Being Non judgemental on Quora

 

1. Never be alone with a student in a room with a closed door, and avoid being alone with a student in a room with an open door. Generally speaking, I stand at my door and talk with students in the hallway or doorway. When students are leaving, I walk with them to the door. Is it a little paranoid? Maybe. Is it smart? I think so. There are crowds and security cameras in the hallways.
2. I never wear anything even remotely controversial. I try to dress like everyone’s boring dad. Plain shirts, plain pants, practically invisible. That’s the point.
3. I am almost laughably vocal about being non-partisan and unbiased. I’m a well-known super-Democrat here on Quora. In the classroom, I am vocal about encouraging students to vote. I am vocal about encouraging students to get educated about politics. I tell them to take surveys to find out which politicians align with their views. But I do NOT tell them my positions. When they REALLY push, I remind them that I am a public school teacher and that they should think about what that means. But that’s it. And I do not encourage them to vote one way or the other.
4. 100% non-judgmental at all times about people’s personal choices. Repeat after me: “There are different people and they make different choices. Let’s just be supportive to people as much as we can.” That’s what you say when students say something super judgmental (and they constantly do) about other people. It’s totally not worth getting into the weeds on what other people do.