This blog site acts as a public pedagogical artefact concerning the educational issue of ‘teachers as predators’. The blog site includes pictures, information about media representations and society’s views upon the issue as well as posts relating to the issue. The function as a response to the selected education issue being ‘teachers as predators’ is to challenge what the media presents and what society believes due to the media representations on teachers being predators in schools. This site challenges the issue of predatory teachers in schools through taking into account what the public pedagogies say about the issue on ‘teachers as educators’. This description and commentary of the blog site will underpin the education issue being examined, what the public pedagogies say about the education issue, how the artefact critiques the education issue and what the intended message of the artefact is.
The education issue being examined is ‘Teachers as Predators’. This issue involves media representations and societal views towards teachers being predators in schools preying on students sexually due to media stories on teacher sexual predators committing sexual offences towards students in schools. This issue is being examined due to the unfair reality placed upon teachers who are non offending teacher predators. ‘While some educators have already taken the personal and professional responsibility to stay away from students no matter what the age is, others have not been able to grasp a hold of this forethought; thus, leaving themselves open for inappropriate relationships and possible sexual charges’ (Nixon, 2007). This suggests that only some teachers are sexual offenders and most teachers are professionals that should not be seen as sexual predators due to media representations that enable society to believe that all teachers are sexual predators. The education issue ‘Teachers as Predators’ needs to be challenged in order to depict teachers as educators rather than predators. ‘The vast majority of teachers are responsible, caring professionals’ (Florence, 2007). By challenging this issue, society is able to be informed about the misconceptions of teachers and their profession in order to reorder their beliefs that teachers are predators that prey on students.
The public pedagogies declare articulate views about the education issue. The public pedagogies expressed towards the issue ‘Teachers as Predators’ include views gathered from media representations. These include that teachers are sexual predators, female teachers prey on male students and male teachers are commonly seen as paedophiles particularly when specialising in the early primary to primary years within their profession. ‘The message of no limitations and sexual freedom between teacher and student is unethical’ (Nixon, 2006). This suggests that teachers know of the unethical act of sexual relations with students and therefore maintain their professionalism as teachers and not sexual predators. Another arising public pedagogy is the gender influences in schools with the mixture of female teachers and male teachers with male students and female students. This suggests that teachers are seen as predators in coeducational schools; which conveys the message that female teachers prey on male students and male teachers prey on female students; however, some homosexual student teacher sexual relations occur enabling society to develop more views that teachers are predators. This suggests that the public pedagogies declare the issue to be truthful and coherent in schools today; however, these public pedagogical views are erroneous. With this in mind, it can be seen that the public pedagogies towards the issue are false and in need for a challenging approach.
The public pedagogical artefact consisting of a blog site on the education issue of ‘Teachers as Predators’ critiques these public pedagogies by challenging the issue through analysis of media representations and societal views in order to provide a truthful view about teachers in schools. The blog site critiques the public pedagogies by expressing the fallacy towards the issue depicted within the media and throughout society; therefore, several views have been placed within the blog in order to express beliefs supporting teachers within their profession and to create views challenging media and societal misconceptions as many ‘good’ teachers are seen as predators or even falsely accused of sexual relations with students as ‘a growing number of false claims makes it even more crucial that teachers accused of sexual misconduct be protected’ (Florence, 2007). This blog site critiques the public pedagogies including that teachers are sexual predators, female teachers prey on male students and male primary school teachers are paedophiles through the use of polls, information relating to and challenging the education issue as well as posts about the issue and the fallacies created.
The intended message of the blog site concerning the education issue of ‘Teachers as Predators’ is that not all teachers should be seen as predators. The message of the site is intended to reveal the truth that only some teachers are sexual predators and the majority of teachers are educators, not predators. The artefact expresses the message that the public pedagogies are false and provides misconception towards the issue which furthermore expresses that all teachers are not predators, female teachers do not prey on male students and male early primary students are not paedophiles. The blogs intended message aims to educate society about the misconceptions of teachers in schools in order to prove that teachers are not sexual predators and that in some cases, these misconceptions are developed through ‘numerous cases where students have tried to destroy their teachers’ (Florence, 2007). This message is depicted throughout the blog to reorder media representations and societal views in order to inform people about the reality of the issue. The intended message of the artefact challenges the education issue and therefore suggests that teachers are educators, not predators although some teachers do have sexual relations with students.
Overall, it is clear that the public pedagogies for the education issue of ‘Teachers as Predators’ have been gathered from false societal views due to false media representations of teachers. "Teachers who abuse children belong in a courtroom, not a classroom” (Florence, 2007). It is clear that the function as a response to the selected education issue being ‘Teachers as Predators’ was to challenge what the media presents and what society believes due to the media representations on teachers being predators in schools. The blog site challenged the issue of predatory teachers in schools through taking into account what the public pedagogies say about the issue on ‘Teachers as Predators’. By doing this, the blog site uncovered information about the education issue and what the public pedagogies say about the education issue of ‘Teachers as Predators’ in order to reveal the intended message of the blog site being that teachers are educators, not predators.
References
Florence, E. 2005. Who’s at School With Your Kid’s? Retrieved November 4, 2007, from http://www.readersdigest.ca/mag/2000/11/school.html
Martine, M. (n.d.). Some Teachers Are Sexual Predators. Retrieved November 4, 2007, from http://wwwmyjesustalk.wordpress.com/things-to-consider/life-changing-by-bill-keller/some-teachers-are-sexual-predators/
Nixon, E. S. 2006. Student-Teacher Relations Must Stay in the Classroom, Out of the Bedroom. Retrieved November 4, 2007, from http://media.www.lavalleystar.com/media/storage/paper295/news/2006/10/11/Opinion/StudentTeacher.Relations.Must.Stay.In.The.Classroom.Out.Of.The.Bedroom-2344631.shtml
Teachers as Educators, NOT Predators
The issue of teachers as predators should not be a matter of seeing all teachers as predators as it acts as an insult towards all non offending people in the profession. Although teacher sexual predators are commonly talked about in the media, the majority of teachers in schools today are ‘good’ and free from any offensive matters. People often view teachers as sexual predators; however, ‘Teachers become a very important person in shaping the life of a young person’ (Martine, n.d.) which suggests that the majority of teachers are not sexual predators. In order to diminish the misconception of teachers as predators in the media, schools should undertake efforts to diminish ‘bad’ teachers present in classrooms that show the capability of preying on students in an offensive manner in order to weaken the misconceptions that falsely portray teachers as predators.
The media often portrays teachers as predators which could not be more wrong. Several media representations of predatory teachers in schools primarily include female teachers on the prey for male students and male teachers preying on early primary to primary school students. In today’s society, this is a serious matter needing to be addressed. Teachers seen as predators is unfair as teachers ‘get far too little credit for the valuable role they play in shaping the lives of those students who pass through their classrooms’ (Martine, n.d.). With this in mind, it can be seen that not all teachers are ‘bad’ and do not deserve to be seen as sexual predators; however, a small minority of teachers ‘bring dishonor and shame to others in that noble profession as there is in every profession’ (Martine, n.d.). From this, it can be seen that only some teachers are predators in schools and the majority of teachers are caring professionals. The accusations of these caring professionals through media representations are false. TEACHERS ARE EDUCATORS, NOT PREDATORS.
The media often portrays teachers as predators which could not be more wrong. Several media representations of predatory teachers in schools primarily include female teachers on the prey for male students and male teachers preying on early primary to primary school students. In today’s society, this is a serious matter needing to be addressed. Teachers seen as predators is unfair as teachers ‘get far too little credit for the valuable role they play in shaping the lives of those students who pass through their classrooms’ (Martine, n.d.). With this in mind, it can be seen that not all teachers are ‘bad’ and do not deserve to be seen as sexual predators; however, a small minority of teachers ‘bring dishonor and shame to others in that noble profession as there is in every profession’ (Martine, n.d.). From this, it can be seen that only some teachers are predators in schools and the majority of teachers are caring professionals. The accusations of these caring professionals through media representations are false. TEACHERS ARE EDUCATORS, NOT PREDATORS.
Images of Teachers
Viewing teachers as predators is a misconception made commonly throughout society based on media representations. The media portrays images of teachers as being sexual predators in schools which are embedded throughout society. As society is informed about this educational issue through media coverage, views towards teachers are changed and conditioned to view all teachers as sexual predators. With these views set in society, a fallacy about teachers and their profession is created. Images of teachers should depict educators, not sexual predators. Teachers are seen as sexual predators through few teachers having sexual relations with students that are exposed by the media. With this media exposure, society particularly comes down on the idea of male early primary to primary school teachers due to their views on paedophilia which suggests that male teachers are seen as paedophiles. From this, it is clear that this is a significant issue that particularly affects male teachers in or wanting the profession which gives no surprise that there a very few male teachers in early primary or primary school.
It is an unfair act from society to view teachers as predators due to the fact that a minority of teachers have committed a sexual offense towards students; however, have been reported and charged resulting in the loss of their profession furthermore resulting in the lessening of sexual predators in schools. With this in mind, it is obvious that the majority of teachers in schools are non offending professionals and are therefore not sexual predators. Although it is impossible to say that all teachers are not sexual predators, we can say that some teachers are sexual predators that get caught out and face the consequences.
It is an unfair act from society to view teachers as predators due to the fact that a minority of teachers have committed a sexual offense towards students; however, have been reported and charged resulting in the loss of their profession furthermore resulting in the lessening of sexual predators in schools. With this in mind, it is obvious that the majority of teachers in schools are non offending professionals and are therefore not sexual predators. Although it is impossible to say that all teachers are not sexual predators, we can say that some teachers are sexual predators that get caught out and face the consequences.
Primary School Male Teacher Educator
Early primary educator, not predator
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
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