"Ok, Everybody up!"
This was me, to my third graders, every morning for a month and half. The morning announcements always ended with "And now please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance." I looked around the room, making eye contact with the students who were slow to get up, letting them know I expected compliance (respect, I called it).
I began to recite with them "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands........" At this point I always wondered how my immigrant students(about a third of my class) felt about reciting these words. Being 8 and 9 year olds (and speaking English as a second language), I guess they probably didn't even know what they were saying, and other than the fact that this routine was interrupting their progress on the morning work, they probably didn't care. I also wondered how their parents might feel about it. Did they want their children pledging allegiance to this country? Did they even know it was going on?
I continued to recite the pledge with the students, day after day, always leaving out the words "under god" and hoping that none of my students noticed and asked me about it. (They never did.) But I always questioned whether or not I should be making all of the students stand and recite the pledge. I was subbing for a maternity leave at the end of the year and was trying to keep the classroom routines and expectations as close as possible to what they were with the regular teacher. There were several things I did as a sub, that I would probably change if it were my own classroom for the entire year. But in this case, I'm just not sure what to do. It is a school wide expectation that everyone stands and recites the pledge together. I'm not sure that there are any students who have strong feelings about it one way or the other, but I feel like a hypocrite enforcing this expectation when I am personally uncomfortable with it - especially those two little words that I refuse to say.
I know that a teacher has to be consistent and adamant that 100% of the students are following the rules and expectations, otherwise the students will test you and little by little, your authority is undermined and the discipline in the classroom falls apart. During my month and a half in the classroom, I let things get slightly out of hand during the pledge. I told the kids to stand and be respectful, but I didn't really enforce any discipline during this time. Some students would stand and say the pledge proudly. Some would reluctantly stand, but keep their pencils in hand and bend down to work when they thought I wasn't looking. Others would just sit and continue working until I motioned them up with my hands halfway through the pledge, at which time they would stand so slowly that the pledge would be over by the time they were up. I never lectured the students or even made my expectations clear about this routine. I guess it was because I wasn't even clear in my own mind about what I expected from them. I wasn't comfortable making them recite something I didn't even want to recite myself. But when I have my own classroom (hopefully this fall!), I do not want to give the students the impression that my directions are just a suggestion and that they can get away with disrespecting me and the classroom rules.
So, what do I do? Do I make it the expectation that all the students stand to show respect, but not make them actually say the words? Do I let them remain sitting if they choose, but expect them to be quiet and respectful of those who want to recite the pledge? If my expectations are different from other teachers and from the school wide policy, how do I explain why to my students without getting myself in trouble? Do I continue to recite the pledge myself, the way it was originally written (without those two words), not recite it at all, or give in and recite it the way the children have learned it? (I can tell you right now, that's not going to happen.) What do I say to the students if they notice that I leave out "under god?" Can I enforce a school wide expectation without being a hypocrite? Can I not enforce a school wide expectation without getting in trouble? And since the students most likely don't know and don't care what they are saying anyway, does it even matter?
If nothing else you may have answered your own question in the previous post. You're being forced by law to promote matters of conscience, both beyond the scope of government authority and treading upon the liberty it is meant to protect. We have seen the reaction of religious communities to atheists who try to take stand, especially when it involves their children. Not only do they act like the ones being thrown into the lion's den, as if we're oppressing them, they present it as an assault on their children... their very souls!
ReplyDeleteThere will always be some teachers who disagree with curriculum for various academic or personal reasons. I consider these separate matters. When it comes to the current and religiously charged pledge mandated by law, one only has to read Madison's thoughts on separation of government and matters of conscience to see where he was coming from with his drafting of the 1st Amendment, and why with 14th Amendment incorporation his failures to persuade States to adopt the same is now irrelevant.
While public teachers may not general see themselves as "agents of the state," in the course of their duties that is exactly what they are. Leading the children in a pledge that promotes matters of conscience beyond the scope of government authority is both unconstitutional and repugnant to liberty. Currently teachers who would take a stand are under the jack boot of the tyranny of the majority both within and without government. I can only sympathize. As a doubter from the 3rd grade down the long road towards atheism, the pledge only grew as a source of anger against the hypocrisy of school authorities... forcing us to pledge allegiance to ideas they were violating.
In these inflated nationalist times of war and political turmoil, the timing couldn't be worse to take a stand against something considered patriotic. While religiosity may be slipping, it too is still shockingly strong in the US when compared to the rest of the West. If forced to take a stand, you may have to. A better strategy would be to build a coalition of anti-pledge teachers, from religious to secular, and improve the odds.
Just my 2 cents.
To summarize my last comment in regards to your recent question as opposed to responding to the last post: you're not a hypocrite, you're just in an impossible situation where all the options are dramatically against you.
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteI teach in the middle school at a public charter school in a fairly conservative area on the West Coast. Our school places an emphasis on patriotism and it is expected that the pledge will be said first thing first period.
When I started teaching at the school four years ago, I was a religious person yet still uncomfortable with the idea of the pledge -- seeing it as a form of distasteful and improper civic religion. Now that I am no longer religious, my objections to the pledge are slightly different.
Since I teach middle school, I have different options than those who teach elementary. I choose students who wish to volunteer to lead the pledge. That's always worked out well. I stand in the back and sometimes I go along -- skipping the 'under god' portion -- and other times I stand quietly until it is done. Our school has a sizable community of Jehovah's Witnesses as students, so there are always one or two students who also stand but do not otherwise participate. I tell my class that I expect them to stand and not be disruptive, but otherwise participation is up to them. It seems to have worked out so far.
L
Yes, I think you may be a hypocrite. That's OK though. It's better than being a believer.
ReplyDeleteAs you already know, as you already feel, the "Pledge" is the worst of both worlds. It's pure indoctrination. Not only is is it Political indoctrination, it's religious indoctrination. The Pledge of Allegiance is as it's name implies a tool designed to relinquish free will and sign up to blind faith in a failed State and a false God. Please, don't force any sentient being to recite this crap.
So very quiet... too quiet...
ReplyDeleteThanks to all for the comments and advice.
ReplyDeleteL, while you are right that it's a little bit different in middle school than elementary, I do think I would have the option of choosing student volunteers to lead. I also like the idea of expecting the students to stand and not be disruptive, but letting them know that participation is there choice. I can just see the parent emails now though, when kids go home and tell their parents that I don't make all the kids say the pledge and I don't say it myself.....
Glock, above is the problem I have with taking a stand, but maybe you are onto something. Maybe I can bring it up subtly and find a few other teachers who also have a problem with the pledge.
Sorry it took me so long to comment. I've been on vacation and did not have much access to internet.