Field Blog Post 10/ West Geauga

What I will be exploring: Today I decided to focus on the topic of censorship. Even though we have not discussed this topic in class, I feel that it is an essential issue that anyone going into education must consider.

To what extent do teachers censor the material they present in class? Is it ethical for teachers to censor material? Who should decide what is or is not appropriate for the classroom: teachers, students, administrators or the community?



Yesterday, when I observed Mr. Connell's AP English class, the main topic of conversation was censorship. His students are currently reading Catcher in the Rye, which happens to be one of the most censored books in public education. Mr. Connell first addressed Catcher in the Rye specifically, asking the students what about the book has caused it to be censored. The class then read an article out loud that discussed censorship in general. This article caused me to consider the extent of censorship and my views on the issue. 

     The article told the story of a high school teacher who suddenly had all of his literature books seized following controversy over a poem it contained. The poem was called Woman Poem and was written by Nikki Giovanni, one of the most famous female African American poets of the twentieth century. We read the poem in class. The poem explicitly discusses the sexism and discrimination faced by many women.  The poem contains discriminatory titles that men give women such as "man seeker" and "dick eater." At first, I was shocked that Mr. Connell was reading the poem in class. Following the class discussion, however, my opinion quickly changed. Mr. Connell asked his students how the poem would be changed if it was translated into more appropriate language. Many students came to the conclusion that the poem would lose much of its emotional impact if it were translated. The value of the poem comes from the shock it creates. I realized that a student could learn about sexism in class extensively, but never understand its intensity or hurt until reading this poem. When I talked to Mr. Connell about the lesson after class, he expressed a similar opinion. He described an instance in college when he read an intense and explicit poem about slavery. He said that while reading it, he wanted to stop reading because he began to grasp the true intense pain felt by the slave. He had learned about slavery his whole life, but could never even come close to imagining what it would be like to be a slave until he read that poem.

         During and after this class I began to consider if censorship of school material is ethical. After much consideration, I agree with a view expressed by Mr. Connell. Mr. Connell described how teachers act as a sort of gatekeeper, deciding what information can get through to their students. By censoring, the teacher deprives students of a certain academic right they have to information. I do not believe that teachers should censor the literature their students read. It denies them the opportunity to experience new information and deepened ways of thinking.

     A final issue I considered is as follows: If censorship must take place, who should decide what is appropriate? I believe that only teachers should have the ability to decide what is appropriate for their classroom. Parents and community members often take harsh language and similar material out of context and are blind to possible educational value. This scenario took place in regards to the Giovanni poem. Parents and community members had the book seized because they were unable to foresee the educational value and opportunities for discussion the text could bring.