Politics in the Classroom: A Few Thoughts and Discussion Points for Educators

So a friend of mine recently asked her Facebook friends if it would be inappropriate to have her students watch the presidential inauguration in class. I will ruin the suspense and say flat out that I do not think it is inappropriate. But, it did bring a number of arguments and concerns to my mind that I think are worth considering and discussing.

The main issue is how vocal should a professor be in expressing his or her own personal political opinions. On one hand, there is the argument that they are in a position of authority over their students, and there is the potential for coercion. Yet on the other hand, we all have a right to free speech, no matter how public your position is! While I am huge proponent of the latter, I feel that professors should be someone discretionary WHERE and HOW they choose to discuss such beliefs. For example, I am friends with a number of faculty members who are Facebook friends with their students. Around election time, it was NOT uncommon to see status updates that made specific and passionate political proclamations. Not just simply a "I'm voting Obama" or a "McCain sucks" but more like "Did anyone see what a fool Sarah Palin made out of herself in those interviews. If not, here's the link". As a future educator, I would not feel comfortable broadcasting those to the Facebook public IF a student who was currently reliant on me for a grade was going to receive that status update. As someone with a lot of experience being a student myself, I know that if a professor or a superior who had some authority over me, or a role in deciding my academic future was making such statements, especially if I disagreed with them, I would feel influenced. NOT influenced as to who *I* would vote for, but influenced as to voicing my own political opinion publically.

I can take the perspective of the academic, of the scholarly and just educator who will not be biased toward his or her student. And indeed, most every professor/instructor I know would not let a student's political opinion color the way she or he grades the student. But, looking at this from a student perspective, quite reasonably an undergrad may not have that same impression. If his or her instructor is vocal about politics in either the classroom, or ion a very interactively public forum like Facebook, might the student feel that expressing his or her own political beliefs in the classroom or on Facebook cause his or her prof/instructor to be biased against him or her if such beliefs clash? Certainly, there may well be those who would be bias against a student (though such a through is terrifying to me), and that very fear of bias, no matter how imagined or real, may well influence students to be less inclined to express their voices.

So...do I feel professors should be quiet in their political beliefs? Not at all. But when it comes to broadcasting them in a location where they have a relationship with a student, there is a potential for line crossing. It did occur to me, what about if the instructor/professor has a blog, or a bumper sticker in their car, or a sign in their window? I don't have a good answer for that. As I said earlier, I think as much as anyone, professors/instructors/teachers need to have just as much of a sense for freedom of expression. And as educators/instructors/teachers have to recognize that it’s not just content we are passing onto our students, but its often ideals and ways of thinking about and interpreting our world. To do anything that may put a student who is relying on you for guidance in a position where he or she perceives a boundary to expression, is doing a disservice to that student. As educators, I feel that students, that encouraging freedom of thought and expression, comes above all else. So, does that mean to not have a blog, or a bumper sticker, or a window sign? Not necessarily. But I think it calls on us to be mindful of the influence this may exert. We need to be mindful (but not censored) in the classroom, on Facebook, and elsewhere. Perhaps above all else, in order to preserve our own sense of freedom of expression, SHARE with students our encouragement for them to think for themselves, to think as individuals! Tell them forthright that it is OKAY to disagree with you, that political disconnection can be a driving force in the spawning of new and wonderful ideas. Tell them that it won't affect their GRADE!

Maybe one doesn't need to be so explicit in every case, but my point is, politics in the classroom, politics broadcast to those we have authority over may indirectly, even if temporarily, muffle voices that should ordinarily be heard loud clear! It is something to be mindful of. So when my friend asks if she should bring the TV into the classroom on inauguration day, my immediate impulse was no, as it may be a broadcast of her political leanings. Yet on further thought, might this not be a great opportunity for discussion and the exchange of ideas between students? Certainly, I don't think she should make a lovefest for Obama, but I think she may consider commenting that political discussion or ANY discussion of ideas in her classroom is encouraged, and will not personally impact any student's grade.

This is just one set of thoughts on a very complicated and multi-faceted issues. If anyone disagrees or has additional insights and opinions, I would love the hear them!