"Hey Teacher..."

Condom.  There, I said it.

In 1987 when I started teaching religion (yes, religion), I was forbidden from uttering that word until a student mentioned it first.  Yes, we were in the middle of a frightening epidemic of AIDS and yes, the single best way to prevent the spread of the disease was ....well... you know.  So what was a young teacher, with fine hair, parted in the middle (stop laughing) to do?  When the time came to discuss ethics and moral decision making around sex, I entered the class, wrote C-O-N-D-O-M on the board and waited for someone to read it aloud.

Teachers need to teach what their students need to know even if it runs counter to power and to culture.

As Canadians, we puzzle over how, even after the reprehensible behaviour of Trump, he manages to maintain a core support somewhere around 40% of the American population.  If you haven't had a chance, check out this site Five Thirty Eight.   Look at states where Donald Trump has over a 90% chance of winning.  Those states are: Arkansas, Kentucky Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Wyoming, Utah, Nebraska, Idaho, West Virginia.   Of those states, according to Talk Poverty , only Nebraska has a rate of higher education in the top half of the Union.

Clinton, in one of her weaker moments, called these people  "deplorable" and I will forgive this categorization since she basically has had to spend countless hours with The Donald, and who after having to do that, wouldn't be a little edgy from time to time?  Trump's supporters are not deplorable.  They are in need of quality public education and brave teachers.

Unfortunately, some in these states and a few in our country, argue that education is a form of social engineering or perhaps in the words of Roger Watters "thought control".  You remember the song:  "We don't need no education, we don't need no thought control.  Hey Teacher leave those kids alone. " Teachers, quite rightly, cringe at this song. Yes, the double negative is enough but no Roger, we won't leave those kids alone.

It's not thought control or left wing propaganda or political bias when you are introducing concepts such as; critical thinking, basic human rights and human dignity, equality, fairness and most importantly for our current situation, decency.   How did we get to the point where teaching about these ideas can seem revolutionary and counter culture to a segment of the population?  So we beat on, boats against the tide, teaching students that equity, fairness, (safe sex), kindness and human decency are essential.

We teach what our students need to know and I offer this little tip for you.  The next time you hear that Pink Floyd song, insert a little Bruce Cockburn.  It doesn't go with the melody but it will lift your spirits.

Hey Teacher, "kick at the darkness until it bleeds daylight."