This Teacher Was Discussing Hurricanes When A Student Spouted A GOP Conspiracy Theory, And Waaaaay Too Many Teachers Can Relate
You've probably heard of Ask Reddit, where people can ask the internet pretty much anything they want. Well teachers have their own safe space on the site called r/Teachers to discuss the things they're rarely paid enough to deal with, share success stories, and ask for advice.
Recently, u/BikerJedi, who said they're a teacher, shared an experience on the page that sparked both conversation and debate. "We are learning about weather, and have been talking about hurricanes. A student today told me his dad was saying the Democrats were making and controlling hurricanes. I teach science, and this was said in science class."
"Soon is our lesson on hurricanes, so they will understand how they form then. For now, I explained that we could not make — let alone control — hurricanes," they said.
"I'm quite sure there will be a complaint lodged because I'm a liberal or something. I already had one complaint a few years back for saying that masks and vaccines work."
A lot of teachers responded to the post by sharing similar experiences of students questioning things like evolution or climate change in learning environments because of their parents, or political affiliations. Here's what they said:
1."Hey, right now AP US History teachers have to explain how FEMA is not 'woke' and controlled 'by the deep state,' as there are groups attacking relief efforts. I hate this timeline."
2."I did have one eighth-grader try to tell me that the COVID-19 vaccine damages the immune system. I told him that I would listen to him if he found me three peer-reviewed academic articles that shared his viewpoint. I told him, 'Let me have a week to read them, and then we would have a discussion about it.' He hasn't brought it up since."
3."When we had the eclipse last year a kid in my room didn't return his viewing permission slip because he 'knows what the government is trying to do.'"
"He didn't really have an answer when I asked if he was going to be drastically safer 200 yards away in a classroom instead."
4."I once got called to the carpet for teaching fourth-graders that climate change can be from both natural and human causes, and that the trend shows that our average temperature is causing the glaciers to melt. You know, science standards and all. Got accused by some parents of inciting panic through liberal indoctrination."
5."During a professional development day in my last K–12 district, our director of curriculum apologized to our science teachers because they 'have to teach that evolution nonsense,' since it was included in the state standards. She also wanted to show us 'real-life examples' of her talking points in action, so she played clips from a Will Smith movie and made us discuss them."
"Thanks to them, we can’t bring in any reading material longer than a page that’s not on the state’s pre-approved list."
6."Stick to the facts and only use credible sources. I had a student write on a multiple choice test that they didn't believe in climate change (the question was about the definition of climate). Years later the student told my daughter how embarrassed she is now that she recognizes climate change."
7."I teach biology at a JUCO in Alabama. I get eye rolls when we go over evolution. Some of these students literally believe the Earth is 6,000 years old and the Earth and the life on it have always looked like it does now."
"When we go over mRNA, and I make them code for proteins, I make sure to point out this is how the COVID-19 vaccine works, and I get eye rolls."
8."Yeah, I have a globe, but, 'My mama said the Earth is flat.' OK, then. I can’t even with these people. But it’s not the kids’ fault they inherited this world."
9."I had a complaint about how I was teaching leftist dogma when I was teaching about logical fallacies. Apparently the right doesn’t believe in logic or coherent arguments. Shocker."
10.And finally, "I've been dealing with similar crap for a while now. My standard response has become, 'There is no evidence to support that claim.' I figure that's more tactful than, 'That's the stupidest thing I've ever fucking heard.'"
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
What do you think about these conspiracies coming up in classroom settings? Let us know in the comments.
