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How would you feel about this?

MaggieD

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Your 14-year-old daughter comes home from school and says her unmarried teacher told the class she was pregnant and contemplating an abortion. What would be your thoughts about this?

This isn't a bait thread. I'm asking because of our abortion debates--AND a new question about teachers and their behaviors.
 
Considering the political controversy over the topic and the fact that it shouldn't be any of the student's business. I'd be slightly offended.
 
Your 14-year-old daughter comes home from school and says her unmarried teacher told the class she was pregnant and contemplating an abortion. What would be your thoughts about this?

This isn't a bait thread. I'm asking because of our abortion debates--AND a new question about teachers and their behaviors.

I'd be flaming ticked that a teacher chose to drag my child into her personal issues. . .that's not proper teacher-student discussion, there.
 
I would start with calling the teacher and confirming the story. If it was true, I'd call the principal and if needed I would contact the superintendent or school board.

This shouldn't be done.
 
Your 14-year-old daughter comes home from school and says her unmarried teacher told the class she was pregnant and contemplating an abortion. What would be your thoughts about this?

This isn't a bait thread. I'm asking because of our abortion debates--AND a new question about teachers and their behaviors.

I'd wonder why she feels it's apropriate to discuss her private life with a bunch of kids. :shrug: I wouldn't be offended at all, neither would my daughter. We've discussed the abortion issue a ton of times, it's not like she would be shocked or anything. I guess I'd take it as another oportunity to talk about the issue with her, this time with the added advantage of having a real life example to discuss as opposed to theoretical cases.
 
Your 14-year-old daughter comes home from school and says her unmarried teacher told the class she was pregnant and contemplating an abortion. What would be your thoughts about this?

This isn't a bait thread. I'm asking because of our abortion debates--AND a new question about teachers and their behaviors.

My gut reaction was "that's her business"

However, I would consider it bad form for the teacher to bring up the subject at all.
 
At 14, I think kids are old enough to have discussions about issues like abortion. In fact, I think it is important that they do. Depending on how it was handled, it could be a positive. If it was not something brought up to spark discussion, then it would be inappropriate.
 
This is one of those things that doesn't much light my fire either way. But I'd hope, as several posters have said, that it was disclosed in the first place to spark discussion. And, if it were my child, it would spark a great discussion at home as well.

If I found that there was no discussion about it, and it wasn't used as a learning moment, I might be more upset, as I think about it. It would call the teacher's judgement into question with me -- like, "Why are you telling your students about your private life? Too much information."
 
Your 14-year-old daughter comes home from school and says her unmarried teacher told the class she was pregnant and contemplating an abortion. What would be your thoughts about this?

This isn't a bait thread. I'm asking because of our abortion debates--AND a new question about teachers and their behaviors.

I have a 13 year old daughter and if she came home and told me this? I would call the school and ask why this is something a teacher is discussing with students. It's her choice and it's something that has no business being discussed in school. Much like it's not the students business if a teacher has a date for Friday night or not.

What they do in their free time is their business - when they are teaching my child (with tax payer dollars) their time is my child's (and mine). Keep your personal crap out of the classroom.
 
At 14, I think kids are old enough to have discussions about issues like abortion. In fact, I think it is important that they do. Depending on how it was handled, it could be a positive. If it was not something brought up to spark discussion, then it would be inappropriate.

In that vein - if a teacher told their class about their latest sexual adventure - would that be OK if if 'sparked discussion'? I think not. There are topics that can be discussed in an appropriate way, and NOT when they are framed in a manner of "Hey class I had unprotected sex, now I'm pregnant and considering having an abortion... whaddya think?"

If they want to discuss what are possible consequences of having unprotected sex, then I'm okay with that. I'm okay with children being taught about human sexuality and the changes that take place with their bodies... but I'm NOT for pushing a teachers real life **** ups onto kids in the hopes that it will be a learning experience.
 
That is inappropriate and unprofessional. I would feel this way if a co-worker said this publicly to adults. But given the context of the classroom, it is even more inappropriate and unprofessional.
 
In that vein - if a teacher told their class about their latest sexual adventure - would that be OK if if 'sparked discussion'? I think not. There are topics that can be discussed in an appropriate way, and NOT when they are framed in a manner of "Hey class I had unprotected sex, now I'm pregnant and considering having an abortion... whaddya think?"

If they want to discuss what are possible consequences of having unprotected sex, then I'm okay with that. I'm okay with children being taught about human sexuality and the changes that take place with their bodies... but I'm NOT for pushing a teachers real life **** ups onto kids in the hopes that it will be a learning experience.

I would be against a discussion of the teacher's personal sex life, but using something like getting pregnant and considering abortion, well that is something that some of the kids in the class will probably end up facing themselves. Obviously it could be handled poorly, but to say, based on limited information, that it is wrong flat up is silly to my mind.

The example had no discussion of sex life, only the fact the teacher was pregnant and considering abortion.
 
I'd wonder why she feels it's apropriate to discuss her private life with a bunch of kids. :shrug: I wouldn't be offended at all, neither would my daughter. We've discussed the abortion issue a ton of times, it's not like she would be shocked or anything. I guess I'd take it as another oportunity to talk about the issue with her, this time with the added advantage of having a real life example to discuss as opposed to theoretical cases.

Exactly. It's a boundary issue, regardless of the subject.
 
sounds like an excellent premise to use to spark discussion
a discussion about a topic that 14 year girls - and boys - need to ponder
they have, or are about to, enter an age in which they may become sexually active
and certainly sexually curious

why would it be a bad idea to engage in dialogue about unplanned pregnancy, what options exist, and what actions created the unintended pregnancy?

telling teens to abstain and then pray they adopt your recommendation without question is more than a little naive
 
sounds like an excellent premise to use to spark discussion
a discussion about a topic that 14 year girls - and boys - need to ponder
they have, or are about to, enter an age in which they may become sexually active
and certainly sexually curious
why would it be a bad idea to engage in dialogue about unplanned pregnancy, what options exist, and what actions created the unintended pregnancy?
telling teens to abstain and then pray they adopt your recommendation without question is more than a little naive
Having a classroom discussion about the issues is different than filling students in on your personal life.
 
Fourteen's a grown woman, more than old enough to be considering her stance on such issues. But I would take the opportunity to have a discussion with her about class and propriety.
 
The fact that the teacher thought that was an appropriate thing to discuss in class would indicate to me that the teacher was either extremely dumb or was incapable of drawing an appropriate line between her personal life and her classroom practices. Neither one would inspire confidence.
 
Fourteen's a grown woman, more than old enough to be considering her stance on such issues. But I would take the opportunity to have a discussion with her about class and propriety.

14's a grown woman? Is 14 a grown man?

To who? That's a person-to-person consideration. *some* might be - but is everyone?

If the teacher spoke to the class then EVERYONE was in the on the facts and the issue - even students who don't actually have much of a grasp of such issues. When I was 14 I was *very* out of the loop - it would have actually shocked me to learn of abortion, what it was and why people did it. . . and school is no place for a teacher to expose a child/teen to.
 
14's a grown woman? Is 14 a grown man?

Yes.

If the teacher spoke to the class then EVERYONE was in the on the facts and the issue - even students who don't actually have much of a grasp of such issues. When I was 14 I was *very* out of the loop - it would have actually shocked me to learn of abortion, what it was and why people did it. . . and school is no place for a teacher to expose a child/teen to.

You apparently led a sheltered childhood. If you'll pardon me for saying so, I believe your parents did you a disservice. Your mind and your heart may not have been prepared for such matters, but your body most likely was-- and that is a precarious position for a young adult to be in, especially a young woman.
 
Your 14-year-old daughter comes home from school and says her unmarried teacher told the class she was pregnant and contemplating an abortion. What would be your thoughts about this?

This isn't a bait thread. I'm asking because of our abortion debates--AND a new question about teachers and their behaviors.

did that happen?
 
14's a grown woman? Is 14 a grown man?

Physically many are sexually mature enough for procreation at 14, our cultural values have also shifted over the last few centuries to where in many countries 14 is counted as immature or not ready for sex.

-- it would have actually shocked me to learn of abortion, what it was and why people did it. . . and school is no place for a teacher to expose a child/teen to.

I really depends on how it's introduced and done. If handled properly (an unusual intro to a discussion for biologogy or sexual education class) then fine, the US and UK have some of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the world and kids need better quality information. School is exactly the right place for kids to learn about pregnancy, abortion etc - rather there than in the back seat of someone's car.
 
You apparently led a sheltered childhood. If you'll pardon me for saying so, I believe your parents did you a disservice. Your mind and your heart may not have been prepared for such matters, but your body most likely was-- and that is a precarious position for a young adult to be in, especially a young woman.

I couldn't disagree more. A 14-year-old girl or boy is so far from being an adult, it's dangerous. And that's the whole problem. They have all of the working equipment and none of the emotional maturity they need to go with that responsibility.

@ Lib Lady -- my scenerio was made up.
 
I couldn't disagree more. A 14-year-old girl or boy is so far from being an adult, it's dangerous. And that's the whole problem. They have all of the working equipment and none of the emotional maturity they need to go with that responsibility.

@ Lib Lady -- my scenerio was made up.

i know.....and very unlikely to actually occur. btw....i lived on my own from 15 on.
 
i know.....and very unlikely to actually occur. btw....i lived on my own from 15 on.

I don't know about that and I won't argue about it. It was a 'question.' Your subjective experience is, fortunately, not common. The only conclusion to be drawn from it is that you were able to live on your own. I guess. How successful that made you in life is something else again. How good your decisions were only you know. No offense. It could have been your greatest blessing, your undoing, or neutral.
 
I wonder how many kids would go home and google "aborted babies" or "abortion is murder" and get a ton of actual photographs of ripped apart bodies. Very traumatic for a young child. In my life, that would've been WAY too young to see that, but I know some kids are more exposed to things than I was as a child. It might be good for kids to see what actually happens during an abortion.

By the way, don't google that unless you're prepared to be sick or cry.
 
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