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I realize the last time I took geography the world was still flat and all but I really don't remember it being like this.......

Teacher Rant

Story link

   

IceOwl's high school...

   

One kid owned him. LOL

He actually tried to argue against afghanistan

He actually sounds that he is siding with al quaeda

   

I didn't watch the video yet, no sound here, but.....

Good thing we have guys like you to protect freedom of expression so that people aren't put under investigation when they question the president.

From the news article:

Towards the end of the class, Bennish goes on to say, "I'm not in anyway implying that you should agree with me, I don't even know if I'm necessarily taking a position. But what I'm trying to get you to do is to think about these issues more in depth and not to just take things from the surface."

The Cherry Creek School District is conducting a thorough investigation of the complaint from the Overland High School parent and student concerning comments.

   

Then don't comment

We never said he couldn't say it. We just think he is an idiot.

Thats so bullshit. He is arguing with them, which means he thinks he is right, which means he wants them to agree. He obviously has taken a position from the tone of the clip. They won't think in more depth, they just think he is a phsyco ranting teacher. One kid called him a douche I think. I wasn't sure if I heard it right, but he said something LOL

   

1. You shouldn't comment until you hear it. You might be surprised.

2. A classroom is NOT a setting for personal freedom of expression. Someone at the head of a classroom has a responsibility to a) education, b) the institution, c) to not destroy the atmosphere for openness for the opinions of the students, d) the purposes that brought the students there, e)education.

"c" above, refers in part to the fact that the classroom setting is inherantly unequal, and no instructor worth a sparrow fart would take advantage of that power dynamic.

   

Actually... hmmm Now that I think about it. Kids do not have freedom of speech or expression in school under the schools act, why should teachers? Even if he does, it is an abuse of that power that we can't blatantly call him a fucking retard.

   

I'll watch it after CSI....

   

Did I say he did not have the right to say what he said? He is not under investigation for speaking against Bush or capatlism or Isreal, all of which he is against btw, he is being investigated for using his classroom as a soap box to promote his views instead of doing what he is paid to do. Teach geography. If he wants to go to a protest rally or write letters to the editor or create a blog and state his views then he can fill his boots. A high school classroom is not a soap box. If he did this in a university classroom I would have no problem with it at all, free exchange of ideas is a primary purpose of a university.

There was a radio interview with one of his former students and he quoted one of the questions from a test, " Theodore Roosevelt was an imperial oppressor. Give three examples of this" TR was an imperial oppresor?



He does not know if he has taken a position? That is an utterly disingenuous statement. Here is a quote from the article you negelected to post :



That seems a pretty clear position to me.

   

Not to mention that he is using a position of authority. Some students right now may be sitting there going, hey, maybe this guy is right, without researching any of it themselves.

   

ehh the kids should suck it up... crap teachers build charachter and make you appreciate the good ones more, as well as provide valuable bonding by allowing the kids to bitch about a common grievance.

Besides, 10th grade students are not all that easily impressable i think you give them too little credit.

So long as their grades remain unnaffected (or rather as they should, improve if they contribute to class discussion regardless of their views)



Furthermore I've had conversations with teachers on both sides of the spectrum and my political viewpoints did not bounce like a yo-yo, last year simply because it was 2nd period and i was in pre-calc didn't mean i became a tried and true bush supporter but by 7th period became a steadfast kerry supporter, nor did any of my teachers abuse their power with regards to the political debate. High Schoolers don't need to be coddled as if a single dissenting view will program them, every kid in my health ed class smoked pot and drank alcohol, and we all knew that it was quite possible to be ethically hedonistic, no matter how much the professor used the class as a bully pulpit to change that it was inneffective. Not to mention it is good for students to learn opposing viewpoints and it's even more important that they learn how to disagree with people in positions of authority.

   

most teachers these days express their view to the students. my scocial studies teacher has a similar opinion to this guys about bush, capitalism etc. however he is more moderate about isreal and afghanistan. It simply isn't a problem until somone offends someone else.

I say good on the kid for doing what he believed in and believed was right. i would have done the samehad one of my teachers been spleeling pro-bush, iraq, capitalism etc. in the same manner that this guy was spleeling his leftist views.

I however, don't think this guy should lose his job, all he needs is a warning and maybe a few weeks off. All teachers rant like this on occasion, some more then others, but they all do now a days, its just that most don't get caught because they don't have such extream views.

   

When I was in high school the course World Issues was in the Geography Department......I wouldn't put it past a reporter to call the class geography even if it wasn't.

   

As much as you guys can call him an idiot, the guy is actually pretty smart and full of knoledge. He is using facts through out his course and as stated earlier 10th graders don't follow what their teachers say like sheep. It's probly even a good thing to have kids see the other side of things. It's good to see the oposite side of what the media says, the media is unfortunaetly alot more biased than you think.

What he is saying is true, the CIA did conduct terrorists attacks in Cuba. The CIA also influenced the elections in Chile since 1958. When they (CIA) also financed protests and strikes in Chile. The resons for the strikes was to create instability in the country and make it appear as if it were beeing badly governed. In 1960 the Chilean goverment nationalized its copper so when Allende took over he wouldn't give the US the good deals they were getting under the previous goverment. Anyway, because of the coutry's instability the army is obligated to take control of the country, the Chilean army was so fortunately trained entirely by the US in the US. In 1973 Augusto Pinochet took control of the country, because he was commander in chief, and decided to name himself the dictator of the country. Under Pinochet's control many were tortured and killed brutaly for beeing considered socialist, Pinochet went after all the people that were related to Allende's polical party and killed all that he found, but not much was heard or done about these attrocaties because they were giving good deals to the americans for copper. The US financed the strikes, the trained the Chilean army, sold them weapons and closed their eyes to the brutality. The US defenitly aren't the guardian angels of the world...

At the end he isn't arguing with the kid when he says that they should look into things more indept he is clearly saying that they should inform themselves to be able to create their own opinion.

   

Interesting...................

   

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