Why Donald Trump Jr.'s ‘loser teachers’ comment was 'a chilling moment’ for educators around the world
You may recall that President Trump held a pro-border wall rally on Feb. 11 in El Paso and his eldest child, Donald Trump Jr., made a speech that roused the crowd.
The president’s son drew cheers when he urged young conservatives to “bring it to your schools” (though he didn’t say exactly what “it” was) because “you don’t have to be indoctrinated by these loser teachers that are trying to sell you on socialism from birth.”
The comment drew response on social media from teachers and others who don’t see educators in the same way as he does, with the hashtag #loserteachers. For example:
Proud to be one of the #LoserTeachers “indoctrinating” my students with lessons that teach critical thinking, communication, mindfulness, & empathy. I teach my students to write, to question, to imagine, to visualize the words in the books we read & the future they wish to lead.— Danielle Rose (@danirose07) February 12, 2019
In this post, three internationally respected teachers respond, explaining why his comment was more than simply mean.
They are Jelmer Evers of the Netherlands, Michael Soskil of the United States, and Armand Doucet of Canada. The three were featured authors in the 2018 book “Teaching in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: standing at the precipice.”
Evers (@helmerevers) is also the author of “Flip the System: changing education from the ground up.” Soskil (@msoskil) was the 2017-18 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. Doucet (@DoucetArmand) was the recipient of the Canada Teachers Award and is the author of “Teaching Life: Our Calling, Our Choices, Our Challenges.”
By Jelmer Evers, Michael Soskil and Armand Doucet
“You know what I love? I love seeing some young conservatives because I know it’s not easy. (Crowd applauds and shouts.) Keep up that fight. Bring it to your schools. You don’t have to be indoctrinated by these loser teachers that are trying to sell you on socialism from birth. You don’t have to do it. Because you can think for yourselves. They can’t.” (Crowd applauds and shouts again.) – Donald Trump Jr. in Texas on Feb. 11, 2019
For teachers around the globe this was a chilling moment.
In a stadium filled with people chanting “USA, USA!” the son of the president of the United States called for CONTINUE READING: Why Donald Trump Jr.'s ‘loser teachers’ comment was 'a chilling moment’ for educators around the world - The Washington Post
