Erik Marshall

I was going to say something about this a few days ago, but Timothy Burke has done a much better job than I could have.  As far as my perosnal practices in the classroom, I don’t neurotically shy away from political discussions in an effort to keep the learning experience sanitized, but I also don’t spout my own political views. (At least I don’t think I do — I know some of my current and former students read this, so delurk and let me know.) I suspect that my students can infer my political beliefs from text or film choices and other small things, but I doubt that I have brainwashed any of them into voting against their usual preferences. Instructors have far less power, I hope, than those complaining about politics in the classroom think, and articles like this do not give college students any credit for being able to think for themselves. Is that the goal?