Let me be clear, no teacher, in Utah or anywhere in the country for that matter, is teaching pornography. Period. That’s not what we do; that’s not who we are. Not to mention that it is illegal.
While promising the removal of the nonexistent pornography in our classrooms, the Utah law HB374, “Sensitive Materials in Schools,” has shut down an opportunity for teenagers to come together and have rich discussions about what it means to be human. The depth of experience that is being lost for our young people is a grave and damaging disservice to Utah’s students in all grade levels.
Great literature is, by definition, never pornographic yet, by definition, it absolutely will contain “sensitive material,” because a powerful book reflects life, which is filled with sensitive material. An impactful book is a microcosm of life and a reflection of the shared humanity that complex characters struggle through on their journey towards transformation.
It’s the flawed characters that we respond to as we process judgment, indignation and outrage from their painful life situations that makes a story worth reading, and it is precisely the sensitive material that is pinnacle to the character’s transformation.
Indeed, this is the purpose of great literature: to develop empathetic human beings. For what are we as a society if we have no empathy for each other? Through a character’s struggles, students reflect on their own values, beliefs and experiences and grapple with making their own meaning in the world.
Through the pain of life that characters survive, students reflect on how they are surviving their own challenging life experiences. To have these discussions is one of the greatest pleasures of being their teacher. You short change your student’s potential as a fully complex human when you limit their ability to read great books together.
If books scare you, if you don’t want your student exposed to reflection, deep thinking and powerful ideas, then please place restrictions on your own kid. Your teacher will offer an alternative. Is it fair to insist that the book should be banned for every student simply because it contains a mention of something to be removed under HB374?
The law is very specific to the pornography, and we can’t just assume it as such simply because the material contains sexual content. The novels that reflect life are the ones worth reading. The books that are perfectly bland, the Dick and Jane of literature, are not only forgettable but a waste of a teenager’s time.
I know I’ve lost this most precious teaching experience, but I had to speak what’s in my heart so I don’t become a depressed and ineffective teacher who has lost her passion and is just teaching for the paycheck.
I became a literature teacher to open minds and awaken hearts, to help teenagers discover who they are and what they believe. My essential question after every novel is, “How are you different after reading this book?” Maybe this is exactly what some parents are afraid of; they don’t want their student’s minds to open.
The literature that some decry as “pornographic” are some of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. I’ve used them to encourage, support, guide and love your kids on their journey to their best selves. Reading provides opportunities to connect the students with each other and to create a shared community of powerful conversations.
As I said, no teacher, in Utah or anywhere in the country, is teaching pornography. We are, however, teaching the most sensitive of materials that inspire academic learning, empathy, and humanity. It’s what we do. It’s who we are.
Melissa Nikolai
Melissa Nikolai is a 28-year veteran educator now teaching English at Park City High School. She is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher and holds a master’s degree in education.
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