With the current state of the world, politics is almost inescapable, even between students and teachers. Even so much that political ideas have seeped into conversations and subtle displays within classroom environments. Teachers speaking about their political views may force students to suppress their own political views or even be presented biased information. Teachers should limit their political expression within a classroom setting.
Teachers often put subtle displays of their support for a certain cause on their walls, but when seeking inclusivity, these exhibits of support can force students to feel pressure to pick the same “side” as their teacher.
Students may feel uncomfortable if they do not agree with the teacher’s political view and may not want to discuss their opinions in the classroom. Although students may be willing to engage in political conversations with a teacher, that should involve explicit consent between the student and teacher to speak about the issue.
In a place where students are there to learn and many students take a teacher’s word as fact, if a teacher were to say something wrong, students may not question the teacher. In the article “When Teens Find Misinformation, These Teachers Are Ready,” Tiffany Hsu wrote, “Children and teenagers are not the only ones susceptible to misinformation: several studies suggest that older adults are more likely to struggle to recognize fake news and are the most likely to share it.” Teachers may not be aware of their biases or may not recognize the fake news that they are exposed to, and could thus misinform their students.
Social science and English teachers often speak of political issues in their classrooms, but this usually occurs within the context of the curriculum. Inserting a teacher’s own views alongside a given curriculum can make students feel unsafe in their classroom. According to the article, “Is Political Speech Free Speech in the School Setting?” offensive stances taken by a teacher can be disruptive to the student-teacher relationship. If a teacher expresses an opposition to the Black Lives Matter to a black student or anti-immigration speech towards an immigrant student, it can make the student view their teacher differently. If students don’t feel comfortable near a teacher, it may hinder the students’ learning, the primary role of what a teacher is supposed to accomplish.
As teachers continue to educate, political views should be kept separate from the classroom environment so students can safely learn without feeling uncomfortable.