AboutPatricia Ireland-Williams Expertise I am a retired K-12 Public School Principal (8 years as a teacher and counselor) and 23 years as an administrator. I can help parents with questions about how the system works, provide ideas on how to solve school issues or assist teachers in coping with the plethera of stressors they face.
Experience I am currently an educational consultant and have served on the State of Arizona Solutions Team.
Question In my elementary science classes, I often get questions and comments relating to God. I have not yet found a good way to handle these situations. I usually just skirt around the issue. I feel that I could have an open discussion with older students, but am tongue-tied when it comes to the younger ones.
Answer I understand your diliemma.....as a Christian, I have faced this many times. I believe that when children ask questions, we should answer them without creating confusion or controversy. I openly talk about my belief in God but always emphasize that there are many beliefs around that topic. Young kids might not even be able to understand that concept, so keep it simple and suggest that they talk with their parents about this issue.
The separation of church and state is a real issue and we must not use the classroom as a platform to spread our own beliefs. I would even be cautious with older students especially since this is a science class not a religion class.
