As a school teacher, how should I treat witness kids? (page 3)

logansrun

Yeru,

When I grow up and quit playing Army I too want to be a High School history teacher...

This is why I favor school vouchers.

B.

Yeah, these are all really good points. One of the extrinsic reasons that I'm becoming a teacher is so that I can get involved and help students in school activities such as sports, plays, and even school elections. I just think it will be sad to see dub kids refraining from these important social activities because of a flawed religious out look. Oh well, I know what is right and proper. To say something would be kinda like that airline pilot who recently asked people as they were boarding if they were Christian or not? There is a line and I will be careful not to cross it. The pledge is silly and I mostly dislike it for the whole mention of God in the plegde-mixing religion and state not good. However, where I went to school, everyone and I mean everyone stood for the pledge, so school is hard enough to fit in-not standing for the pledge is just one more thing to be disliked for unfortunately. It's like if everyone wears jeans and your parents send you to school in dress shorts and a sweater-it's not cool-that's not going to make you any extra friends. So, sometimes going with the flow is the smartest thing to do.

Yerusalyim

Brad,

One of the main reasons I want to become a history teacher is to honor my High School History teacher, John Elms. The man is an educator. He is the reason I am today a conservative inspite of my family starting out as democrat...no, he didn't push his political agenda...he encourage all of us to become independent thinkers. In fact, politically he's probably left of Hillary Clinton...but he encouraged independent thought...and to challenge everything.

Now go read some Adam Smith!

Mike

lisavegas420

Atilla,

As a school teacher, how should I treat witness kids?

I don't even remember most of my teachers names. But I do remember my second grade teacher, who would go out of her way to help me fit in. When the other kids were doing something for one of the holidays, she would let me be her 'special helper' for the afternoon, or let me do a winter instead of a Christmas craft, fall instead of Halloween picture, ect...

I also remember my third grade teacher that told me to my face that she hated all JW's.

Lisa

Christian Soldier

With the respect that you would have wanted your kids to be treated with when you were a Witness.

Abaddon

I would work up a scheme of work on freedom of speech, and use (credit where credit is due) example of the Supreme Court ruling JWs got. Then in discussion you can bring up the subject of lobby groups, and how they have their own agenda.

You can show how a certain group backed or opposed something, but how their own internal conduct fell short of the impression giving by their lobby activities.

You can then use examples like disfellowshipping or even the Mexico thing to show that the impression given by some activites is not always consistant when compared with internal policy.

An idea, perhaps...

TresHappy

I echo Cruzan's sentiments...very well said Nina!

Mulan

I have a niece who is a High School Counselor and subs in Art and another subject I can't recall. She was raised as a JW but her father was df'd about two years after her mother died, and they all stopped going. She was 17 at the time.

I asked her how she handles JW kids if they end up in her office or classroom. She said she feels her background gives her an advantage in understanding their unique problems. She cannot say anything to them about their religion, but it helps her to help them.

BeelzeDub

Atila, I would hate to be a witness kid in your class. Even if you learn to keep religon out of your secular instruction, likely these kids will feel your ire toward them. It's hard enough being a JW kid in school without having authority figures beat you over the head with it.

Faraon

Atilla,

Ok, I'm going to college right now and I have about 2 years before I become a certified history high school teacher. However, I am already beginning to do observation hours and it has got me thinking. I will almost surely end up with dub kids in my homeroom for the flag salute or in my regular classes. It's going to be hard to bite my tongue and not say anything. Maybe I will drop hints or give them a Crisis of Conscience book as their home work as research on the history of religious freedom. Although, I think I could get some angry parents which could endanger my job. What to do?

It is against the law to teach anything for or against a particular religion. There are many reasons why a child cannot or will not recite the pledge. There are many students from foreign students who are not citizens, and should not be forced to say the pledge. It would be contrary to your nationality. How would you like it if your parents took you to another country and you were forced to be loyal to that country?

When I recite the pledge, I omit the words I don't believe in.

My pledge:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, (silence, I don't believe in god), (silence. America is divided) with liberty, and justice (silence. there is no justice for all)

I say this because when I was drafted into the army, the officers or non'coms would ask me for my swearing in date. I told them I was never sworn in. They said it was impossible, I could not be in the army without being sworn-in. I would tell them to check my record folder. Their jaws would drop. Right there in the middle was a sheet stating to that fact. A yellow sheet marked to be in a prominent clearly stated that I was never to be admitted as an officer, be in classified areas, or go to war zones because I had refused to be sworn in. The reason for that is that I dropped my hand when it came for me to repeat ... against any and all nations... I told them I could not say that because I was a Mexican National. That I would say it if the words "except Mexico" would be included. They consulted their rules books, and told me that since I had already given a step forward, I was already inducted but that the solution would be to include the yellow sheet already mentioned. I agreed, and was inducted.

I find it funny that children are made to repeat the pledge, but this is not mandatory in college in this country or in Mexico.

Loyalty comes from the heart, and not out of some forced words.

You can still discuss religion if your curriculum calls for it, but it has to include various religions to compare and contrast. Make sure you know beforehand what your students' beliefs are so that you don't attack, or be perceived as attacking their religion in particular. All you'll do is entrench them more, reinforcing their opinion that you are part of Satan's world. They will not see you as someone worried about them. Anyway, as a Social Studies teacher, more than likely will not study modern religions, and never have to worry about the dubs.

Even though I am an agnostic, I recommended to one of my friends, a Pentecostal, to take her kids to Catholic schools. She did, and her kids improved tremendously. She was surprised to find out that her kids were not forced to follow the catholic religion. If a Catholic school can be this objective, why cant secular schools and teachers do the same?

I just posted on the news section an item from UK where it says that they will be teaching atheism next year in schools. I think It will be of interest to you.

Happy Presidents' Day.

As a school teacher, how should I treat witness kids?

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