Teacher Struggles

Ray is a high-school senior enrolled in an AP Literature class. Like 80% of the students in his school Ray is White. His AP teacher is also White. She has been teaching the popular AP course for over 10 years. She includes Black authors in one section of the course, and encourages class discussion on race in America in that section. Most students also say she is known for challenging her students with controversial topics, but does not advocate any particular position because she wants students to be aware of all sides of an issue. Ray wants AP credit, but he is upset about the section of the course that requires him to read “all this Black stuff.” He complains to his parents that she is making him learn “garbage that I don’t want to learn.” His parents complain to the school Principal, who reminds the teacher that the state legislature has just banned teaching of critical race theory. He warns the teacher, “Get rid of that section or I will have to remove you.” She refuses and is replaced by another teacher who is given a revised course outline. Several students and parents complain about the changes, but the Principal says she must obey the law.

The human mind strives for consistency and harmony. Your mind doesn’t like disharmony resulting from contradictory beliefs and actions because such contradictions can produce discomfort and even fear that motivate you to hold onto your beliefs. In Ray’s case, inconsistency is resolved when the teacher is removed – although at the expense of having an educated mind! The threat of facing opposing beliefs stokes fear in the minds of indoctrinated extremists. Psychological insecurities render them vulnerable to facing nuance and diversity in a world they have been taught to believe is filled with absolutes, and they are ill-prepared to accept the reality of variety in the world around them. So it is that they must self-censor their mind by destroying the threat that triggers fear within them. That’s a poor way to cope with reality.