Using Banned and Challenged Books in the Classroom

Abstract

Censorship presents a very real issue for students, teachers and parents in the modern classroom. While teachers may appear in control of their lessons and the information that they teach, professionals everywhere live in fear of saying the wrong thing and facing repercussions that may cost them valuable time in the classroom, or in extreme cases, their jobs. Likewise, parents live in fear of their children growing up too fast by dealing with more advanced and mature subject matters in the classroom. In order to protect their children, many parents work to have this type of material removed from their children’s classrooms in an attempt to protect the innocence of their young. However, in many cases, the students in said classrooms have little to no idea that the content that is being taught has been altered in any way. It is the students who lose out on lessons that may prove overwhelmingly authentic and valuable to the overall unit in order to follow the wishes of the parents and teachers. Schools must learn to change with the demand for particular content. While many adults find fault in teachers covering controversial materials in the classroom, students will learn about these different topics in one way or another. By allowing students to learn about these topics in a safe and educational environment, not only are the adults allowing students to ask questions, they are actually able to guide the discussions of said topics in a constructive and educational manner.