The Influence of Educators

Fair warning: This one is a little less research, a little more opinion.

Ask a teacher why they chose their profession. In America, I can pretty much guarantee the answer isn't "for the money." As a future educator, my answer would be to shape and mold young minds, to make this world a better place.

Therein lies the problem. Who followed that leap? I want to teach history. I want my students to learn what has happened in the past so they can prevent it from occurring again. I want to teach them how America got to be where it is, as a "city on a hill" and the lone remaining superpower. I want to teach them that while government is good and necessary, too much government can be easily turned into a dictatorship... a charismatic leader in times of fractured government can easily turn to fascism a la Hitler. I want to teach them about great leaders who have unified people like George Washington, Abe Lincoln. I want them ready and able to stand up for their beliefs. "I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way."

The problem? Ron Gochez I'm sure feels the same way. He wants to teach his students about how America stole the southwest from Mexico. He wants to teach them not to be fooled by the government. He wants to teach them about great leaders who have unified people across borders like Che Guevara, Fidel Castro. He wants them to be ready to stand up for their beliefs.

When you teach something like math or science, it's relatively easy to teach a student how to think. There's only one right answer (most of the time). Teach the laws of math and scientific method, and let them figure it out. When teaching something more abstract, like history, government, even English, it is incredibly difficult to restrain your own personal beliefs. Some might say it is impossible.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer took a brave step in the right direction. She recently signed a bill to eliminate classes and curriculum that promote one race over another or are only open to one race or another. Growing up in an area where whites were the minority, I always wondered why there was a Black History Month, a Latino History Week, a Women's History Month. I'd wonder aloud why there wasn't a White History Month, and somebody would say "Because every month is White History Month." In our normal history classes, do we not talk about the George Washington Carvers? Do we not have an entire section of our history books dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King? In the next 5-10 years, we'll probably have an entire quarter dedicated to the studies of Barack Obama, first black President, while other Presidents like Polk and Taft don't even get remembered.

There was a principal up north who took an all-black after school club to see a black rocket scientist, saying that he wanted to close the gap in test scores between his white students and his black students. A lot of people are saying that it isn't right to 'close the gap' by denying the white students the opportunity to learn as well. I want to know why there is an all-black school sanctioned club in the first place. This Arizona legislation will hopefully address some of that.

I have to curb myself here because I really want to go on this long rant about racism, but I'll save it for another blog. This is the influence of educators. Most of us remember at least one teacher who changed your life. Chances are that you don't even know which one truly changed your life and opened your eyes to the world. Either way, would it be surprising to learn that students coming from the same school often have similar views on issues in the world?

In school, students are taught to think by their teachers. They influence how you think by lectures, tests, and assigning grades based on how well you've adapted to their ideas. Is it a stretch to think those ideas can also mean ideals or political ideology?

Educators are influential. We need to watch what is being promoted, especially to younger students who blindly follow any adult, no matter the message. Educators like Ron Gochez should not have a job in our public school system, and AZ's Brewer should be commended for helping erase race lines that divide us.