Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

My students are fifth-graders, and last year, my kids wanted to know if I was Republican or Democrat, and why. I had no qualms in telling them...but they were shocked because none of the other teachers they asked would tell them.

If your kids are old enough to understand, is this something you feel comfortable sharing with them? I definitely use it as a teachable moment--to talk about some of the issues and how the candidate I endorse stands on that issue.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

No - I don't. Perhaps if my views were more widely accepted by the demographic that I teach I would feel comfrtable sharing....but since that isn't the case, I stay pretty tight lipped about it.

No need for parents to dislike me!

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

Yes and no. Like Bonnie, my views are not shared by many in my school (teachers or parents). BUT I do like to encourage them to talk about their views and often will play devil's advocate. I also find that many of them are misinformed even about candidates that they like. They tend to fall for anything they hear on TV.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

No. I never had any of them ask me, but if they do in the next few months, I'll tell them I'm not going to discuss politics with them.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

I sometimes turn it into a lesson. I tell them some of my opinions on the issues (the safer ones - well everything but abortion. I also firmly believe in teaching tolerance so I do tell them my opinion on gay marriage) .

Then they have to figure out who I am voting for based on that. It is a more "fun" way to get them to research the candidates.

Oh, and this is high school.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Many of the teachers I work with are very vocal about who they are voting for! I personally do not agree with being so vocal.

A kid asked me who I was voting for the other day and I refused to answer.
The sad part is the children in my school believe the election is between Obama and Hillary and have no idea who John McCain even is.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

No I don't. I was just thinking about this the other day.

When asked I talk about how our elections are private ballot and it's something personal.

If I told I would worry about some parent taking offense to it or saying I was pushing my views on the kids.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

We teach the election with our fifth gradres and myself and the teacher i work with do not tell the students our views. they ask us question and we give our opinion, but without saying "see it lines up with so and so."

students, particualrly high schoolers, should not be told who you're voting for. this is a time where critical thinking skills sohuld be developed and not them just following the teacher they love's lead.

also, i am very centrist, so it really is hard for me to 100% support one candidate. and the reasons why i am supporting a particular candidate this year is not appropriate to discuss with fifth graders.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

My students will sometimes make comments about the election. I don't say anything either way. I kind of let them chat a little, answer any questions that they might have about it, and that's not it. I hate talking politics in general.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

absolutely not. it's not appropriate IMO.

we SHOULD talk about the election and the candidates by giving facts, not opinions. students need to make up their own minds based on fact. many will take what a teacher believes to heart and teenagers may vote that way. my students all say the candidate their parents like is the 'best'. they only feel that way because it's their parents' opinions. granted, they're young, but that occurs with high schoolers as well.

personal politics shouldn't be spoken about teacher to teacher OR teacher to student. just the facts please!

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

I was teaching kindergarten during the 2004 elections - obviously a kindergarten conversation about the elections would be at a much more basic level anyway! - but no, I didn't share anything about my personal political views. I did, however, talk about the election coming and the candidates (I believe we had a "Weekly Reader" that gave a little bio on each), and tell them how important it was for adults to vote.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

See, it's funny--my choice for president is not the "popular" candidate here in NC (though I'm starting to think NC will go blue this year ), but I have no problems in telling students who I'm voting for. Especially because if I don't tell them, they'll just go out to the parking lot and look at my bumper sticker.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

I don't...My kids usually take what I say as the gospel. Usually, the teacher is looked at as "right" by the students.

When I have kids, I wouldn't want their teachers expressing opinions to them on politics- at a young age, I don't think they have the ability to look at what we say as just an opinion and not fact. Even if you preface it by saying it's just your opinion- they will still be more likely to "see it your way" because of the teacher/student relationship.

I had a professor in a poli-sci class while I was doing my masters explain this to us- it drove us all nuts because we all desperately wanted to know what his political leanings were. He was always so neutral when teaching. In retrospect, I appreciate him presenting the facts without his opinion clouding our judgement, and letting us come to our own conclusions/viewpoints.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

I'm not getting into it with my students. I don't feel it's appropriate- even though I work in a heavily Democratic area and plan to vote Democrat.

In NYC, you're technically not supposed to wear campaign buttons- not sure if this extends to conversations w/ students about personal politics.

During the '00 election the dean of our grade came around and told the kids to make sure their parents voted for Gore. Ironically, she's a huge Bush supporter. Not sure how she felt about him then. But still-

Message edited 10/6/2008 5:56:05 PM.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

I'm surprised your schools don't have policies on this. Mine does. We MUST present all political and sensitive information from an unbiased standpoint. I absolutely agree with this school policy, as I am sure there are many teachers who would abuse their voices if this wasn't in place

Message edited 1/20/2011 10:47:50 PM.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

I'll discuss the opinions of both parties, but I try my best to stay neutral. I also stress that I do vote, and how important it is to vote.

But when asked who I'll vote for I just tell them it's one of the candidates.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

I'm not affiliated with a party, so it's a moot point to ask me that...and I vote third party for reform reasons...and I will tell students that.

When I'm in HS...I will tell them my views on something, if asked and it doesn't go off on a complete tangent, but there is little time to go off on tangents in most classes.

One AP Govt teacher wouldn't tell her students until the end of the year when the students would gather the information from throughout the year and make an educated guess on her affiliation.

Personally, I'm against policy that would forbid me/restrict me to not talk about civics.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

I do....I teach at an urban high school in NYC....needless to say my students and I both agree on the candidate we would like to win the election.

Message edited 10/7/2008 5:45:34 PM.

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?

Re: Spinoff to Teaching the Election: Do you share political views with your students?