of the blue which candidate you are voting for it might be best to first reply “who would you?” vote for.
Excellent: librarian asking students who frequent the library (ie have a relationship with the teens) about the politicians without volunteering their preferences until student specifically request it.
Mosting its about who iniciated the conversation, a teen or the librarian, and the purpose behind it.

By: Sam

Sam — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:35:06 +0000

That said, thanks for the links! They’re great, and I’ll definitely be looking through them and sharing them with my colleagues and students.

By: Sam

Sam — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:34:08 +0000

While it can be difficult, we can’t share our personal convictions with others because we have to have faith in the system and the people to make the decision that is best for them.

Do you mean that as librarians and teachers we should keep our mouths shut so as not to unduly influence our students? I have to disagree.

I certainly don’t want to bulldoze over my students’ opinions — I want to help them figure out what they think, and how to express it articulately and argue about it intelligently, even if they disagree with me. But sometimes the best way to do that is to argue *with* them, to point out points of view they might not have considered, to challenge their assumptions. It’s even better if they challenge me right back!

I also think it’s valuable for teens to see adults with a variety of opinions, who aren’t afraid to express them and stand up for them. Part of our job as teachers is to provide role models, after all, and that strikes me as an important thing to model!