How is a college professor to teach so as not to offend a conservative Republican?

Question

Or is that even possible?

My God Dane,

I hope you are trying to be ironic here.
If not, you are the perfect answer to this question. I'm sure no Conservative Christian will feel comfortable in higher education.

LOL! Dane, I know, I figured that. But while debating on the religious q&a section, I'm sure you wouldn't be surprised how many people actually DO talk like that, or much worse and are perfectly shameless and serious!

Answer 1

If you're teaching properly, you're not worrying about the conservative Republican. Your job is to bring people knowledge. If someone in your class is closed-minded enough to be offended by what you're presenting (which ought to be solid fact according to today's theories and scientific testing) then they obviously need to be offended because they're closing off their minds to knowledge and knowledge is power. Screw 'em. You do your job.

Answer 2

How about sticking to the subject of the course? And don't try and be a dictator in the classroom. What a novel idea! Why didn't some liberal think of that?

I took some college courses just for fun in my fifties. Well not really for fun, I wasn't going for any degree, just the information. The only instructor I had problems with just 'KNEW ' Bill Clinton was the messiah. And talked about Bill's greatness IN CLASS as much as he talked about what the course material until I told him (one on one outside the class) I wasn't paying to take a couse on Clinton, I was taking industrial electronics applications.

He got huffy that he was the instructor and could talk about what ever he liked in class. I told him OK but that I would be recording all further lectures and would lodge a complaint against him if he continued what he was doing. He told me I couldn't record his lectures.

I checked with the rules and brought my recorder to class the next time we met. He tried to imtimidate me every way he could to not record his lectures and failed miserably. He even tried to get me kicked out of his class for being disrespectful. Failed there too.

Being a retired military electronics tech and had 10 years industrial electrical experience I still got an A in his class. The only reason I was in there was the school wouldn't let me skip the preliminary course to get to the ones I wanted. And the only reason I wanted them was to be sure I was still up to speed. I was.

My last instructor told me if I had a degree he'd recomend me to teach the courses. I just grinned and told him if I were already certified I wouldn't be there now. The reason I was there, the courses were a requirement to get a liscense I wanted.

Buracracy is BS isn't it. I was lucky, I had enough, and knew enough to not have to put up with that instructors BS.

Answer 3

If they would just stick to the facts of history no one on either side of the political divide should be offended. There's plenty of legitimate faults to discuss about conservatives without having to invent them. Same is true about liberals. What bothers us conservatives is the slanted and biased approach most colleges take when discussing politics. For the most part it is unavoidable when you realize that over 70% of tenured professors are liberals.
Conservatives can either be offended or choose (as I did in college) to have fun with it while they sharpen their debating skills. It's a question of attitude.

Answer 4

Try teaching instead of preaching. Stick to the the 3 R's And we have no problem. It's only when you you get into the phony humanities courses do professors go nuts. There is no politics in a thermodynamics or Calc 2 class.

Answer 5

I don't think it's a college professor's job to worry about offending someone. They're job is to expand the minds of their students, and that requires the exploration of different view points, some of which may be offensive to some people.

Answer 6

Everything one needs to know can be found in the bible, so I don't see why such a job exists!

Yes! I was being sarcastic. Wasn't I obvious?
Religious studies are only for the ones that can't score high enough to get into university otherwise. They obviously switch courses as soon as they can.

Answer 7

Most of the Republican adgenda is not conservative at all. Needless wars, large debt, folks without food and medical care- sounds pretty radical to me.

Answer 8

Well what is she teaching. The thing we have to acknowledge is that if you are a math instructor; stick to math. No matter what courses you instruct you are there to inform not to manipulate. Several professors I have had croos that line. Shameful...

Answer 9

Good question, Jane! Let's look at what might offend me in a college classroom. " America is evil, and we deserved 9/11". That one is pretty self explanatory. "You come from pond scum, and there is no Higher Power". You shouldn't teach what you can't prove. " Having sex with anything that walks is progressive, and modern". How's about celibacy, let's give that a shot. " George Bush is Hitler". No attacks on the good ole' U.S. of A. for five years and counting. The man defends us and doesn't take any lip from fruity foreign leaders. I think respecting someones views and refraining from personal opinions is a good way to accomplish what you've asked.

Answer 10

the mere existence of science is an offense to the ultra conservatives. a college professor is a representative of science.
So I don't know the answer.