Blog OK: Safe Zone – Profiles

As a teacher you have to be very careful in your words these days. It’s okay if you have a better mind. I once explained to a student that his Caribbean background was an “inability” to determine the essay, but I did not thank him for it. I was once warned during the verbal defense of a student thesis that ‘one in six students will cry’, but that statistical fact was not appreciated. I have a habit of calling women ‘darlings’ in Amsterdam, but I suspect not every student is waiting for that. Cest the ton qui fait la musicSo I focus on that too. Yet I occasionally have baked pears. Read: Injured students.

Am I being abusive if I keep saying “darling”? Am I a creepy pastor with a comforting hand on the shoulder of a crying college girl? Why are students allowed to pour sexual nonsense on me (‘men can’t do multitasking’), but if I say anything about women and counters I will be canceled?

The sensitivity of the students goes further. Although less effective students may be offended, am I still allowed to give compliments? We have to Trigger Alerts Before we cover the important things, as in the universities in the United States? As a privileged white man, am I allowed to say anything about racism or discrimination? Is it a cultural allotment to use slang in class? We have to Safe zones Where no one is allowed to criticize others?

In a civilized society it is important to take each other into account. It is cruel to hurt each other unnecessarily. But it is our duty to prepare students for a harsh, demanding, critical and unjust society. Where not Safe zones There are. Where not everyone will wake up. Where there is discrimination. The women there are treated like meat. It’s far from beautiful, but it’s true. Don’t you want to teach students morale? Wouldn’t it be nice if the University of Applied Sciences was a real reflection of the community, instead of a big safe zone?