If Teachers Would Only Teach

I was in my American Lit. class the other day and we were discussing a story in small groups. I was taking my turn saying I didn't like the story at all because it was more of a gimmick than literature, crafted to make you think you're prejudiced against black people even if you're not, and worthless victim ideology. (It was Toni Morrison's Recitatif -ugh, a silly, pretentious title I think.) The teacher came along and listened to what we were saying and broke in, effusing about how this author is highly respected and how readers everywhere love this story. I said well, I'm a reader, too. Then she asked me if I was an English major and when I said yes she rolled her eyes. Hmm. I guess to be an English major today you have to belong to some sort of club.

I think it was the next class when we were discussing Flannery O'Connor and she asked who liked the story and of course I raised my hand because Flannery is my favorite American author ever and I have read everything by her ever published including her letters and speeches. And in front of the whole class the teacher said she was surprised that I liked it, that she didn't expect me to like it. I said well maybe I see different things in it (which is true).

I wish teachers would keep their personal opinions to themselves and just teach the subject. One of my teachers told me this is impossible. I think not. My Astronomy teacher gives all kinds of views and I have no idea what his personal beliefs are. He's very professional and detached that way. As for the others, where did they get the idea that their students even care what their opinions are? Why do they think their teaching job includes a soap box? I get the feeling that rather than being committed to teaching they are really quite needy and want most of all to be well-liked. They've been indoctrinated themselves and perhaps unwittingly pass on their skewed ideas to their students. (I'm writing a research paper related to this idea in another class: Education vs. Indoctrination. All of this is fodder, what they call primary research.)

I honestly think some of these authors we are studying are not worthy of being included in the American literature cannon. It's only because of political correctness which is making us all dumber and dumber. I just found this in my Politically Incorrect Guide to Eng. and Am. Lit by Elizabeth Kantor: "American Literature is not Allen Ginsberg [we're reading him soon, too], Toni Morrison, and Dan Brown. PC English professors naturally gravitate toward American writers who share their disdain for America, Western civilization, and Christianity. But our best literature combines what's uniquely American with what's of universal value." Hmm. I guess I'm not as clueless and alone as my English professor thinks.

P.S. The picture above is of Ben Stein who played the awful teacher in Ferris Beuller's Day Off. In real life Ben Stein is speaking out about this very topic! Look for his new film, Expelled, No Intelligence Allowed.