Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by Locke

b1crunch literally just gave us a personal account of a teaching assistant literally attempting to brainwash kids.

Sorry KFF...you're off base here.

Locke..........you know what I mean. Of course there is the odd wingnut out there, but the majority are not like that teacher. I have family and friends that are teachers. In my entire schooling I don't remember a single teacher trying to influence me politically.

So yes, there very well could be a few cases here and there. Interesting that the one you mention is in the very same vein politically as the posters concerned about it happening, though.

[Muta]

I don’t recall my social studies teachers instilling political influences in which party colour I should vote for. I DO recall private business trying this crap during my career though.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

Locke..........you know what I mean. Of course there is the odd wingnut out there, but the majority are not like that teacher. I have family and friends that are teachers. In my entire schooling I don't remember a single teacher trying to influence me politically.

So yes, there very well could be a few cases here and there. Interesting that the one you mention is in the very same vein politically as the posters concerned about it happening, though.

As do I. My daughter is a teacher and my other daughter is working towards it.

Really? No teachers tried to influence you? That could be because you're lucky or because you didnt notice. I had a number that did. My Jr. High Social Studies teacher was a rabid and unabashed fan of Pierre Trudeau.

Pierre's photo was his desktop background.

Teachers tend to have a lot of influence and your experience, as well as mine, was 'Then.' Not 'Now.'

Times have changed.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by Locke

Really? No teachers tried to influence you? That could be because you're lucky or because you didnt notice. I had a number that did. My Jr. High Social Studies teacher was a rabid and unabashed fan of Pierre Trudeau.

Nope. Nothing even close to that.

[b1crunch]

Originally Posted by Locke

As do I. My daughter is a teacher and my other daughter is working towards it.

Really? No teachers tried to influence you? That could be because you're lucky or because you didnt notice. I had a number that did. My Jr. High Social Studies teacher was a rabid and unabashed fan of Pierre Trudeau.

Pierre's photo was his desktop background.

Teachers tend to have a lot of influence and your experience, as well as mine, was 'Then.' Not 'Now.'

Times have changed.

I spend 80 minutes a day, 5 times a week with my students, for about 4.5 months. The kids spend MUCH more time with family, friends, social media, etc.

On a scale of life influence, teachers are very low. Parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends (adults), friends parents, friends, etc. are all above teacher in influence. Hell, pastor, coach, neighbor, camp counsellor, boss, work colleagues (because lots of my kids work), etc. probably have equal or more influence than me.

This may not be true for every kid, but its true for the vast majority of them.

Again, I can't get my students to do homework, bring a pen, get their work handed in, but I'm going to brainwash them to get me a raise?

That's looney tunes stuff.

[Izzle]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

Nope. Nothing even close to that.

Could be that those teachers identified 16 year old Locke as a genuine 'lunatic' and tried to expose him to different ideas so as to expand his horizons?

I kid I kid.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

Nope. Nothing even close to that.

Interesting.

Well, obviously we're not going to be able to commiserate or compare notes.

[flames_fan_down_under]

My parents were the biggest influence on how I voted when I was younger, then I grew up and developed my own political identity, this is probably true for a lot of people when they first start to vote. I would say that at absolutely no point did I ever even think about a teacher and their politics influencing my vote in any way. I doubt I would have even recognized a picture of PET being on a desk, nor would have I cared. I couldn't even come up with a vague example of a teacher even saying anything about a prime minister in a biased way, other than from a purely educational stance, when I was growing up.

Believe it or not most the teachers I had were decent, professional, and took their jobs seriously.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by b1crunch

I spend 80 minutes a day, 5 times a week with my students, for about 4.5 months. The kids spend MUCH more time with family, friends, social media, etc.

On a scale of life influence, teachers are very low. Parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends (adults), friends parents, friends, etc. are all above teacher in influence.

This may not be true for every kid, but its true for the vast majority of them.

Again, I can't get my students to do homework, bring a pen, get their work handed in, but I'm going to brainwash them to get me a raise?

That's looney tunes stuff.

Okay...thats not true at all. Sometimes kids crave an outside influence!

I think you're under-rating teachers.

Although...I dont know what you're potentially doing to children in order to influence a raise....that doesnt really track. I mean...other than some sort of 'Hostage/Blackmail' situation...which is none of my business...

[jayswin]

Parents are way more influential on kids than teachers when it comes to political leanings.

[b1crunch]

Originally Posted by Locke

Okay...thats not true at all. Sometimes kids crave an outside influence!

I think you're under-rating teachers.

Although...I dont know what you're potentially doing to children in order to influence a raise....that doesnt really track. I mean...other than some sort of 'Hostage/Blackmail' situation...which is none of my business...

We did a PD session during the pandemic related to the mental health of students and what we could do to help kids. A Psychologist spoke to my division about how to help our kids, and basically showed us data that said teachers/school staff were 8th or 9th on the hierarchy list. Parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, etc were all above us in terms of influence.

We ended up running help sessions for whole families along side the local FCSS to help families overcome their anxiety/fears/whatever related to the pandemic. The goal was to help the parents, so they could help their kids, because if it was just up to the teachers, then the kids weren't going to get the proper help.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Parents are way more influential on kids than teachers when it comes to political leanings.

Its entirely possible.

But do you vote the same way as your dad?

I am diametrically opposite.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by jayswin

No it isn't because it's a only few years that a party is in power. Not enough to have an effect on your daily life.

We're all well off enough to take care of ourselves in this province aren't we? Politicians can't enact policies that greatly affect you if you just make enough money for policies to not affect you.

This post of mine was thanked by only Yoho. I feel obligated at this point to point out that it was sarcasm.

[Izzle]

Originally Posted by jayswin

This post of mine was thanked by only Yoho. I feel obligated at this point to out that it was sarcasm.

There are definitely 16 year olds that are more discerning than Yoho

[b1crunch]

Originally Posted by Izzle

There are definitely 16 year olds that are more discerning than Yoho

He's living his best life. It's a struggle, but he's doing it.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

My parents were the biggest influence on how I voted when I was younger, then I grew up and developed my own political identity, this is probably true for a lot of people when they first start to vote. I would say that at absolutely no point did I ever even think about a teacher and their politics influencing my vote in any way. I doubt I would have even recognized a picture of PET being on a desk, nor would have I cared. I couldn't even come up with a vague example of a teacher even saying anything about a prime minister in a biased way, other than from a purely educational stance, when I was growing up.

Believe it or not most the teachers I had were decent, professional, and took their jobs seriously.

I think this is right, I believe there is a study that showed some meaningful portion of women voters just vote for whoever their husband plans to vote for, because political media diets are higher among men, and women are more willing to decline to form their own political opinions. (not intending to make any comments about capabilities/corrosion... just that they are willing to ignore politics and live their lives).

I suspect we would see an even more substantial portion of teenage voters simply vote the family line for very similar reasons.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by b1crunch

He's living his best life. It's a struggle, but he's doing it.

At least he’s setting a low bar for the rest of us.

[Cain]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

yes, but do the majority of them have enough experience and knowledge to make an informed decision? Are they able to set priorities? Can they be over influenced by teachers or social media? It seems that the extreme environmentalists have set their sights on the younger vote with their scare tactics.

I worry about the "dumbing down" of the voting base. It's already at an all time low in my estimation.

I have to say that I laughed quite a bit after reading this post. So much of the first bit applies to a much broader population than students. I think it has been clearly demonstrated that there are quite a large number of people above the age of 18 who do not have the experience and knowledge to make an informed decision. I definitely share your worries about the "dumbing down" of the voter base, but I don't think that extending the privilege to students is going to exacerbate that. It may actually improve it!


And yes of course, darn those extreme environmentalists going after the generations that will actually have to live with the consequences instead of the older ones who couldn't be bothered as it won't actually affect them.

[PepsiFree]

I’m not sure why we’re pretending teenagers are incapable of having the maturity to vote when there are people who vote based on colour, a good speech, or even the belief that it’s actually a politician’s wife calling the shots.

Pretty sure a 16-year-old can rise to such a thoughtful approach to politics.

[Wormius]

A 16 year old has a lot more skin in the game than any 70+ year olds.