What If a Student Tells a Teacher 'You Lie?'
Stuart Nachbar
September 17, 2009
I watched President Obama's health care speech last week and heard the now-infamous shout "You Lie!" from Rep. Joe Wilson (R. South Carolina). Today I read that the House will vote "disapproval" of Wilson's conduct even though he has apologized to the president, and the president has accepted the apology. This all seems childish , and it's no wonder that people have less confidence in Congress and government in general.
And I had to wonder: how will this inspire other people to act in settings where civility is expected. For instance, the classroom.
I imagine a young conservative going back a little more than thirty years, in age, but not time. Hes's sitting in an AP history or government class in public school. He is a gung-ho politics nerd who watches FOXNews programming every night and subscribes to the National Review.
The non-political smart set among his classmates hates him; the rest find him odd. But he is who he is. He plans to major in history or poli-sci at Dartmouth or Washington and Lee; they're kinder and gentler to conservatives than most top schools.
His AP teacher had me in a prior class sophomore year. She didn't like the way he was the first to raise my hand, and eventually she avoided calling on him unless no one else wanted to answer a question. His work was no less than perfect. He got his 'A.' But the teacher hoped that she's never see him again. Her politics were liberal and he always made it a point to challenge her views on a variety of issues. The teacher, however, was smart enough to keep class from becoming a two person conversation. But teacher and student had no choice when it came to an AP course. There was only one available. And our student needs the grade.
He plans to take the AP tests and history and government and wants a perfect score for college credit. So he does all of the recommended summer reading--some of the books take a liberal point of view--and reads more on his own. He becomes a walking encyclophedia on all things history and politics, while remaining true to his conservatism.
Early in the semester, the teachers walk out and go on strike. They settle within a week and return to the classroom. Our liberal history teacher uses class time to talk about the American labor movement and the rights of public employees to strike. She is active in her union and, therefore, is on fairly firm ground in class.
Except for her one frustrated conservative who shouts "you're lying!" as she passionately makes a point. Startled by the interruption, she asks the student to leave.
"Why?" he asks. "You're lying to the class." And he cites one example from the reading he has done over the summer.
"That's not the point," she replies. "You don't interrupt a teacher while she's speaking. Didn't you learn that in first grade?"
Now the rest of the class is giggling. The teacher must win this confrontation or send it elsewhere.
"Well, I'm not leaving. I have more proof you're lying. The class deserves to know the truth."
The teacher has a choice: let him pontificate knowing the class will not care, or send him to the principal, presumably to be suspended for his behavior. If that happens she fears his parents may sue.
If I were that teacher I'd let him pontificate. I'd thank him for his time and shake his hand. I'd say that appreciated his thorough and thoughtful analysis. And I'd defend his right to deliver an informed presentation as passionately as I defended my right to strike, if that were necessary. All of this is far less damaging than censuring a student front ofr a class or forcing a student to take your side.
What would you do?
Stuart Nachbar blogs on education and politics at EducatedQuest.com. His new novel. Defending College Heights, is an investigation into the murder of a U.S. Army recruiter. Learn more at DefendingCollegeHeights.com
And I had to wonder: how will this inspire other people to act in settings where civility is expected. For instance, the classroom.
I imagine a young conservative going back a little more than thirty years, in age, but not time. Hes's sitting in an AP history or government class in public school. He is a gung-ho politics nerd who watches FOXNews programming every night and subscribes to the National Review.
The non-political smart set among his classmates hates him; the rest find him odd. But he is who he is. He plans to major in history or poli-sci at Dartmouth or Washington and Lee; they're kinder and gentler to conservatives than most top schools.
His AP teacher had me in a prior class sophomore year. She didn't like the way he was the first to raise my hand, and eventually she avoided calling on him unless no one else wanted to answer a question. His work was no less than perfect. He got his 'A.' But the teacher hoped that she's never see him again. Her politics were liberal and he always made it a point to challenge her views on a variety of issues. The teacher, however, was smart enough to keep class from becoming a two person conversation. But teacher and student had no choice when it came to an AP course. There was only one available. And our student needs the grade.
He plans to take the AP tests and history and government and wants a perfect score for college credit. So he does all of the recommended summer reading--some of the books take a liberal point of view--and reads more on his own. He becomes a walking encyclophedia on all things history and politics, while remaining true to his conservatism.
Early in the semester, the teachers walk out and go on strike. They settle within a week and return to the classroom. Our liberal history teacher uses class time to talk about the American labor movement and the rights of public employees to strike. She is active in her union and, therefore, is on fairly firm ground in class.
Except for her one frustrated conservative who shouts "you're lying!" as she passionately makes a point. Startled by the interruption, she asks the student to leave.
"Why?" he asks. "You're lying to the class." And he cites one example from the reading he has done over the summer.
"That's not the point," she replies. "You don't interrupt a teacher while she's speaking. Didn't you learn that in first grade?"
Now the rest of the class is giggling. The teacher must win this confrontation or send it elsewhere.
"Well, I'm not leaving. I have more proof you're lying. The class deserves to know the truth."
The teacher has a choice: let him pontificate knowing the class will not care, or send him to the principal, presumably to be suspended for his behavior. If that happens she fears his parents may sue.
If I were that teacher I'd let him pontificate. I'd thank him for his time and shake his hand. I'd say that appreciated his thorough and thoughtful analysis. And I'd defend his right to deliver an informed presentation as passionately as I defended my right to strike, if that were necessary. All of this is far less damaging than censuring a student front ofr a class or forcing a student to take your side.
What would you do?
Stuart Nachbar blogs on education and politics at EducatedQuest.com. His new novel. Defending College Heights, is an investigation into the murder of a U.S. Army recruiter. Learn more at DefendingCollegeHeights.com
Print
Email
