Lesson Learned: Teaching and politics don't mix. Something I picked up in the lunch room today.

Well, the kids are all aflutter, what with Halloween on Sunday and Voting today. So they're buzzing around on sugar and propaganda. For most of the day, I had "Yes, I'm voting today. I am voting for Kerry" written on my white board, knowing that I would be questioned about that today. I didn't see anything wrong with sharing with the students who I was voting for.... Then came lunch. Some of the teachers were adamant in their view that we should not be telling the kids our vote. Their reasoning was that at home, it could be interpreted as preaching our point of view to the kids. Or, that as authority figures, the kids would see our choice as the "right" one and any opposing views as wrong. And they shared a story of a teacher in some state who was fired for telling the kids their choice for president. etc. etc. Being the probationary teacher that I am, I erased the my choices for the afternoon class. Go ahead and say it, I know you're thinking it: I'm chicken. However, I did have a good time stating my point of view in my advisement class. I did state that this was my opinion, and these are the reasons for voting as I will, and someone voting for Bush has just as many intelligent reasons for their vote, too. And that is what makes America great.

Some of the boys were shocked to discover that I am pro-choice. But, they brought it up.