EDU: SS 9/26/25 by

addisonpeterson662 — 2025-09-26 14:13:21 UTC

I believe that some teachers are afraid to teach certain topics because we live in a world that it surrounded by media and controversy. Teachers are held to high expectations and it makes me think about students telling teachers that they don't have a life outside of the school and I feel like as of right now thats what it feels like for them.

izzy

izzyraeheffernan — 2025-09-26 14:13:28 UTC

Some teachers might be afraid to teach certain topics because it can lead students to think differently than the way the teacher intended. History can be controversial and needs to be taught, but in the most straight up factual way.

2025-09-26 14:13:48 UTC

Teaching politics/history is fine, teaching political/historical VIEWS is not

cademwarren — 2025-09-26 14:13:57 UTC

People seem fine with indoctrination as long as it matches with their personal beliefs, there is a lot of hypocrisy surrounding the topic of what should and shouldn't be taught

Kaylee

k0915255 — 2025-09-26 14:14:25 UTC

I think that it is important to teach the facts of history. It is important to teach the facts but not spread your own opinion on it

addisonpeterson662 — 2025-09-26 14:14:34 UTC

I agree with Ashley because learning about all sides of history is important, and when you're only taught one side, it's more dangerous when people don't know the whole story.

Hannah J

2025-09-26 14:15:36 UTC

I think why some teachers might be scared to teach certain things its because of personal beliefs or comfort level. But also how teachers are still learning the history so I agree with it might be hard to teach those certain things because they are still learning.

cademwarren — 2025-09-26 14:16:45 UTC

Do you think that avoiding discussion of horrific aspects of history condones them in a way? I don't think it is necessarily wrong to acknowledge how certain groups of people were historically mistreated, and not discussing it does not change the fact that it happened.

izzyraeheffernan — 2025-09-26 14:16:51 UTC

All things that need to be taught should be taught, there is going to be backlash. Use facts and not your own opinions and biases.

alyssawickman1 — 2025-09-26 14:16:51 UTC

When teachers are teaching the subject of anything in history, I think that they should not only teach their views on it. If a teacher chooses to teach from their viewpoint, then they also need to teach about the opposing view. Just because they are the teacher does not mean that their viewpoint is the right one. The best thing to do as a teacher is to teach the actual facts and allow students to develop their own viewpoints on the topics.

Madi

MadiStroschein — 2025-09-26 14:17:13 UTC

I completely agree, if we don't teach about history then how are we supposed to get better and prevent this things from happening in the future like Nina said.

gunnarkeeney04 — 2025-09-26 14:17:14 UTC

I feel that History is important to teach. It is important to provide both sides of the argument and not just your opinion or views. Provide the students with the truth.

Journey

hreven — 2025-09-26 14:17:51 UTC

It is important to teach history and what is going on in the world right now, but teachers are scared to do so because of the controversy and disrespect some people tend to bring. That is why I think it's important to limit people's opinion in the classroom.

Hannah J

2025-09-26 14:18:16 UTC

Make sure you have backup information so learn so much about before you teach it to them.

Kaylee

k0915255 — 2025-09-26 14:19:12 UTC

History is very important to teach and students need to learn what happened. Even if it makes students feel uncomfortable, it is very important to know so that wer can learn from it.

cademwarren — 2025-09-26 14:19:45 UTC

the ability to confront personal guilt and shame over historic events is a valuable skill to have, and you can learn from it.

Madi

MadiStroschein — 2025-09-26 14:20:51 UTC

Teachers shouldn't be afraid to teach about the past when it's true. It shouldn't have to be getting so political because it is facts. Learning about slavery and other topics like that are so important in order for us to grow.

2025-09-26 14:21:10 UTC

I think trying to hide and cover up history can put us at risk of repeating it. I think students learning about political/controversial topics can develop their communication skills and open their minds of different points of views

Hannah k

k0926843 — 2025-09-26 14:21:10 UTC

I think history is only important to teach to students if we are going to be up-front and honest with the history. I feel like when we leave out parts, it kind of disregards teaching them in the first place.

As teachers part of your job is to be a moral guide, why shouldn't that apply to history as well?

piersonmp3 — 2025-09-26 14:21:13 UTC

Think about all the evil throughout history, should we really be teaching that without moral guidance? I'll be honest, I'm not capable of teaching about things like Nazis and Slavery without calling out the evil.

izzyraeheffernan — 2025-09-26 14:21:25 UTC

I also think that the way you teach something and the way you word things needs to be based on who is in your classroom. Being more aware of the diversity within your room can change the way you teach something or word it. Obviously, teach all students the same thing.

Hannah J

2025-09-26 14:21:35 UTC

How do teachers balance the fear of consequences(like losing their job, upsetting parents,or being criticized) with their responsibility to educate?

Abi

2025-09-26 14:21:38 UTC

I think history should be taught through and through. Students need know facts and not just personal opinion on political/historical views.

alyssawickman1 — 2025-09-26 14:21:48 UTC

I agree with Elaina, do not be afraid to tell your students that you don't know the answer right away. There is nothing wrong with that, because you are showing the students that you actually are interested in their questions instead of just saying something random that you think would answer that students' questions.

addisonpeterson662 — 2025-09-26 14:22:19 UTC

I think it's beneficial to be uncomfortable with a topic because people who have gone through history have experienced many things that we wouldn't have to worry about daily.

Madi

MadiStroschein — 2025-09-26 14:22:25 UTC

I didn't think of generational trauma and that makes me even more an advocate on why it's important to discuss in the classroom.

cademwarren — 2025-09-26 14:22:41 UTC

What would you all do if confronted by parents when teaching "uncomfortable" topics? Some parents will not see what you do as "objective truth" regardless of how hard you try

gunnarkeeney04 — 2025-09-26 14:24:48 UTC

It is essential to present students with the truth when discussing history, regardless of whether it is an uncomfortable subject or not, to help prevent further issues from arising.

izzyraeheffernan — 2025-09-26 14:25:09 UTC

The people banning books should not be banned. All that is happening is they are taking away from students' knowledge and learning; students form opinions from learning about controversial topics.

Patrice

socialsciences6 — 2025-09-26 14:25:18 UTC

Iowa is trying to eliminate Evolution from our science standards. Also a form of banning.

2025-09-26 14:25:23 UTC

I think banning books can have the reverse effect, causing students to be more curious about why the books are banned

Hannah K

k0926843 — 2025-09-26 14:26:02 UTC

Personally from my own experience, I was talking with my parents recently how I feel like a lot of my education was fabricated "lies" or irrelevent information that had no real reason to be taught to me and my peers.

Abi

2025-09-26 14:26:29 UTC

I think banning books makes the students want to read them more. I did some research in my past class on this and more students tend to read banned books than books that are already in the library

Kaylee

k0915255 — 2025-09-26 14:26:30 UTC

I think that books should not be banned unless there is something super super horrible in it. Books about slavery, lgbtq+, and other issues should not be banned because there is nothing wrong with them.

2025-09-26 14:26:58 UTC

I would explain the educational benefits to discussing subjects outside of personal beliefs and opinions if a parent confronted me about curriculum

Banning books is foolish, there are definitely books that should just not be mentioned or discouraged, but those arent the ones being banned.

piersonmp3 — 2025-09-26 14:27:37 UTC

Hannah K

k0926843 — 2025-09-26 14:29:17 UTC

I think when we ban books from students it makes it much harder for them to really dive into what interests them. Making it more difficult for them to access good first hand sources, I feel like it really limits their own curiosity because it is not an option for them to look into while at school, and some students only access to books is the school library.

Hannah J

2025-09-26 14:29:56 UTC

I agree with ashley if there is a big problem go up to a high education like a principle we as teachers are following iowa standards and we have to teach those things so if a parent has a problem with that or how you teach them aks them guestions like what or how do you not like the way im a teaching

izzyraeheffernan — 2025-09-26 14:31:14 UTC

Should religion/bible reading be taught in public schools?

addisonpeterson662 — 2025-09-26 14:31:35 UTC

There was a quote from one of our sources, and a teacher from Florida said, " Our library now looks like a ghost town." With this book ban, students have less interest in diving into books and have a desire to just look it up on the internet.

Hannah J

2025-09-26 14:32:00 UTC

what role should teaches play in addressing controversial or sensitive topics in the classroom?

What if the State Standards are bad? Would you teach other things as well? Would you teach different things?

piersonmp3 — 2025-09-26 14:32:32 UTC

As an example (Patrice mentioned this), Iowa is trying to remove Evolution education.

cademwarren — 2025-09-26 14:33:03 UTC

Marin is right, children should be aware of what is and isn't appropriate, but it is important to teach things in an age appropriate manner. Knowledge is a resource and it does students a disservice to deny them that resource.

addisonpeterson662 — 2025-09-26 14:33:05 UTC

I've seen a teacher on TikTok have a song that she taught her young students about their private areas, and in the song, the kids also say that they will tell their mom, dad, teacher, etc.

Madi

MadiStroschein — 2025-09-26 14:33:06 UTC

communication with a child is so important. If you're a teacher or parent getting to know the child is the number one barrier that if you get past can make the child 100x more comfortable in most situations.

Journey

hreven — 2025-09-26 14:33:42 UTC

I also think that kids should be aware of things that could happen to them but yes, speaking to them at their age level is essential to consider.

cademwarren — 2025-09-26 14:36:38 UTC

Buzzwords get more opposition than saying what you mean. It is easier to argue against "DEI" than "making every student feel welcome, recognized, and appreciated"

Madi

MadiStroschein — 2025-09-26 14:37:26 UTC

Teachers are afraid because you never know who you are going to offend, or what students have been taught differently so it's a whole shift, they also don't want to lose their jobs. It is more uncomfortable because there could be consequences when that shouldn't be our reality.

Hannah J

2025-09-26 14:37:38 UTC

how do students benefit from learning about issues that some might consider uncomfortable?

addisonpeterson662 — 2025-09-26 14:38:45 UTC

I think a lot of people abbreviate words for the ease of the word, but it also cuts out the emotion from them.

Is being a Teacher an offensive job?

piersonmp3 — 2025-09-26 14:38:47 UTC

Given the current political climate and the way education is under attack from all sides, is it just part of being a teach that you will likely offend or upset someone because of a way or topic you taught?

Hannah J

2025-09-26 14:39:40 UTC

what happens to education when teachers avoid important but controversial issues?

addisonpeterson662 — 2025-09-26 14:40:58 UTC

In my government class, we all had to learn about each side of the political spectrum, and my teacher had told us to let go of our parents' views and to build our own.

Thank you everyone for being so active on the Padlet today! It helps a lot since I'm not physically there <3

piersonmp3 — 2025-09-26 14:41:29 UTC

izzyraeheffernan — 2025-09-26 14:41:31 UTC

I think exposure is good for students because they need to form their own opinions rather than learned opinions from parents and teachers.

Kaylee

k0915255 — 2025-09-26 14:42:26 UTC

I think that exposure to things is very important for students and I totally agree with the grade part. Elementary school is very different from high school

Hannah J

2025-09-26 14:42:40 UTC

I agree with tyler it does matter about the age and grade level

Madi

MadiStroschein — 2025-09-26 14:43:01 UTC

I agree that we should make that connection for them, if they aren't exposed are unaware how are they supposed to think for themselves. If we give them the tools they can build.

cademwarren — 2025-09-26 14:43:09 UTC

is it wrong to say simply "some people are gay" to a first grader and leave it at that?

2025-09-26 14:43:53 UTC

I do think LGBTQ can be taught in ways that kindergarteners can understand all the way up to they get older. Additionally, refusing to acknowledge LGBTQ people can make students feel rejected or ignored. Imagine hiding away Christians. It would be hurtful and would cause a lot of commotion

cademwarren — 2025-09-26 14:45:26 UTC

okay so conversation moved away from banned books, but I have thoughts still. I personally think that banning books is bad across the board, but what about books with hateful or harmful rhetoric?

alyssawickman1 — 2025-09-26 14:45:38 UTC

In my high school, we had a lockdown browser that blocked a lot of websites when we were researching history topics. Should schools be blocking all these websites and limiting students' learning?

Madi

MadiStroschein — 2025-09-26 14:45:53 UTC

Protecting little children is also important but I don't think we should hide it. If they ask or are exposed I think we have to be honest and not hide it.

Hannah K

k0926843 — 2025-09-26 14:46:29 UTC

I think detail is something that should for sure be considered when talking to younger students about controversial things. We obviously don't want to over-expose a child to things they cannot comprehend yet, but making sure they have a basic level of understanding I think is just as important.

Patrice

socialsciences6 — 2025-09-26 14:47:46 UTC

As a parent, would you be fearful of a teacher sharing that 2 same sex that is bad even if your family believes it is acceptable?

cademwarren — 2025-09-26 14:48:12 UTC

If teaching isn't our responsibility, what is? (sorry for the unfair generalization but its somethin to think about)

gunnarkeeney04 — 2025-09-26 14:49:00 UTC

I feel that honesty is important in any subject, not just history. Without telling students the truth, it can allow students to understand things from their own views, and not allow for listening to another perspective

izzyraeheffernan — 2025-09-26 14:49:25 UTC

I think that mentioning to kids what is normal, like same sex parents, etc. I like to tell kids that it's okay or just mention it so it's not a huge surprise. I think bringing things up is important, maybe not teaching it.

Love is love.

piersonmp3 — 2025-09-26 14:51:36 UTC

Children can and should understand love, it doesn't have to devolve into any conversation beyond that in lower grades. Yes some men love men, some women love women, etc. Teaching sex topics can come later, but for young kids it's fair to just tell them that people can love people and that's okay.

alyssawickman1 — 2025-09-26 14:52:17 UTC

Going off of what Tyler said, you need to make sure that you are putting your opinions, viewpoints, and biases aside. You need to treat all of those students the same, and you need to make sure that all children feel welcomed from one to the next.

2025-09-26 14:52:55 UTC

I think sex ed is incredibly important and should be talked about to highschoolers about the risks being intimate can come with. Many schools ban it because they believe it encourages students to have sex instead

Kaylee

k0915255 — 2025-09-26 14:54:04 UTC

I think that it is important to teach students that it is normal and just like one student in your class has a mom and dad another might have 2 moms and no dad. Just like a student at my work she is a little first grader and she has two moms. I think that it is very important for students to know that there is nothing wrong with that and it is a family just like theirs.

2025-09-26 14:54:31 UTC

I feel what's heavily burdened on teachers to teach students is actually a parents job. Parents get off way to scot free with bias opinions, resulting in conversations like this where is expected to be a teachers responsibility to discuss topics like LGBTQIA+