Opinion differences between a teacher and a student?

[MTR]

When you are learning something as a student, sometimes you have a different point of view from the teacher who is teaching you. You realize that to him you are completely wrong and vice versa. In some cases, the teacher tries to dismiss your ideas as wrong, tries to correct you, when you feel you are right. The teacher may be a little older than you, more experienced, and possibly not able to accept new ideas. I find this situation pretty frustrating. (I'm not a kid, btw. I have own views.)

Have you experienced anything like this?
How do you react?

 

[Emoni]

I run into this a lot actually, but really the method of handling it is fairly simple.

Back what you say up with evidence and a logically sound argument. Be honest about the faults, and be polite when criticizing or replying. It shouldn't get personally, as it is about the argument. The only difference between a teacher and a student is experience and position, and has nothing to do with being correct or not.

If the teacher takes it personally, or simply will not budge despite over whelming evidence, without support for his own claim, then he/she is a lousy teacher at best. Just handle yourself maturely, and support your argument. Any real teacher will love the mental exercise, and a student who disagrees and makes the effort to prove it, is one of the best students you can have in a class.

 

[Yukiko chan]

Well, some of my teachers were real ****heads, so in many instances I had to shut up and act as if I "got their point". The few good teachers I had discussed things fairly and accepted criticism, when it was due, and one of us usually ended up seeing the other's point and adopting it (speaking here of exact sciences like maths, physics and biology).

 

[Absynthia]

Voice your opinion, as you are entitled to have one. We can agree to disagree. I don't see why someone would have a problem with a professor over saying his/her opinion, or why someone would make a big fuss about it.

 

[Huppiflupp]

Question all authority at all time authority needs to be earned and it can be lost.
A teacher is a mere mortal just like anyone else he might be more experienced ,than you in a certain field ,but that is nothing you can´t achieve.
If you feel wrongly treated ask for a one on one talk and explain how you feel.
Most people crack if they see what they have done to the opposing side ,if your teacher remaines unmoved switch classes.

 

[RolandtheHeadless]

It depends on the teacher. Some are threatened by any ideas but their own.

But I got some of my best grades from teachers I vigorously debated.

 

[Absynthia]

Question all authority at all time

Thomas Jefferson once said:
All authority belongs to the people.

 

[Emoni]

It depends on the teacher. Some are threatened by any ideas but their own.

And these need to be taken down the most of all. Verbal assaaaaault!

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

The point of a debate should not be to "win" or to convert everybody to your way of thinking, but to further the development of your own opinions and perhaps further the development of the other persons too. There is no winning or loosing in a debate as long as you personally gain something constructive out of it (even if all that happens is that your current opinions are just further reinforced).

So when you debate something with a teacher, don't be stubborn- you may think you are right, but even if you are it still helps to be open to the other persons opinions. At the very least you can try and understand how the other person formed their opinions (even if you don't agree with them).

Teachers are not perfect, but also give them credit that their lives are often very hard (when you finish school & go home to eat and relax with your family, they will still be working etc). From what i've heard teaching is a very difficult job. So if the teacher doesn't want to debate with you, also take into consideration that they may not have the time to debate with you or may not have the energy to etc. When they have a break time, they may actually want to have a break time. Don't take it as the teacher not wanting to hear your opinions or listen to what you have to say etc. Even simple subjects can take a long time to debate before a conclusion is understood & accepted.

So be respectful. Listen to what you yourself are saying as much as what the teacher is saying. Don't be stubborn and don't try to debate with the aim of "winning", but instead rather with the aim of furthering your own personal understanding & development. Make sure your sources of information are good & legit (not wikipedia...) and think through your own side of the debate thoroughly before approaching someone to debate with.
And when you are debating with a teacher, while they are a great sourse of wisdom, experience & information, teaching is a very stressful and full-on type of job, so make sure you respect your teachers personal time & space and don't hassle them over something that they are doing you the favor on etc .