I opened the can...

[AsTreesWalking]

...worms exited.
Yesterday morning I shared a quiz with some students. There was a question that quoted thus: 'I'm not going down that rabbit hole', and, 'it depends on the context' - what was it that these MPs would not define? My students could not think what it could be. So I told them 'A Woman'. They were most surprised. Then they realised and did a spectacular volte face. I pointed out their cognitive dissonance. I told them why I have a problem with self id, and about rapes in prisons.
They went to another member of staff, and today I was summoned to a member of SLT and told that they had said I was transphobic, and had upset them.
I have had to type up 'my version' of the conversation. How I wish I'd just skipped that question! I'm now afraid that my form will all decide that I am a dreadful person.
Why does wrong think on this topic trump all other evidence of a person's good will?
I refuse to lie to my students. I stand by what i said, It was all true. But I'm feeling afraid, and still shaking.

OP, what subject do you teach? I teach sociology and history, both of which cover women's rights. That could be your way in in the future.

I have always tried to remain reasonably impartial but always tackle controversial issues through welcoming healthy debate and framing it as something that must be encouraged. I feel that reinforcement helps them to understand that this cancel culture and instant "no platforming" is not healthy. Today we talked about how we can respectfully disagree with Jk Rowling whilst understanding how her argument is nuanced and reasoned. My students get it. PM me if you want more advice/discussion.

There's a difference between posing questions (acceptable) and giving your opinion (not acceptable as a teacher).

@viques

“We need to encourage young people to come to their own conclusions”.

For many young people the only place they get to hear persuasive arguments is when they are upstairs in their bedrooms listening to ‘influencers’ who have an often well hidden agenda behind their pronouncements. These views are then confirmed by peer group pressure to conform, and the cycle of affirmation continues. Many parents are not clued up enough to counter the views their kids are being fed even if they are aware of them. So then where else but in school are young people going to be challenged to both listen to alternate views and be encouraged to work out their own ideas . Youth clubs which used to provide safe spaces for discussion don’t exist, a limited number of children might get support from faith based organisations, but for the majority school is the only place where known and trusted adults have the time and knowledge to encourage discussion, and to do that they should be free to pose questions without being accused of transphobia.

You can present both sides of an argument. That should happen. You cannot tell students your opinion. The OP was not accused of transphobia for posing questions. She was accused for saying she thinks self ID is dangerous. For what it's worth I don't think she was being transphobia, but I can see how it could be misinterpreted as so. But really that's not even the point - the point is as a teacher you don't give your opinion.

I agree with those who've said you shouldn't have given your own opinion. Better to say 'What about ...?' or 'Some people say ...'. I hope you don't have to make a grovelling apology to the pupils. Ugh.

@Babdoc

Surely it is a teacher’s job to teach facts, not opinions or ideology? Everything OP stated in her post was factual and on record. There are intact transwomen with male genitals in women’s prisons, who have indeed sexually assaulted female inmates. That is not OP’s “belief”, it is objective truth. I wish more teachers had your courage to speak truth, OP. Don’t be intimidated into silence.

As they say 'you can put orange juice in a coke can but its still orange juice"

There must be strict rules as to what can be taught to children.

Extreme political positions are not a good idea, especially those that already go against equality legislation on the books.

How would you feel if a NeoNazi teacher went rogue and filled kids heads with extremist propaganda.

Have you considered another career?

A condition of your job is that you follow the law and also the values of your workplace. You went against that so absolutely you should be investigated.

Talking to children about trans women in prison, but not talking to kids about inspirational trans women, writers, actresses, scientists etc, is never going to look like anything but bigotry, whether or not you think you only covered 'facts'.

@KittenKong

Biology isn’t an opinion. It’s a fact.

There was an archaeologist on the radio a few days ago. He made a very interesting point. He said that people can take hormones, have plastic surgery, wear particular clothes and identify in whatever way they like. In 100 years ,if their body was to be exhumed, all that would be left was their skeleton.That skeleton would be the skeleton of their biological sex.The pelvis would be that of a man. The bone length would belong to a man if the person was born male. Your skeleton doesn't lie.

Exactly this. You should not have got on your personal soap box in class and in front of any students.

As a teacher your job is to be impartial, you did not do this.

I agree. Not sure why we think it’s ok for teachers to give personal views on this issue, but if OP had posted a similar thing about, say, telling children that they are wrong to say there is no God, as she is a devout Catholic, she would have been roundly set upon.

Time and place and all that.

I don't normally comment but a very similar question was in a quiz for my year 9. Their response was starkly different to the sixth-form response.

Oh my goodness, you are so brave. Thank you.

Glad there are teachers with facts, teaching our children.
Facts.
Good on you OP.

They do often share TWAW views with students though

And worse than that, sometimes they actively teach it as part of the school's curriculum.

@SunbowRainshine31

There must be strict rules as to what can be taught to children.

Extreme political positions are not a good idea, especially those that already go against equality legislation on the books.

How would you feel if a NeoNazi teacher went rogue and filled kids heads with extremist propaganda.

Have you considered another career?

Comparing the view that women are defined as adult human females is hardly comparable to Neo-Naziism, the suggestion is offensive. The OPs view absolutely does not contradict equalities legislation either.

Biology isn’t an opinion. It’s a fact.

That isn’t the “fact” she talked to them about though. She said it was “dangerous” for women. That’s an opinion.

I think OP that you probably could have handled this better. You can help students explore controversies but it is really better to leave your personal views out of it. You can ask pointy questions, encourage the students to discuss it from different viewpoints, ask them to try and articulate the real nature of the controversy.

@SunbowRainshine31

There must be strict rules as to what can be taught to children.

Extreme political positions are not a good idea, especially those that already go against equality legislation on the books.

How would you feel if a NeoNazi teacher went rogue and filled kids heads with extremist propaganda.

Have you considered another career?

“Extreme political positions”? Do you think that the OP’s personal belief that self ID shouldn’t be allowed is “extreme”?

And yes it stinks that this kind of teacher led opining is allowed on the other side of this question, and many others.

@viques

Sorry, don’t agree, there are some topics and ideas that is is right and proper that teachers show a bias towards. It is not brainwashing to state an opinion about a personal opposition to racism, sexism, fascism to name three examples.

Unfortunately what constitutes racism, sexism and fascism has become increasingly unclear in recent years, so, while I personally believe there is an essential definition of each of those things, many people would differ, and indeed might see my version as “brainwashing” and vice versa.
What i think is far more important is to teach critical thinking with a basis in the golden rule, and I would presume, at least as far as social sciences are concerned, that that is the motive of a good teacher. So, sorry, I don’t agree with you.

Concerning the OP, I’m a bit mystified as to how this seemingly “gotcha” question appeared on the quiz. I find it impossible to believe that this question could be asked without the intended outcome of a very pointed discussion about biological sex. Very odd.

That isn’t the “fact” she talked to them about though. She said it was “dangerous” for women. That’s an opinion.
This.
You stay neutral as a teacher, you don't give your opinion.
Would you say as fact that being gay is an unnatural act and goes against nature?
Of course you wouldn't.
You'd be entitled to hold those beliefs (just for clarity, I don't!) but not express it to your pupils as fact.
Which is what it sounds like you've done.

I just wanted to say I appreciate what you did and said, and I think in time to come, hopefully not that long even, given the Cass Review and Baroness Nicholson’s speech this week, these young people will come to realise that.

I hope you are okay. I’ve found it increasingly hard to bite my tongue at work (new role, one woke bro in particular). It’ll spirit its way out of my mouth at some point, quite looking forward to it.

I think directly linking self-id to rape is offensive to most people.

[quote Palmfrond]@viques

Sorry, don’t agree, there are some topics and ideas that is is right and proper that teachers show a bias towards. It is not brainwashing to state an opinion about a personal opposition to racism, sexism, fascism to name three examples.

Unfortunately what constitutes racism, sexism and fascism has become increasingly unclear in recent years, so, while I personally believe there is an essential definition of each of those things, many people would differ, and indeed might see my version as “brainwashing” and vice versa.
What i think is far more important is to teach critical thinking with a basis in the golden rule, and I would presume, at least as far as social sciences are concerned, that that is the motive of a good teacher. So, sorry, I don’t agree with you.

Concerning the OP, I’m a bit mystified as to how this seemingly “gotcha” question appeared on the quiz. I find it impossible to believe that this question could be asked without the intended outcome of a very pointed discussion about biological sex. Very odd.[/quote]
Yes. There are parents in the US, including non-white parents, deeply disturbed about what their children are being taught from a supposedly anti-racist perspective in school. Stuff like "whiteness" being problematic.

It would be nice if we could feel confident about what teachers might say about such things. But given that many don't seem to be able to understand that there is more than one way to think about these topics, they need to be quiet about it.

Women are being raped in prisons and hospitals due to self ID. It’s a fact that self ID is dangerous for women. That’s not comparable with spouting neo-Nazi views or homophobia.