September 2020
This month's voice:
Kara Waggoner, "The Right to Diverse Views"
Introduction
By Lindsay Herron
Co-editor, KOTESOL Voices
Even if you haven't met Kara Waggoner, you almost certainly have seen the results of her labor! From her work on the Seoul Chapter conference and her role as a leader in the Seoul Chapter, to her participation in KOTESOL at the national level (including her workshops, both online and face-to-face; the many favors she has done for the national and international conferences at her workplace; and her thoughtful insights as a discussant-moderator of the KOTESOL Facebook group), Kara's touch tints many KOTESOL events as she steps up behind the scenes with grace and aplomb.
I've known and admired Kara for several years now, and after attending the excellent "Culture and Colonization in Context" virtual workshop co-hosted by Kara this past July, I knew we had to seek out her perspectives for KOTESOL Voices! She has always struck me as astute and thoughtful, and I think these qualities shine through in the reflective piece Kara has crafted below—an excellent reminder of the need to respect multiple points of view, shared by someone who has felt nervous about voicing a minority opinion. Happy reading!
The Right to Diverse Views
By Kara Waggoner
Teacher evaluations are important. We should stick to the curriculum assigned to us, not divert from it to teach other issues. Parents should have the right to choose an education path that is right for their child. Teachers should remain neutral on social issues, as not to offend their students. Student test scores matter and are a reflection of the school. There is a lot of talk these days about increasing diversity. We need more diversity in racial background, gender, etc. What about trying to have more diversity in thought? Not hate speech—though protecting that is legal in many free societies—but rather the thoughts that most people disagree with. The thoughts I mentioned above are not my thoughts, and these issues might not be popular within education circles, but teachers with these viewpoints have the right to have these opinions and voice them freely.
At the heart of any modern and free democracy is the right to voice opinions, even unpopular ones, and even have rigorous debate about them. While we might not like hearing opinions we strongly disagree with, it is important that we at least listen to the other side. Listening to the other side does not mean our own ideas will get stifled, nor should it. Instead, hearing other views forces us to give even better arguments or find better research, data, and anecdotes for our own beliefs.
Why do I say all of this? Not to rile anyone up. Back in the early 2000s, I was a George W. Bush conservative Republican. In my freshman year, I went to my professor’s office, and to my dismay it was covered in liberal paraphernalia. I was worried she was not going to like me—or worse, lower my grade because of my views. Thankfully, neither one happened. Then I entered my education courses, and—surprise!—once again I was in the minority with my views. Again, my classmates still liked me, though I did get some light-hearted grief about being a Republican every once in a while. I was comfortable arguing with them for what I thought was right, and they were respectful in letting me have my beliefs. Side note: I did later go from being a compassionate conservative to a bleeding-heart liberal. I follow the Lutheran faith, and based on my beliefs, I started noticing that the more liberal Democrats did want to do more to help the less fortunate in society, which I find very important.
Because I know what it’s like to be in the minority in my thoughts on education and other topics, I think it’s important for those with such views to be able to hold them, without public scorn, scrutiny, or ad hominem attacks. Having discourse is perfectly fine, but telling someone they are wrong for their views is not. Only after listening to thoughts we disagree with and allowing those with diverse opinions to have an audience have we truly shown respect for another kind of diversity.
About the Author
Kara Waggoner has worked at Sookmyung Women’s University in their Young Learner TESOL teacher training program for the past six years. For the past fifteen years she has taught in the United States and Korea, teaching a diverse range of ages and language proficiencies. Her areas of interest include ESL policy, applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, and poverty and its effect on education. You can contact her at kara.waggoner@sookmyungtesol.info.
