School Teacher

[kirov78]

Would it be appropriate for a Marxist school teacher to convey Marxist ideas in the classroom?

edit.....if the answer is "yes, it's okay", then I would follow up with "where do you draw the line?"

I am concerned about professional ethics, but I would like to express my beliefs where such ethics allow.... :unsure:

[The Feral Underclass]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19 2005, 12:09 PM
Would it be appropriate for a Marxist school teacher to convey Marxist ideas in the classroom?

edit.....if the answer is "yes, it's okay", then I would follow up with "where do you draw the line?"

I am concerned about professional ethics, but I would like to express my beliefs where such ethics allow.... :unsure:
Of course, most communists will say that it is appropriate, but the school system obviously will have a different opinion on that.

I was having this conversation with a comrade on this board about becoming a state school teacher and the conclusion on it was that no matter how radical you maybe, the education system will inevitably stifle that radicalism. You are not permitted to give your opinions in schools. It's a fact.

One of the other problems is, not everyone in the class will appreciate or understand a teacher who has Marxist opinions, and may even go so far as to report you to a parent etc.

In my opinion you have two options. There is always the possibility of finding a non-state run school where you are free to teach how you wish and which encourages its students to develop independent thoughts. These schools exist, it's a question of finding them (and getting a job there).

The other option is to make sure your class is always open to discussion and that you encourage each student to have as much independence in thought as possible. Correct people’s history if it is incorrect and pose "alternative" opinions to things. You don't necessarily have to say it's your opinion, but that it’s simply an alternative. There maybe people in your class who have radical ideas and who, in private, you can discuss things with, help and give your opinion.

I read threads where people talk about their cool Marxist teacher. You can always try and be one of them.

[kirov78]

First of all, I thank you for your opinion.....excellent observation....

I think I take note to this paragraph:


The other option is to make sure your class is always open to discussion and that you encourage each student to have as much independence in thought as possible. Correct people’s history if it is incorrect and pose "alternative" opinions to things. You don't necessarily have to say it's your opinion, but that it’s simply an alternative. There maybe people in your class who have radical ideas and who, in private, you can discuss things with, help and give your opinion.

My experience has been that high school students are more open to a wider variety on the political left/right spectrum than other demographics and I think the opportunity for conveying Marxism may be not at a moment of preaching Marxism but rather opening the floor to considering facts as they are.

I take ethics very seriously. I would rather all of my students become bourgiousie Republicans on their own than me convincing them Marxism is "they way" without them thinking about it. But the paragraph you have written that I have quoted I feel is quite profound on reconciling my own radicalism with my own position within "the system", since high school students are quite open minded philosophically.

Perhaps I would do well to show my students all sides of the story....I can quote Herbert Spencer's ideas of "survival of the fittest" in society with the factory worker who makes a few cents a week to support a family that desperately needs him?

I recently taught late 19th-century immigration. One of the major points I taught about was Chinese immigration, Chinese labor, the Chinese Exclusion Act, etc. I taught that the American working class opposed the Chinese and supported the Chinese Exclusion Act because the Chinese would work for cheaper wages than the American worker....In retrospect, the soil was fertile for Marxist explanation here, pitting worker versus worker all for the profit of corporations. Hell, I had a passage from Mark Twain (on the Industry of the Chinese Laborer) that would have reinforced Marxist ideology, but I kept it as a backup and never actually used it.....Many of my students are 1st or 2nd generation Mexican immigrants who can appreciate the complexities of labor issues.

Ah, well, I'm rambling, but I would like to express my gratitude for your reply, because I feel that it is quite useful to me and I will reflect on what you had to say to form my ultimate opinion on the matter!

I welcome other contributions as well!

For workers!!!!! :)


edit...I might point out that it is almost 6am locally and that I have been celebrating tonight a personal achievement of a comrade and I'm a tad inebriated from adult beverages....so if my post makes little sense, I have no problem answering a "what the hell are you talking about?" :D

edit x2....also, I'm currently a pre-professional...I'm still affiliated with my college and am not paid as a teacher...currently, I'm in my summer break and therefore done "teaching" for the semester, even though high school is still in session.....

[redstar2000]

Assuming you are in the United States, it would be very useful if you could help kids fight back against this...

http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showtopic=35477

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[OleMarxco]

Renember to speak up against OTHER teaches who preach anti-Communistic propaganda and pro-Capitalistic BULLSHIT. Force them into a furious debate that will make so fuckin' shit of them in front of their students! RAZE ALL HELL! :redstar2000:

[ZACKist]

Good luck with this. I hope you get your thoughts across to these kids. I can remember always hearing the negative things about 'communism' in the USSR, but never the good things I've learned on my own research. If you can weigh these bad thoughts out with an alternative view, maybe the kids can get a balanced bias. Then mabye they can make the right choice! Equality.

Attending college is so much better than the shitty highschool I had. I have one teacher now that continuously makes praising for Marxist ideas. He's great.

[bezdomni]

I think it's fine to say that you are a marxist (by law), just as it's okay for a christian teacher to wear a cross around their neck or an islamic teacher to wear a turban. They, however, cannot teach kids that their ideas are "the only way" or enforce their ideas in the classroom and they have to respect opposing opinions.

The most important thing is to make sure people get the right idea of communism if you want to include some activism at work. As a high school socialist, I see that there is a lot of ignorance toward my ideas. The other day in digital graphics class (where we learn how to use photoshop,flash..etc) a kid who doesn't like Bush photoshopped an old Red Army hat onto Bush's head (with the hammer and sickle on it).

Let your students know the true commuist opinion and that communism is not state control of everything, but democratic worker control of the means of production. Maybe even make your class read bits of Capital or Communist Manifesto (The AP World History class at my school had to do it).

[Jazzy]

You can expand a persons knowledge of various political groups without totally pushing your personal beliefs on them. If a teacher is going to teach, they can teach about Marxism, Anarchism, Communism and Capitalism...whatever category, but if they choose to go that route, then they should cover all catagories without any bias towards them....let the children decide what they believe is the right route in which to take. Just make sure to cover all grounds, you may not believe in it, but if you're a teacher then it's your job to teach and water the flowers that are inside the student's minds....get them thinking and debating and let them come up with there own ideas. You may not agree with capitalism but if you only choose certain political areas to discuss and not cover all grounds then you yourself would be performing an act of capitalism by only letting them hear what you want them to hear.

[bzerk]

im gonna get tonnes of 12 yearols to take up in arms and destory

[Rural_Communalist]

I plan on teaching with a horribly biassed slant. Perhaps not in the grade department, but if someone tries to convey capitalism as a good thing, they better have a perfect argument with facts and back-up.

[anomaly]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19 2005, 11:09 AM
Would it be appropriate for a Marxist school teacher to convey Marxist ideas in the classroom?

edit.....if the answer is "yes, it's okay", then I would follow up with "where do you draw the line?"

I am concerned about professional ethics, but I would like to express my beliefs where such ethics allow.... :unsure:
'Convey' the ideas, but don't label them as such. For example, stress cooperation rather than competition, thingsl ike that. But that, of course, depends upon the specifity of what you're planning to 'convey'.

[danny android]

Concidering that you are teaching at a school I would bet that there already marxists and other leftist students at the school you are teaching at. Definitly support these kids when they get into debates with other kids because often times they get cornered on their beliefs and don't find support from the teacher. I know it would deffinitly help me if I knew that one of my teachers was a socialist.... though there are some that i suspect.