I do agree that if a student does not feel comfortable about learning and talking about this topic then nobody should have to be forced to learn about it. Nobody should make somebody sit through something that makes them completely uncomfortable. If somebody is gay and a classmate says something offensive than that isn't fair because by the teacher teaching about it the teacher technically instigated it.
I also agree that one student should not stop the whole class from learning about a topic we all are going to face sometime or another in our life. No matter where anyone goes, there are going to be gay people. Especially as time goes on and more and more states are excepting it and making gay marriages legal.
I do not think there is a right answer to this situation. I also am perfectly fine with people being gay but I do think that because of the uncomfortable part of this topic that it should not be taught it any schools. Schools should just avoid the topic so there is no hurt feeling or any awkwardness in the classroom.
My opinion on this is that teachers should be able to teach about and talk about gay people. I think as a teacher, they should talk about treating everyone equally no matter what and it is important to start that from an early age to children in elementary school. First, it is not fair for anyone to say that gay people should not be talked about or discussed. Just because they are different does not mean that anyone should judge them differently or feel uncomfortable. People feel like gay is a hard topic to discuss openly, that is only due to that fact that people do not speak of it, is is seen as a taboo in our society. I think it is unfair for us to say what gay people can and cannot do, it is not up to anyone to judge them either. I think it's important to show and teach kids how to accept everyone no matter if they are gay or straight and teach them to not be judgmental and to be accepting. Schools should not avoid this topic, it's important to introduced kids to things that push their thinking and make them think about life in a different ways and make them a more educated person, instead of letting them live in a bubble where they ignore things that are more difficult to talk about.
ReplyDeleteI think the entire issue of homosexuals people not being seen as "normal" is because of the lack of discussion of the topic in schools. Schools ALWAYS teach about racism, slavery, the Holocaust and many other uncomfortable situations that actually happened in the past, so why wouldn't we teach about "uncomfortable" situations that are actually happening every day. Every student is uncomfortable with sexual education, for example, but they are forced to learn about it because it is important common knowledge to have, just as knowledge on homosexuality is important to have.
ReplyDeleteI think that there should always exist and on-going open discussion about homosexuality. I do not think that there should be a lesson about "gays" one day in class necessarily however. Because this creates the idea that these people are just another topic to cover within a curriculum. Rather, discussions about homosexuality should be incorporated into other things.
ReplyDeleteYes, someone WILL always get offended. But part of being a teacher calls for you to make decisions about difficult/controversial things such as this.
In one of my TE classes freshman year we watched a documentary about a kindergarten teacher who was introducing children to different social groups in their society, one of which was discussing people who were gay or lesbian. The teacher received backlash from many parents, but she justified her actions by stating that children needed to know and understand the people that lived in their communities. one parent made the comment that not teaching the history of people who were gay and lesbian, was like refusing to teach children about the history of people who are black. Every social group has a unique and important history, and it is important for parents and educators alike to realize that teaching about a specific social group does not mean the teachers will always teach that lifestyle as being right or wrong. Instead, teachers should strive to educate students to respect the histories of all people.
ReplyDeleteI think saying that it should just be avoided is the reason that the LGBTQ community is still so misunderstood. If we as educators can't be open to new ideas, and receptive to speaking openly about different stances on issues, than I don't think we're doing our students a favor. Often the reason people don't like something and want to avoid it is because they don't understand it. I think having open discussions that are respectful and honest can promote a healthy learning environment. There are a lot of ways a student could feel uncomfortable in a classroom and sometimes life gets uncomfortable however, a good way to become comfortable is to talk about it! Even if there is a debate on an issue, as long as students are respectful and receptive to new different points of view, I think you will find positive results.
ReplyDelete