Teachers have god complex?

In reaction to the story I wrote on ‘Fake News Reporting Encourages Fighting Teachers,’ Dendude posted his comment saying, he, too was detained for telling the truth. He questions the god complex of teachers. Here is his comment. My reply follows.

posted by Dendude on 10/23/2006 05:29
I have no doubt's that even if this note is fake, somewhere out there is a teacher that is incorrectly teaching exactly that. Example: When I was in 4th grade a science teacher was explaining to the class that the shadows created on the moon during the different phases were created by the earth casting a shadow, I said that I thought the shadows were created by the moon itself and that a lunar eclipse is the only time the earth casts a shadow on the moon. I too was labeled a trouble maker for daring to question their authority, even though I was right. I refused to back down and I too was given a detention....for being right.

It is my belief that all too many teachers suffer from the same affliction as doctor, it's called a God complex. They actually feel that they are superior to any of the students, and no student (especially a 9 year old one) could know more than themselves. Twenty five years later I am dating a woman with a 8 year old son, we were in the back yard one night and I was showing him the different constellations and he asked me about the moon. I explained the different phases of the moon and what caused the "shadow" that we see. I then asked him to ask his teacher the next day the same question......the answer??? The shadows on the moons surface are caused by the earth.

The ignorance is astounding

Hey, Dendude,

You made a very intelligent comment. But first, let's veer away from the issue of news legitimacy and shift to the teacher issue - because it is what you're dealing with.

I used to be a teacher in college - in Philosophy even. I would welcome questions and I would reward students who dared to challenge my views. I would intentionally write erroneous things on the board to see who of them were thinking.

You see, students had long been conditioned just to listen to teachers and therefore student talk is scarce. Nobody asks questions.

Yes, teachers do make errors. That's why they have to study their lessons always. Nobody ever claimed they are infallible.

Dendude, why don't you write about this thing? It would be an interesting feature. I'll be your first reader.