[ot-caption title=”Social Science teacher Trish Everett (via Jodie Kahan, Junior)”]

Objectivity. Is it really as simple as people make it out to be?  Everyone has opinions; it is simply human nature. Subjectivity can be seen in a simple description of something unimportant, like food, or in something as significant as a charged political debate, like the death penalty. Can people truly hide their thoughts and remain neutral? And, how do educators maintain this balance? Teachers are supposed to do everything possible to keep their personal political beliefs out of their lesson plans. However, following this standard is not always easy.

When discussing the death penalty, a teacher might not inform the class whether he or she supports the controversial issue, but the slight difference between the word “kill” and the phrase “put to death” can be very telling. Most people will agree that put to death implies a more humane and reasonable death while the word kill implies a heinous act. The teacher might also elaborate more on either the pros or the cons of the situation, depending on his or her views.

United States History teacher Mrs. Sollitto spends her days lecturing on topics such as the American Civil War, the Declaration of Independence, and the Civil Rights movement. These are a few of the most controversial times throughout our country’s history. Mrs. Sollitto believes that it is very important for teachers to objectively present all the facts, but she admits that she sometimes has trouble with this herself. She said, “It is sometimes difficult for me to ensure that all the facts have been discussed so as to avoid inadvertently biasing an understanding by the students of the causes or consequences of an event in American History. This is especially difficult when discussing current events because often times not all the facts are known.”

While many students feel that teachers should not include their beliefs, others are curious where their educators stand on certain issues. Senior Roshni Singh stated, “Nobody is truly able to stay objective all the time and some teachers are better at it than others. I think they should be able express their opinions to us.”

Ms. Everett teaches government and politics in the Social Sciences Department.  In class, she discusses the effects of certain laws and heavily debated national issues. During these conversations, it could be difficult to refrain from expressing her opinion, but Ms. Everett feels a certain responsibility to her students to remain neutral.  She says, “I definitely see it as my obligation to help my students figure out their own political perspectives, not necessarily just to foist mine upon them. I love to have class discussions where students are able to express their thoughts as well as their reasoning behind these thoughts.” She believes that open conversations are a great way to get ideas flowing and allow students to see the different perspectives on one issue.

Maybe it would valuable for students to hear their teachers’ perspectives before constructing their own ideas.  On the other hand, maybe those perspectives would affect the students’ ability to formulate their own opinions. Although, there is a substantial difference between expressing an opinion and compelling others to agree with it, should teachers remain completely objective? And if not, where do we draw the line?