Friday, April 9, 2010

Conservatives on Campus

I have this really diverse class at the University where I teach part time. I don't mean that there is a large color difference. There's some of that, but what I mean is a diversity of ideas. Hindus and Catholics, pacifists and veterans, vegans and meat eaters, artists and business people... What I find interesting is that the ones most likely to offend a classmate are the students who view themselves as a 'protected' group: White girls who have been told all of their lives that girls are being oppressed by boys/men, while most reliable recent research suggest the opposite is happening in education. Or others... I try so hard to choose topics that I think are non-political when providing examples to my classes. At the same time, I just can't bring myself to talk about things that I don't believe are true. I want to teach my students is not just the skills required to succeed, but the truth. Any other approaches strike me as a sin of omission. If you are a person of faith who teaches people who may or may not be people of faith, will you let me know how you handle this? I want a forum, and advise. Help!!!

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