S5EP01 Teachers, you are on the front lines as defenders of truth. Our students need you.

Published: Feb. 5, 2017, 5 p.m.

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I can\\u2019t begin a new season of a podcast called TRUTH for teachers without acknowledging the changes that have occurred since Season 4 ended two months ago.\\xa0

I think we had all hoped that after the US election, some of the division we were feeling in our country would die down a bit, and the constant political drama and onslaught of outrageous, embarrassing news would trickle down to a more manageable pace.

This...did not happen.

And it\\u2019s tiring. I know this. I know that it is wearisome to hear about serious issues all the time. It is tempting to want to return to the days when our social media feeds were mostly pictures of babies and puppies, when we collectively questioned the popularity of the Kardashians, and the most controversial nationwide debate was whether that dress was blue or gold.

But we\\u2019ve been TOO\\xa0comfortable.\\xa0No matter who you voted for, no matter where you stand on the various issues, we need you now to be a warrior for truth. We need you to be a thinking, actively involved citizen. We need you to teach students to THINK.

Be okay with discomfort.\\xa0Have the hard conversations instead of discussing \\u201csafe\\u201d topics that are less controversial.

Let your choices be guided not by fear or fear of discomfort, but a love of truth.

Don\\u2019t make decisions by asking yourself, \\u201cAm I allowed to do this?\\u201d

Instead ask yourself, \\u201cIs this the right thing to do?\\u201d

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