Subjectivity in the classroom is detrimental. Years ago, there was one college student who took a class in psychology in which the professor had written the textbook.  How objective was this class?  He even told the class, "As long as your opinion agrees with mine, you'll be all right in here."  There was no right answer but his answer.

I agree that there is a time and a place for subjectivity in the classroom.  It is, of course, important to keep personal opinions like religion, prejudice, and politics out of the classroom.  It does not further a students educational goals to be indoctrinated in their teachers personal beliefs rather than the subject material.  Of course, we cannot be completely subjective.  We do select much of the course material.  I too do not often teach from pop culture/literature.  I do not want to exclude a child's interest in that area, but it not something I pull from for lessons.  Rules and acceptable classroom behavior can be subjective to an extent as well.  While schools rules and basic rules must always be followed, there is a lot of wiggle room as well.  For instance, some teachers require students to raise their hands before answering a question while other teachers feel students should learn to speak out appropriately in class.  Some teachers want students to sit in their seat quietly while others might allow students to stand or move during the same activity.  Much of the classroom environment is highly subjective.  It really depends on the teacher's style and expectations.

There are areas where as a teacher we are certainly subjective. I make no secret of my love of literature, passion for Shakespeare and interest in crime fiction. These are things which make me a pssionate English teacher. I do, however, avoid politics at all costs and religion when I can. Students need to know we have opinions - especially as we are trying to get them to form their own!

Subjectivity can be something other than racial bias or political leanings reflected in one's teaching.  The teacher who is able to select his or her own materials, for example, texts, handouts, and videos, may be subjective racially or politically, or in a myriad of other ways.  I, for example, have a tendency to dismiss much of pop culture as I teach.  This is purely subjective on my part, since there is value in pop culture, too.  Some teachers will have a subjective proclivity based on gender, since often, what we value in classroom behavior is more likely to be produced by females than males, at least in the early years of education.There are countless other examples of subjectivity in teaching.

On the other hand, as Parker Palmer famously said, "We teach who we are."  Our value is in our not being robots, but human beings, who bring to the classroom the sum total of our experiences and genes.  Generally, students are exposed to a variety of subjectivities in their teachers, enough to help them understand that everyone is different and that as they go out into the world, they will need to learn to function in a world of subjectivity.

I was fortunate to go to college at a place and in a time in which none of my teachers ever expressed political opinions in class, even though I am sure they had such opinions.  I think that those days are over to a great degree; some teachers seem to think that they have every right to use their classrooms to lecture about politics, even when politics is not at all the focus of the course.

I have spent all of my career teaching in the Deep South, and I have witnessed the racial prejudice that exists in many teachers and how they treat minority students. When I was a student in high school, I had a history teacher who was in love with President Richard Nixon, and he never missed a chance to sing his accolades. Try and treat all students fairly and skip political discussions, and you'll be off to a good start.

How can a teacher's subjectivity affect their teaching? How should they manage differing viewpoints with students or the curriculum?

In response to Post 5, I had a standing rule with students that I wouldn't discuss my positions on either religion or politics. But it wasn't because of parents, school boards or administrators. It was because I had a bully pulpit, some kids (astonishingly) looked at me as someone whose opinion mattered, and I didn't want to make kids who held different beliefs to feel uncomfortable. I would break that rule sometimes with seniors, but as a general rule, I was very careful about such things. But more generally, teaching is inherently a subjective pursuit, as it involves dealing with dozens of kids who have different needs and learning styles.

How can a teacher's subjectivity affect their teaching? How should they manage differing viewpoints with students or the curriculum?

Everything you do in your life is filtered through your subjectivity, but as mentioned above, that can be a good thing. What is most important here is that you recognize the issue in the first place! You are responsible for teaching the required curriculum of your school whether you personally like the units, materials or titles. But you bring to those less favorite units that perspective, and that may help you shape that unit in a way that better meets a wide of variety of students. Sometimes it makes you work harder.

How can a teacher's subjectivity affect their teaching? How should they manage differing viewpoints with students or the curriculum?

I think you have to aware that there is always subjectivity in teaching, and it is not necessarily a bad thing.  There are things you can do if you are aware of it.  For example, to avoid subjectivity in grading you can use a rubric if it is not an objective test.

How can a teacher's subjectivity affect their teaching? How should they manage differing viewpoints with students or the curriculum?

I'm not an elementary teacher, but I think I can help.  You get to pick all sorts of things, regardless of how strict your school's curriculum is.  If you teach 1st grade and you're going to read the kids a book, you get to pick the book.  Your subjectivity will enter into your choice of book because different books send different messages to the kids.  You just need to be sure in cases like that that you are making choices that are age appropriate and are not going to be in conflict with what the school is trying to teach.