This chapter brought me back to teaching in a Catholic school for five years. They were an interesting five years so very different from my experience in the public schools. As soon as you approach Catholic schools, you notice all the Christian symbolism. My schools were no different. There were paintings, pictures, statues, and crosses everywhere. There were visible priests, pastors, and deacons walking down the hallways throughout the day. Many of the teachers were religious while some considered themselves to be spiritual. I never really put my beliefs "out there" and being from a non-Catholic background, I wasn't expected to discuss religion with my students but was expected to live in a way becoming of a good Christian. All students, no matter religion, were also expected to live in a Christian way with good morals, values, and ethics.
My middle school students went through their day with the typical middle school stuff. They dealt with bullying, two-faced friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, issues with parents, issues with teachers, and at times issues with themselves. I imagine that many of them went through a situation similar to Steve Chang from the reading. Many of them had relationships and were most definitely plagued with thoughts about what are moral thoughts and what are not and whether it was "normal" for them to think those thoughts. There are so many forces coming at these students and some of them are working against each other. These students, in both public and private schools, are asking questions about the universe that most adults do not understand.
I remember being in a third period math class and the students were discussing whether or not they should have to wear uniforms. I let them argue it out and it got a little heated. Somehow the conversation escalated to whether or not a young man "Chris" believed in God. He said he did not. The students all looked at me and waited. One girl "Chloe" said that he would be in trouble now. I responded that I had no intention of reprimanding him or further reporting the incident because how could I discipline a student for his thoughts and beliefs. I still wonder if I would have been in trouble for not reporting it to the administration. In a public school, there would have been no second guessing and no one would have batted an eye brow.
