I pride myself on being a teacher the students can come to.  My room is open for anyone from the time I arrive in the morning to the time I leave.  This openness comes with stipulations.  I do not allow racist, sexist, homophobic talk or any language that insults the disabled, any particular religion or ethnicity, or anyone's immigration status.  When I hear such language, I deal with it immediately.  I have rarely had to write people up because I discuss the reasons why this is not acceptable.

However...

This is apparently political.  It has been claimed that I am pushing my political beliefs on my students.  I am quite irked that we are at such a point in time that the expectations of decency, kindness, and respect are now political or representative of political beliefs.  It is clear that one's perception of threat or offense is so distorted that when their beliefs imply very real threat to a part of the community, the individual with the threatening beliefs is the one who takes offense.  The right of every student to attend school in a threat-free, safe environment is apparently now infringing on the rights of those who have suffered none of the same threats.   Those who are the threat now claim to have their rights infringed.

The game is working on some, but not me.  When I read things from other teachers like the article below, I know I am doing the right thing.

http://www.tolerance.org/blog/what-do-your-classroom-walls-convey

When I read what my obligations are as a teacher, I know I am doing the right thing.

I will treat my students with respect and continue to teach all of them.  However, I will also defend my right to have a stigma-free, cmforting classroom space for all members of the community.  If any individuals who do not support inclusion, equity, and respect cannot understand that...  Well, I have done all that I can.

I have just completed grading the work for the Social Injustice assignment for Photo II.  I began this assignment the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. day.  I showed the students some work by photographers working in the time of the civil rights fight in the mid-20th century.  Gordon Parks was one that they were already familiar with.  They were to shoot with medium format cameras.  Some of our cameras cannot accommodate flash and were to be shot outdoors in daylight.  For those using the Holga, they could use a flash and shoot any time of day.

The students had to hand in a brief written explanation of the reasonings for their shoot.  I had told them to shoot what they feel is a social injustice to someone of their age, in their lives.  This was because what I find to be a social injustice may hold no meaning for them.  The discussions at the date of the assignment were dull, uninspired.  Only one student really had the idea.  Now that I have graded the work, I have to wonder if they felt uncomfortable speaking about their ideas and feelings.  There is an element in one of the classes that stifles the honest feelings and expressions of the rest of the class.  However, when I vehemently reiterated the class climate rules (no racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-immigrant talk) due to the fact that there are classmates for whom that talk is threatening and upsetting, I received quite the backlash.  The guilty parties spent the rest of the day telling students, teachers, and all the staff they could find that I was forcing my political beliefs down their throats.  As a matter of fact, this issue may not be over.

Well, after looking at the work from their class, I think the only thing being forced on anyone is silence of those who do not agree with them.  As a teacher, I cannot allow this to happen.  I cannot allow my students to fear speaking freely in class.  Respect and kindness are not political.