Teaching, as cliché as it may sound, is one of the most rewarding careers in existence. I speak of this from personal experience; I have been educating spunky little people for more than eight years and have been working with them in various other settings for 15 years! All the while, I’ve been pursuing another of my passions – cruelty-free living. To me, the phrase “cruelty-free” encompasses an entire animal-conscious approach to life, including veganism and the like.
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© Lee Bradley
Teaching, as cliché as it may sound, is one of the most rewarding careers in existence. I speak of this from personal experience; I have been educating spunky little people for more than eight years and have been working with them in various other settings for 15 years! All the while, I’ve been pursuing another of my passions – cruelty-free living. To me, the phrase “cruelty-free” encompasses an entire animal-conscious approach to life, including veganism and the like. Because I am so fond of furry creatures (and I don’t just mean hairy kids), it hasn’t been uncommon that the two passions occasionally collide. Children are curious by nature and my lifestyle and eating habits have come up with some prodding. I have always treaded lightly around this topic with my students, though I strongly believe in honesty when it comes to educating them. Some parents, however, might not appreciate their children becoming privy to the uncomfortable truth behind why I chose to live this lifestyle. This thought inspired me to dig around a little and interview some of the parents of children I used to teach on their opinions and experience in working with me!
Before I contacted these parents, I consulted my trusty friend, The Internet. Run a search for “vegan teacher fired” and a slew of names and cases will pop up. Oh my, I began to think. Veganism might be more of a controversial topic in the classroom than I had originally thought! Thus, with fingers crossed, I presented the questions to the parents. They read as follows:
How would you feel if another person, outside of your family, explained veganism to your child? (You can respond from experience, too.)
Would you prefer the individual (if said situation occurred) omit the “why” regarding his/her vegan lifestyle choice? (This refers to the individual’s ethical beliefs rather than just a literal explanation of the term.)
Within minutes I had received responses!
Hesitantly, I opened the first one when I realized it was from the parent of a very sweet, camouflage-clad calf-roping son. With a sigh of relief, I read on as she wrote that she believes it’s OK to educate children on other lifestyles and she was fine with her son learning about mine. Understandably, she feels that the specifics regarding what happens to the animals that deters me from eating them or using products made from or tested on them is a bit too much for children and she doesn’t think her son would have responded well to the visuals he would have formed in his mind. Luckily, I spared the children from what animals actually experience because, for the most part, I agree with her on that aspect.
Another parent whom I have long adored for his profession (writer and film-maker) responded similarly, but with a bit more of a personal touch. According to him, his daughter, a creative, unique, and intelligent little character, admires my choice to be vegan. He went on to discuss how she has previously expressed guilt about eating animals and that she has every intention to become vegetarian or vegan, though in her logical mind this will have to wait since she is aware that she does not consume enough of a healthy variety of fruits and vegetables. I’ve always appreciated her rationale on things.
This parent carried on to answer my second question in a way that I believe to be both honest and profound. He wrote:
“I could see how some families might react defensively to the topic of veganism. It is hard to argue that the process of meat isn’t cruel. It is probably a topic most people want to avoid thinking about or discussing with their kids because it calls into question our own choices. We told our daughter that our society right now is set up for a mostly meat diet, and in order for us to convert to being vegetarians, we would need our own huge garden, or the easy availability of lots of different types of fresh fruits and vegetables. She was okay with that – for now. In our family, any topic is open for discussion and we feel it is right to question our choices. We made a choice for expediency… We don’t feel great about it, but we know our limits. I know your choice is something she admires and someday she will decide whether she can manage the switch.”
Stunned and pleased, a smile spread across my face as I finished reading his email. He nailed it; most individuals who adamantly oppose or judge the cruelty-free lifestyle probably do so in defense. It’s often simpler to avoid challenges than to face them head on, and in this case, many people might choose to ignore the truth about meat and live and eat in ignorant bliss.
He also brought to light the societal role in attempting a cruelty-free existence. If we all had our own massive gardens, things would be different. Unfortunately, convenience is king in our world and the efforts to move toward the vegan path, for most, are daunting.
I was lucky in my research; I’ve been blessed to work with accepting and tolerant families who rise above their own lifestyles and allow room for questioning and challenges. To me, this way of thinking is to be evolved, in a matter of speaking. Yes, we all have opposable thumbs and walk upright, but there is something to be said of those who can think beyond themselves and grasp the bigger picture.
All of this is wonderful, but after receiving yet another email commending my choice (I am not complaining!) I wondered how less open-minded parents might have responded to this scenario. Searching for some opposition, I headed to Facebook, where I posed the questions to what I thought might be a more intolerant audience.
Again, I received the same types of responses. It appears that the general consensus is that it’s OK to tell the students about being vegan, though it’s important not to cross the line by frightening them with imagery. I did, however, receive some additional thoughts from friends in their responses to my questions. Basically, we vegans better not make it sound like our choice is “better” or “right” as opposed to non-vegans. I get it; condescension never feels good.
Through this research I have learned that society seems to be heading in a less judgmental direction, all around. As some of my friends shared, children are going to be exposed to many viewpoints and lifestyles, if not by teachers than by peers and celebrities. As long as these things are presented to them in a respectful manner, most are pretty tolerant. I have to say that this makes me happy and hopeful as I intend to convert as many people to veganism as possible –just kidding! It pleases me to know that so many parents are willing to allow their children to become educated on other viewpoints so that they may choose their own paths in life. To me, this is certainly indicative of societal progress.
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