Comments on: Life Science Teachers….

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 01:14:05 +0000

There is actually case law on this, and no, it is not OK. Teachers play a special role in the classroom, as role models, leaders, etc. and there is an important social and power differential. A teacher’s suggestion is too easily a form or promotion.

By: Crimson Wife

Crimson Wife — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:10:05 +0000

While *REQUIRING* government-school students to read a book such as “Finding Darwin’s God” or Dr. Francis Collins’ “The Language of God” would be a violation of the First Amendment, I don’t see why merely offering it as a suggestion for outside reading in response to a student’s inquiry would be. It’s voluntary and not part of the class, so that to me would fall under a personal interaction between the teacher and the student rather than an official school sanction of the book.I can remember my high school Latin teacher giving me the name of a Latin hymnal after I asked him about it one time after class. I didn’t take that as the school promoting Catholicism but rather as a personal favor.

By: paul

paul — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:10:18 +0000

Well, you can always punt.I've found that some students, once they learn you can be side-tracked with off topic questions, will constantly ask questions aimed to side track (presumably to keep less "testable information" in the lecture).The answer: just succinctly state that the student's questions are a little outside the lecture or the scope of the course, and offer to talk the student after class or during office hours.That will usually discourage 90% of the troublemakers because they don't want to waste their time with this nonsense, only your time.If the student protests about you not answering the questions, you can quickly squelch them by promising some homework questions on the topic for the next assignment. Be sure to follow through with the assignment. Then let the students police themselves.(Besides, the assignment will ensure that the students really do learn that these creationist claims are nonsense; it's knowledge everyone should be armed with).