ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses when "teaching" can move into "preaching" with attendant power issues at play. Blurring the line between teaching and preaching can stifle discussion of differing opinions in the classroom, particularly about these difficult or controversial issues. Using computer-mediated disclosure tools like social media, Mazer, Murphy, and Simonds found that students appreciated knowing more about their instructor from the social media site profiles which contributed to a better classroom climate. Opinions can turn into sermons when we forget our authority role, which can be easy to do in this age of first-name bases and dialogical learning. Pre-assigned teams of students explore defined sides or aspects of the topic, like the pros and cons of increasing the minimum wage, and present them in class. As with most ethical issues, there are few hard and fast rules. While people think preaching is pretty much always suspect, it may be more so at an undergraduate level than at a graduate level.
