This can shatter the confidence of the student and may even make him lose interest in the subject and teacher's views. For the development of students' critical thinking skills and their confidence, responsible teaching is highly desirable.
Teachers need to understand that while they can foster discussion and debate, it is not necessary to impose their views on any student. Students come from variety of backgrounds and hence may need some healthy debate and discussion to change or alter their views if they need to be changed. They shouldn't be forced to believe something or discard some view. In the case of Virginia Foster for example, we learned that when she didn't want to share a table with a black student, her supervisor told her that this was how things worked at the college and if she didn't want to do it, she could leave. This is a classic example of responsible behavior. She was not asked to change her views, she was not criticized for having such strong racial views but instead was simply told what college believed in. It was then up to her to change her views and become more tolerated or stay as she was.
This is the kind...
I remember that during our political science class during my college years, a student said something against the leader of the then ruling party, my teacher who had been a supporter of the party refused to oppose her views. Instead she simply listened to her and allowed other students to engage in a discussion. In the end she said, "I have worked with this person as a community organizer and if he is doing what he is doing based on his
personal beliefs than I support him all the way for I knew what he believed in but if it is for political gains alone, I might have to rethink on this. Only time will tell."
This made a huge impression on a lot of students. It was a sign of our teacher's
maturity and her ability to admit she could be wrong. It also told students not to jump to conclusions too soon for everyone deserves some time before they should be judged. Responsible teaching is an art which must be learned. It can only be learned if teachers take it upon themselves to stay completely objective during discussions but still know uphold values that are universally just and fair. This is because while students deserve a chance to be heard uncritically, they also need guidance. And if a teacher is not sure of his or her own views on different subjects, they may find it hard to offer much-needed guidance. Hence it is critical to have sound views which are fair and just while also having an open mind. Higher education plays a huge role in our lives and I would definitely want to make my students' experience unique and special with fair and responsible teaching.
