Pagan teachers

[blueangel]

I was thinking about my teacher training and how no-one knows I am a witch. DO you think it could cause a problem if anyone did find out? I try to dress neutral and not wear certain jewellery etc beacuse I am worried it could have adverse effects on my career. DOes anyone have any opinions they would like to share on the topic?

[Darakash]

I was thinking about my teacher training and how no-one knows I am a witch. DO you think it could cause a problem if anyone did find out? I try to dress neutral and not wear certain jewellery etc beacuse I am worried it could have adverse effects on my career. DOes anyone have any opinions they would like to share on the topic?

My gut response to this question is, well....I had NO IDEA what the religion of any of my teachers throughout my education was, except for one, who was a former priest and brought his "bias" into the classroom. As far as I am concerned, one's religion has no effect and no place in a classroom, so it should make no difference as long as you do not bring it into your classroom....

[KEishin]

If you feel the need to wewar something, try a symbol other than a pentagram. I have the same issue - I work in Corporate America (even in a very liberal area) and wearing a pent in broad daylight . . . well. And for you, you could open yourself up to the 'my kid is being taught by a Satanist' crap. Not true, but most people can't tell the difference. :rolls eyes:

So I compromised. I wear a triple moon pendant - very simple, with a small gemstone in it, but has a pentagram engraved on the back. Nobody has ever commmented on my necklace, with the exception of the two Pagans I've met over the years. They knew it for what it was, and we were able to exchange a sort 'welcome to the club' look and an MM and we went on our ways.

I got mine through AzureGreen (www.azuregreen.biz). But I've seen them in other stores.

Best of luck wih it all!

[LadyCelt]

I would like to say it won't matter. But, sadly, I think it could. They may never tell you that is why they won't hire you, but it could be. I like the idea of something with a pentacle on the back. I'm trying to find sanddollar jewelery, and in a way its a pentacle due to the five points and somewhat circle around it.

[starlalala9]

I don't know- knowing where I live, hell yeah you'd get shot (but don't ask someone to take down the 10 commandments, let me tell ya!)

I think wearing something descreet is cool- it has less conetation (bad) plus for me something less DUH-I-AM-A-PAGAN SYMBOL means more- but that may be just me.

I feel the same way as a student dealing with other students. I can't imagine being a teacher.

[blueangel]

It's not that I dress overtly pagan with jewellery and so on, but sometimes religion comes up in conversation and I have to bite my tongue. Also another trainee wears gothic dragon earrings (she's old enough to be my mother) so she is more obvious than I am. Still, it is more that if I happen to wear the wrong combination or something and then some bold kid comes and queries me... i know i don't have to (and moreover don't think it would be professional) to share my religious beliefs but some kids are interested in their teachers and like to ask questions. I guess the problem is how to respond and not feel like I am lying.

[OpenHands]

BlueAngel,

"i know i don't have to (and moreover don't think it would be professional) to share my religious beliefs but some kids are interested in their teachers and like to ask questions. I guess the problem is how to respond and not feel like I am lying."

In professional situations I've found that a smile and quick comment along the lines of "I don't make a habit of discussing religion while I'm working." does the trick. If asked why, I explain that I consider it unprofessional and kindly, but firmly steer the conversation toward another subject.

[Jenett]

It depends a whole lot on other aspects of the situation - type of school you're looking at, area you live in (or might live in), etc.

One thing to remember, though, is that once information is out there, it's impossible to get it back. There have been teachers who have lost jobs (temporarily or long-term - but really, even temporarily and they usually need to go find another area to teach in.) because people found out they were Pagan.

It's also *very* hard to tell how many people had uncomfortable work lives, pressure put on them to move on or shut up, etc. because of religious beliefs.

I work in the library of a private high school - my own deal is that I don't tell students explicitly (though several have figured out that I'm awfully familiar with magical theory and some related concepts).

My own guideline is that I don't tell them anything I'm pretty sure they couldn't find in an online search in 5 minutes. That includes not telling them my specific beliefs - because there's nothing out there using my legal name that connects to my religious stuff. There are other things about my life that I can share with them - a "You know, that's not really something I'm comfortable talking about in this setting" usually works fine, followed up by some other piece of information (books you like, a not-obviously-Pagan thing you did last weekend, whatever.)

[jcldragon]

Take the High Road, and play to the Strong Suit. I'm sure you know that there are certain principles common to every religion on the planet. Embody those qualities, and you won't have to explain anything.

As a teacher, you need to have people comfortable around you. Make yourself reasonably attractive, without being outrageous. A shell is a symbol of Life coming from the Ocean. It is nicely grounding, and holds the power of a natural form, imbued with high mathematical integration.

~slips in a joke~

A professor of mathematics had a garden.

Q : What did the flower say to the tree?

A : I've been growing on this planet for millions of years, and I finally taught one of the animals about Fractal Geometry!

[Antoninus]

It depends where you are. My old theatre teacher was Wiccan (We suspect) because she had something in her office that VERY closely resembled an altar, but at first glance it just looked like a cool piece of arts and crafts. She also made a couple comments when she was frustrated that I think were supposed to be to herself but they were louder than she thought, "Ohhhhh goddess." She never came out and said anything and Im not sure what she would have done if she was asked.

Certain districts are different, some school districts will be affraid youll be a bad influence on the kids, some wont care as long as you arent preaching

[semi]

It would matter very much to some people and may damage your career. There is a grade school here that has banned Halloween decorations from their school and the kids are not allowed to make Halloween decorations in Arts and Crafts to bring home. This is because Halloween relates to evil Pagans like us who try to corrupt children with our nefarious ways. Of course, they'll shove Christmas down the kids throats, but that's another topic. So, yes, it could be very bad if it was known that you, a teacher, is Pagan. Be yourself, by all means, but be discreet unless you're in a very openminded environment.

[Iseult]

It proabably depends on what type of school you're working in. If you get a job in a C of E school, for instance, you'll probably want to be more discreet than if you're working in a non-denominational school. You might want to prepare some answers to possible questions from kids or colleagues. There's probably a difference in what you want to tell colleagues and what you want to tell the kids you work with. The age group you're teaching will probably influence the amount of detail you go into (if you go into detail at all). I would try to keep it as unexciting and uneventful as you can. Try to get the same level of response as you would if you said that you went to church most weeks.

I work in education, and spend some of my time going into schools and meeting parents, though most of the time I'm in the office. The people I work with have asked me about my beliefs, and I tend to be quite low key about it. I say that my beliefs are a mixture of Buddhism and Paganism (which is entirely true), and I leave it at that. I do tell people that I celebrate Yule rather than Christmas, and usually get a few questions around that time of year. I tend to go with the physical as opposed to spiritual explanations, as there can be no real debate over the fact that the Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year, and that after that the days begin to get longer.

I wear quite a bit of jewellry with pentegrams, moon/sun and yin yang symbols on, but it's all fairly subtle unless you look closely. I suppose it just looks like pretty pieces of jewellry that I wear all the time, so people don't take much notice. I wear a pentegram around my neck, and I have sat in meetings where someone has been staring at it the whole way through, but it's only been commented on in a negative way once. I was waiting for the photocopier at work and the woman using it saw the pentegram and started asking lots of questions about what I believed, and aggressively asked whether that meant I didn't believe in God. (I said I believed in the creative power of the universe, but no, I didn't believe in god in the way she meant.) I went back to my desk and talked loudly with one of my colleagues about what this woman had said and how I was thinking that I might discuss her questioning with HR, as it seemed to be religious discrimination. It's good to use these opportunities to your advantage!

I hope this helps.

[Kalika]

It's not that I dress overtly pagan with jewellery and so on, but sometimes religion comes up in conversation and I have to bite my tongue. Also another trainee wears gothic dragon earrings (she's old enough to be my mother) so she is more obvious than I am. Still, it is more that if I happen to wear the wrong combination or something and then some bold kid comes and queries me... i know i don't have to (and moreover don't think it would be professional) to share my religious beliefs but some kids are interested in their teachers and like to ask questions. I guess the problem is how to respond and not feel like I am lying.

I think that if a kid comes up and asks you about it... you should be able to be open and honest about your religion. I also think that you should be able to wear jewelry, etc, that you like, that's not over-the-top. After all, I'm sure the Christian teachers may wear a cross, or even the pendant of a saint from time to time? It wouldn't be thought out of line for them - it shouldn't be considered out of line for you.

I agree that you shouldn't actively teach your beliefs in class... but if someone asks, I don't think that would be a bad thing. I'd rather you be honest than lie to a kid, ya know?

[Kalika]

If you feel the need to wewar something, try a symbol other than a pentagram. I have the same issue - I work in Corporate America (even in a very liberal area) and wearing a pent in broad daylight . . . well. And for you, you could open yourself up to the 'my kid is being taught by a Satanist' crap. Not true, but most people can't tell the difference. :rolls eyes:

So I compromised. I wear a triple moon pendant - very simple, with a small gemstone in it, but has a pentagram engraved on the back. Nobody has ever commmented on my necklace, with the exception of the two Pagans I've met over the years. They knew it for what it was, and we were able to exchange a sort 'welcome to the club' look and an MM and we went on our ways.

I got mine through AzureGreen (www.azuregreen.biz). But I've seen them in other stores.

Best of luck wih it all!

I tried to go to this link... and its actually azuregreen.biz no www or you can go to www.azuregreen.com to get there. :) Great site though!

[Elderbush]

I think that if a kid comes up and asks you about it... you should be able to be open and honest about your religion. I also think that you should be able to wear jewelry, etc, that you like, that's not over-the-top. After all, I'm sure the Christian teachers may wear a cross, or even the pendant of a saint from time to time? It wouldn't be thought out of line for them - it shouldn't be considered out of line for you.

I agree that you shouldn't actively teach your beliefs in class... but if someone asks, I don't think that would be a bad thing. I'd rather you be honest than lie to a kid, ya know?

As much as I wish this was the truth, I'm afraid that in my part of the US (the South) it is a very naive viewpoint. There is no need to lie to a child, but there are other things that can be said as others have suggested. Also, if a person has tenure then that is one thing: a new teacher is much more vulnerable.

Most parents (or other teachers) won't care what religion the teacher is if the s/he is professional, keeps religious bias out of the classroom and is doing a good job. Unfortunately, if a relatively small group of the above want someone gone, they can usually manage it.

[blueangel]

It proabably depends on what type of school you're working in. If you get a job in a C of E school, for instance, you'll probably want to be more discreet than if you're working in a non-denominational school. You might want to prepare some answers to possible questions from kids or colleagues. There's probably a difference in what you want to tell colleagues and what you want to tell the kids you work with. The age group you're teaching will probably influence the amount of detail you go into (if you go into detail at all). I would try to keep it as unexciting and uneventful as you can. Try to get the same level of response as you would if you said that you went to church most weeks.

I work in education, and spend some of my time going into schools and meeting parents, though most of the time I'm in the office. The people I work with have asked me about my beliefs, and I tend to be quite low key about it. I say that my beliefs are a mixture of Buddhism and Paganism (which is entirely true), and I leave it at that. I do tell people that I celebrate Yule rather than Christmas, and usually get a few questions around that time of year. I tend to go with the physical as opposed to spiritual explanations, as there can be no real debate over the fact that the Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year, and that after that the days begin to get longer.

I wear quite a bit of jewellry with pentegrams, moon/sun and yin yang symbols on, but it's all fairly subtle unless you look closely. I suppose it just looks like pretty pieces of jewellry that I wear all the time, so people don't take much notice. I wear a pentegram around my neck, and I have sat in meetings where someone has been staring at it the whole way through, but it's only been commented on in a negative way once. I was waiting for the photocopier at work and the woman using it saw the pentegram and started asking lots of questions about what I believed, and aggressively asked whether that meant I didn't believe in God. (I said I believed in the creative power of the universe, but no, I didn't believe in god in the way she meant.) I went back to my desk and talked loudly with one of my colleagues about what this woman had said and how I was thinking that I might discuss her questioning with HR, as it seemed to be religious discrimination. It's good to use these opportunities to your advantage!

I hope this helps.

Thank you very much for your response. It feels a bit less lonely knowing that other people with similar beliefs DO work in education. I was starting to feel like a freak. I'm not little miss loud mouth about my thoughts but you're right, it's about being prepared with an answer.

Britain always seems relatively open-minded compared to the USA as it's quite common to find quite eccentric people all over the place. It's more the fear that people SEEM to be open-minded but when they hear something they don't like, I don't want to be persecuted! It's not nice lying to others but I think I am going to be vague and just avoid getting into discussions about it.

[whiteravenfire]

I'm a teacher in the UK too. I've taught at the same school for 4 years and during that time have worn a pentagram pendant or more recently a Thor's hammer. I've never had any nasty comments. Although I don't make a big thing of my faith several staff where I work know my beliefs and respect them, as I do theirs.

:)