(August 31, 2015 at 10:56 am)Whateverist the White Wrote:(August 30, 2015 at 12:51 pm)abaris Wrote: That's sad.
Welcome.
I know it's not much of a help, but if they would fire you, they would break the law in doing so. At least in most countries I know of.
Of course a private school might be a different matter. I taught in a public school with a lot of gay faculty, administration and parents. Hell, one of our history teachers started the Gay Straight alliance at our school. I regularly thank her for helping to bridge the gap between our peoples.
But while admire her activism on that issue I myself have always kept my atheism under wraps where my students are concerned. I've always felt that students shouldn't have to deal with my religious status in order to learn mathematics. In fact I've only spoken about it to staff when it becomes relevant. One of my better friends at school is Jewish. Once nearing xmas she confided to me how alienating all the public display of that holiday was to her as a Jew. I had to be equally honest and tell her how off putting it all was to me as godless person.
It would affect how your students would react to you, and likely make you less effective as a teacher of mathematics. Many religious students would probably regard you as a tool of the devil, and be distracted from the subject of mathematics by that, and not regard you as a proper authority for your field.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
