Hm. Has there been any update on the 5 Minute Hate teacher, by the way? The one that made the student an object of ridicule during a midterm?
That dude was bizarre! The only thing that makes sense to me is that he was irritated at the reporter and was mocking the reporter, gleeful now that his quote made it into print. Who uses lead-into-gold as an example of science?
And yeah, I see nothing to defend in this teacher. I do wonder (sincerely) whether actions like this should be punished more harshly than other forms of teacher incompetence: while this form of incompetence in our partisan nation bounds to national attention, other incompetent teachers do things far worse. I had a teacher in high school who, if I recall correctly, tried to exorcise the demons from a friend of mine, but that was just funny: her utter incompetence at pedagogy, not her wacky religious shenanigans, were what made her an atrocious teacher.
Daniel
What’s wrong with it? It’s vile, that’s what. Not the topic of his particular class – I hold no particular religious beliefs and everyone is free to believe as they will. The teacher is not the parent. The teacher has no business going outside his curriculum to try and indoctrinate anyone into anything, be it religion, ID, scientology, or a great and powerful love of the music of Barry Manilow. In this case, his job was to teach science and instead flew off on this religious tangent that had nothing at all to do with what he was supposed to be teaching in a blatant attempt to convert his students (those that did not ascribe to his beliefs, anyway). Just because the subject matter is not disagreeable (though perhaps idealogically opposed) doesn’t make it any better. Had he started playing a theramn telling his class about The Coming of the Great Comet and the glory and wisdom of Um-Thera the Perspirant, it really wouldn’t have been any different. Indoctrination is indocrination and the teacher has no business engaging in it. If the parents want to expose their children to religion or scientology or crackpot fringe cults then that’s their call. The teacher needs to stay the hell on topic and mind his business.
I agree–as I said, I see nothing to defend in this teacher. My only question is whether his sins, by virtue of being partisan bullshit, are worse than the sins of the myriad teachers who just suck as teachers. Those myriad teachers don’t get national attention because their stories aren’t as soundbiteable, but I think they’re the worse problem.
Again, not defending this guy, just wondering whether the response to him is measured.
Daniel
And you were doing so well in the other thread, too. First, wait for “usual suspects” to post, THEN ridicule them.
FTR, I’m liberal/progressive who thinks this was an exceptional display of idiocy from the looney wing of the Democrats, and if I lived in his distrct I’d vote against him in every election possible.
Note to self: don’t reuse windows that are many hours old without previewing. slaps self with life trout
I’m tempted to say that yes, he’s still worse simply by virtue of attempting to steer his student body’s life in a potentially new direction through irrelevant (to the curriculum) exposure to religion by the use of his authority as an educator. If as a teacher he simply sucked that would be one thing. I’ve had plenty of teachers that sucked and disliked them on those grounds, but them being crappy teachers did not affect my life beyond the grades I received. Perhaps I could have scored a little higher had the teachers been more effective at their job, but it’s not like the teacher was the only information source; that’s why we had books. Crappy teachers can, at least in part, be mitigated by useful course material. On the other hand, there is nothing to mitigate a teacher who not only sucks, but replaces your science texts with The Good Book.
Well, he shouldn’t have played an anti-Bush video, but that’s a good song!
It wasn’t initially a political song, but I guess it works in that capacity…
You’re an asshole
you’re an asshole
Yeah, yeah
yeah, yeah,
You’re an asshole
By the way, that’s basically the extent of the “profanity” in the song. Eh, at the end of the song he says “when you’re always full of shit all the time,” but that’s about it. Tempest in a teapot. This is 8th grade, they are hearing much worse every single day than a fairly clever song that simply happens to use some naughty words. The political stuff, inappropriate in a classroom. The “profanity” is inappropriate as well, but it’s certainly not a big deal (it would have been, had the teacher been using it himself).
Yes, I agree the teacher was an idiot, and should have known better (even allowing for all the hyperbole on the other side).
What amuses me is the use of the word “profane”, which in this context apparently means “using naughty words”, but originally meant “not religious”. So when I first read the headline, I thought, "Of course a science teacher should be shgowing his class non-religious videos, even if GW Bush might not be exactly relevant to science (except in bad ways). 
Here’s the video, if you wanna view it: http://www.Filmstripinternational.com/
The only “profane” word it uses is “asshole.”
And I defy Evil One to refute said characterization of any party so denominated therein.
I had to watch the clip before I commented on the OP. The so called profane words on the screen is just “asshole” and the word shit is in the song.
All said above, this didn’t really have any business in a science class. But the clip isn’t anything to get worked up about. It’s kind of stupid really.
I had to see the clip too, before commenting. OK, it isn’t appropriate for a science class, but other than that, so what.
My oh my. That lady figured it all out by herself. She shoulda been a detective :rolleyes:
I’m sure the teacher/candidate whatever got told to not do it again. That’s where it should end.
Besides, I can’t get too worked up, when not so long ago, other groups was trying to push ID and creationism into science class as an “alternate theory”. This blatantly political and anti Bush film is a lot less dangerous and far less damaging. Dumb yes. Evil no.
YeahbutwhatsomeotherteacherdidcriticizingClintonsometimewasworse!
[nitpick]puerile[/nitpick]
There are some things I’m willing to have my kids indoctrinated in in the classroom. Some understanding of ethics, for instance. Basic manners. As well as, of course, the fundimental readin 'riting and 'rithmatic. Accepted factual science and our best understandings of that, including the softer sciences like History, Sociology, Economics, etc.
However, the topics that are not polite conversation for small talk (namely politics and religion, although vivid descriptions of popping your own pimples does, unfortutately, fall into this category) have no place being TAUGHT in school. I don’t have problems with these things being DISCUSSED in school - particularly politics - where the person in authority (the teacher) makes an effort at objectivity - i.e. what do you think about war in Iraq. Having read these articles pro and con, what do you think the Administrations motivations were. The reasons that these things shouldn’t be taught is that its my job as a parent to instill morals, religion, and politics in a child. I don’t need the school making my children into conservatives or liberals, any more than I want them encouraging them to convert to Christianity or Buddhism.
If a student wants to DISCUSS creationism, and the instructor can lead the class on an objective discussion - no problem. If the class wants to discuss “George Bush is a jerk - Bill Clinton is a slut” again, the instructors job is to facilitate the conversation - not insert his own political views.
That is so what. I’m a liberal.
The teacher abused his position of authority, end of story.
Question though; how old are kids in eighth grade? If they’re something like 16, then I’m annoyed but less concerned that if theyre 9 or something.
Its pretty sad that a teacher can go so far off topic and show this kind of thing purely for political or ideological reasons. In science class I expect SCIENCE to be taught…lord knows in public education the subject is glossed over enough just due to time constraints. Don’t waste MORE of it because you need to rant about politics.
Even if it was something I as a parent beileve in whole heartedly I’d still want to take a rather large piece of the teachers hide for doing it were it MY kid in the class…
That said, I really hate when the OP poisons the well by trying to pre-empt supposed criticism. Do the OP and let the chips fall where they may…THEN put in your digs at the backlash.
(BTW, that said I thought it was decent that the OP came back and acknowledged this. Kudos!)
-XT
Eighth grade is around 13 years old – old enough for some of them, at least, to already have strong political opinions, and for most to view a blatantly one-sided video with some scepticism.
I agree. I may be jaded, though, by memory of all the other abominable time-wasting that I experienced in my own schooling.
Eighth-graders are thirteen and fourteen, for the most part. They’re old enough to think that teachers are full of crap.
Daniel
Thanks. That’s less worrying than if they were younger, but teenagers can be manipulated as well as younger kids, especially if you know how to work with them (as a teacher would).
I thought it might be a slam at the chemistry teacher. As in, he’s such an idiot he’s teaching kids “chemistry” that’s four hundred years out of date.