How can I defend my daughters position in her school?

Question

I came to this section with this question because I do accept creation by a creator as my choice.

My 13 year old daughter was being taught that man evolved from the monkey. Of course at home we have different concepts. However I did tell my daughter to just accept what they teach and learn it to pass the exams first then set it aside.

In the class the teacher ask my daughter to give her view on the subject. She replied, "Sir, I will accept here in class the fact that man did evolve from monkeys because I do want to pass this course. I do set here and see the evidence before me in what you are teaching. When I do look at you I am reminded of my trip to the zoo with my family and did visit the monkey house. Do you still have a lot of close relatives there in the cages geting paid to eat the bananas?"

The teacher got mad and kicked my daughter out of class which I do not understand. All she did was accept what was taught as a fact and did affirm her belief in the teaching.

Answer 1

I understand that your personal belief systems don't gel with what's being taught in the class, that is something that you should talk to the teacher/principal with. If your daughter is in public education than there might be a rule against discussing evolution and religion in the classroom, you should check it out.

As for not understanding why your daughter got herself removed the class, do you really not see the error of her judgement? She compared her teacher's family to that of a family of monkeys from the local zoo, that is insultive, and she knew that. You are also not in the classroom, you don't know the tone that was used.

I really do think that what your daughter said was inappropriate and disrespectful, and I do believe that both you and her realize this. A teacher is someone who needs to be respected in his/her classroom, the students need to understand that they can not humiliate or defimate their character because there are 30+ other students that need to have trust that their teacher is compitent.

If this issue is a concern to you then I would suggest a teacher/parent meeting. I work for a public school board and I can tell you that the subject matter would be frowned upon in our classrooms, in fact it would probably be grounds for an investigation of curriculum.

While I commend you for teaching your daughter to just bear through it, I think the best thing to do at this point is discuss her options with the school. If it goes against your personal teachings, and find it offensive then you need to let them know, perhaps they can create a make up assingment.

Answer 2

You're being disingenuous. You can't believe that your daughter was right in the way she addressed the teacher. She was guilty of gross disrespect and in schools where I have taught, there would be consequences - at the very least, a letter of apology. If you have trained your daughter to be rude, impertinent and insulting, your parenting is at fault. These are not Christian values.

Your own education is evidently scanty, if you think the teacher claimed that we evolved from monkeys. I'll remind you, as others already have, that we both evolved from a common ancestor, and there is nothing the least demeaning in that.

I'm tired of fighting the ignorance on this site about evolution. It's a FACT, in the same way that Einstein's "theory" of relativity is a scientific fact. Welcome to the 21st century!

Answer 3

You can't defend what your daughter said, she was rude and disrespectful. Had she stopped after the "what you are teaching part," her answer would have been acceptable. The zoo part was intended to be hurtful and inflamatory and you should be ashamed for having taught your child to behave in such a manner. How would you behave if, in a Sunday School or Bible study class someone had said "I will accept here what you said in this class. I do sit here and see the evidence before me in what you are teaching. When I look at you I am reminded of an ignorant, unthinking zealot." You'd probably be offended and ask that person to leave.

Answer 4

As a teacher, this is one of those issues that I argue about with my science teaching friends. My position is that since no creation story can be proven beyond a doubt (I believe a literal seven day story, but I have no scientific evidence at hand other than the Bible), all should be offered in class as reasonable explanations. None should be offered as 'truth.' Kinda like a buffet, many theories should be set on the table and the students should be allowed to take what they want off the table, in, of course, consultation with their parents.

Answer 5

If she was being told that man evolved from monkeys (or apes), then that would have been wrong. Humans evolved from a common ancestor with apes, but not from apes themselves.
Second, she was just using her religious, unsupported viewpoint to be a smart aleck in class, and she should have been kicked out for that.
Kids are more flexible than adults. If she says that she only believes your views, then she is pulling your chain, too. Get over it, and let her learn what is available. If you don't trust your child to figure out the truth, then she won't trust your Truth.

Answer 6

You're teaching your daughter to be rude. Your daughter is entitled to her opinion, but if you're an adult you must realize trying to tell the teacher he has relatives in the zoo is ridiculous and childish. He was right to kick her out. You should know better, what's wrong with you???The scientific method based on evidence is taught as an objective form of discovery, if you and your daughter don't agree that's your right, however insulting the teacher is stupid, which you obviously are.

Answer 7

Your daughter was disrespectful and rude. Your daughter was not being truthful nor was she affirming anything but her sarcasm.
I cannot understand anyone who doesn't see evolution as the only way. I believe in God's starting creation and letting man evolve from there. The Bible, in my opinion, is a great book of learning written by men as the word of God or inspired by God's teachings. I don't see the problem in this view.

Answer 8

Too bad, but what she said, was true and at the same time somewhat rude to the instructor. Your daughter should have just not made a big issue of her beliefs. She did insult the instructor and instead of him kicking her out of class , they should have all , just had a good laugh. I agree with you. He should not have kicked her out. If I were her teacher, I would have made her draw a photo of a Monkey or make her write a 2000 word essay on not being so outspoken. Not kick her out.

Answer 9

Well even if your daughter did say it just like you said, which I doubt a 13 year old would, she still made the comment of him having monkey relatives at the zoo. So that probably would warrant her being kicked out of class, I've been kicked out for less.

Answer 10

That teacher shouldn't have done that! He probably did that because your daughter got him mad! Take it up with the teacher, and tell him it was not right, and i beleive that schools shouldn't teach that kind of stuff (How man formed), because there are religious people at school and might take things the wrong way if they heard that! I myself, believe that man didn't form out of monkeys, i believe there was Adam And Eve!