By Pecier Carpena Decierdo
Being a teacher is a heavy and sacred burden. Sometimes it can be daunting. Sometimes, it’s just frustrating. This is the reason why I find it difficult. And this is the reason why I love it.
Well, I also have other reasons for loving being a high school teacher. For one it keeps that pesky disease called Adulthood at bay – teaching kids is like having unlimited access to the Fountain of Youth. And it also puts me in a special position where I can share not only what I know, but also what I think. And this is where my dilemma begins.
Here’s the dilemma. The school where I teach in, while not exactly a Christian “school” (thank FSM), is not the type of school where you can preach progressive values and not fear for your job. (Well, is there such a school in this damned country of ours?) The school has a list of subjects that is almost perfect (it’s an arts and sciences high school, so it has subjects ranging from voice and drama to calculus and investigative research), except for one catch: it has Bible class. Also, there’s this awkward clause in the school’s constitution that says every teacher in the said school must believe not only that there is a God, but that this God directs the course of human history. (The exact wording was far worse.) Of course I asked my superiors right away if it’s okay that I am an atheist, so they said fine, just don’t proselytize. What’s to there to preach regarding atheism, anyway?
And then comes the second part of my dilemma. Indeed, atheism is a negative philosophy. In fact, it is not a philosophy at all, so there is really nothing to preach regarding atheism. Atheism is just a critique of theism, a negation of its central claim. But aside from being an atheist, I am also a secular humanist, and secular humanism is a positive philosophy, a distinct and well-defined worldview; and a worldview incompatible with Christianity and mainstream religion in general, to say the least. A secular humanist tends to have a certain stand on a host of philosophical, political and social issues, issues which are sensitive, issues which people have strong feelings for. Issues like homosexuality and gay marriage, premarital sex and sex in general, relationships, love and lust, contraceptives, abortion and euthanasia, issues which are close to the hearts of curious and confused youths, and issues which their parents and other authorities have very strong opinions on.
So, should I be open about my secular humanism to my students when I know well that my opinions will bear the seal of a teacher’s authority? After all, am I not a math and science teacher, not a social science teacher? Can’t I just be silent about my opinions, wear the robe of neutrality on sensitive issues and get on with science education? After all, a good science education is an avenue to progressive thinking, is it not? Perhaps there’s no need to use my influence as teacher to “preach” secular humanist values. Perhaps I can just teach science well and let the brightest among the kids find their own way to secular humanism. After all, we won’t talk about premarital sex and gay marriage in science class, are we? No, we’re going to talk about the theory of evolution by means of natural selection, the biological facts of sex, the big bang theory, stuff like that, stuff which are not sensitive at all (unless of course you live in the Bible Belt).
I’ll teach science, no more, no less. We’re going to talk about how the universe works, so perhaps we are going to touch on the existence (or rather nonexistence) of a disembodied, cosmic overlord who governs every single event in the universe. But that’s just theism versus atheism, which is, I dare say, not as sensitive as traditional religion versus secular humanism or conservative values versus liberal ones. That’s the least that I would do for secular humanism as a teacher.
That was my stand at the beginning of the school year. Never mind the fact that the other teachers can be nauseatingly open about their religion in class (one Math teacher begins each session with a Catholic prayer, an English teacher is popular for chanting the line “God is good… all the time,” all the time, while one music teacher is even in the ministry). Never mind the fact that there’s even a Bible class while there is no philosophy class. Never mind that many of the guidelines on student behavior are downright “Christian” (or should I say Victorian?). I won’t stoop down to their level, I said to myself. I won’t use my authority to influence my student’s opinions on things that have nothing to do with my subject matter. That’s it.
Well, was that it? Nope. But the second part – the better part – of my story is for another time.
[This article is reposted from the author’s personal blog, Physics, Philosophy and Phantasmagoria.]
I agree, as freethinkers, we have to teach our countrymen to "think." This is a gargantuan task as the religious upbringing of most inherently dulls this capacity since belief in religion entails suspension of one's critical faculties…put that in a "traditional environment where kids are not allowed to question parents, teachers or elders" and there you have it…a population of mindless zombies.
You can ask your typical religious person as to why they believe what they believe and chances are they won't even be able to give you a logical or reasonable answer. I bet most of us free-thinkers know more of the Bible than most of them even do. Most do not even understand the foundations and reasons for the faith they profess. Teaching people to think can either cause them to turn their backs on religion OR strengthen their faith so that it becomes real to them and they start living out its tenets- still a good thing I think- better than the hypocrisy we see in Filipino society everyday.
Arrrgghh! Bitin naman! Hehe, I can't wait to read part two. (^_^)
On a more serious note, I think you'd do well to listen to nomadic gadfly: "Facilitating the learning process of enabling the students to think critically is a noble task."
Don't try to preach secular humanism. Instead, focus on showing them how to think critically. You didn't become a secular humanist simply because you were told to, did you? I bet you made that decision after a careful process of critical thinking. So you can show them how to think critically, how to use logic and reason and the scientific method, then let them decide for themselves.
"Don't try to preach secular humanism. Instead, focus on showing them how to think critically. You didn't become a secular humanist simply because you were told to, did you? I bet you made that decision after a careful process of critical thinking. So you can show them how to think critically, how to use logic and reason and the scientific method, then let them decide for themselves."
Excellent point. But did I not say that already in the article? Not to mention, I'll say it again in part two. Even more, I'll narrate how I actually did it.
Another thing: What if a student says in class that he opposes gay marriage and that he thinks gays are going to burn in hell? What should a teacher do, just tell them the keep quite and go on with the lesson, or should she explain to them why there is nothing wrong with gay marriage?
Now, that actually happened in my class, and in the sequel of the article, I will tell the story of what I did.
But how about you, what would you do if you were in my shoes?
If I were in your shoes? That's hard to say since I don't know what it's like to be in your shoes. I imagine I'd try to play the devil's advocate and proceed to ask questions that would make the student examine his stance. But then again, depending on the situation, it might not be a good idea. There's so many things that I don't know about the situation you presented. Was it during your math class? How did the topic of gay marriage come up? What was the student's (for lack of a better word) "aura" when he made that statement? Did he say it with an angry or passionate tone? Stuff like that.
Ultimately, I just don't know. Perhaps I shouldn't have said anything because besides restating your point there's nothing useful I can really add.
I'm curious about what you did and I'm looking forward to the sequel.
Oh and I looked at your blog and I liked it. 🙂
Facilitating the learning process of enabling the students to think critically is a noble task.
Teaching science with a secular humanist viewpoint does not cripple critical thinking.
Using one's authority to "influence" the students' opinion is not good education.
"Using one's authority to "influence" the students' opinion is not good education."
I party comprehend your point and I very much agree. Even a shallow reading of my article will make clear that there is no disagreement between us.
But is it really possible to for a teacher not to influence his or her students? The answer: no. That is why being a teacher is dangerous, daunting and fun. Not to mention very important.
I think you should implicitly share your secular humanist ideas to your class. One of the reasons I became an atheist is because of a particular teacher when I was in high school. No, she wasn't an atheist, she was, and still is, a fundie. She would tell us about her bible and stuff and some moronic stories, in which I always questioned her. She never gave me a straight answer but instead scold me for not believing her stories and always asking questions. From that very moment I started questioning about religion and eventually became an atheist, and because of that teacher, I thank her that she scold me and never gave me straight answers.