From an instructor's perspective, I realize that, to some degree, I am trying to push a certain ideology in class. It's certainly not a religious or political agenda--I'm too conflicted politically to even have an agenda--but I do want my students to look outside their traditionally held beliefs, opinions, and ideas. I think we all do, don't we? Because many of these students come from a fairly conservative background, maybe I do want them to develop a more liberal way of thinking. As a woman, I was certainly appalled by some of the perspectives many of them have on marriage, women, and mothers, and I know I consciously pushed their conversations in a direction that challenged them to think in a different way about their notions of gender roles. Also, as I read their reading responses and in-class writing, I recognize and comment on writing that takes a fresh perspective on an issue. So does this mean I have an agenda?

Throughout my schooling, I have had instructors who subtly and not-so-subtly tried to push one agenda or another on the class, and I actually appreciate the ways that these teachers challenged my thinking. Even if I didn't agree with them, I was challenged to defend my own opinions, and usually gained a better perspective on an issue as a result. My 1010 professor was also my professor for a classical lit class I took the same semester, and she seemed determined to shock these naive Mormon kids into reconsidering many of their basic assumptions. It was the best thing she could have done for me--as an English major, her class made all the difference in the world for how I read and analyzed literature. As far back as sixth grade, having a social studies teacher who had a strong feminist perspective