Said It Here

How to handle daily morning flag salutes when you disagree

Teachers who feel conflicted about the pledge experience physical sickness and discomfort during the morning routine. This forces them into compromises like standing silently while the PA system plays, preventing them from comfortably participating in a daily practice they fundamentally reject.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    standing silently without saying the words
  2. 2
    remaining seated if completely alone
  3. 3
    claiming a religious objection to sit it out
  4. 4
    using the time to take attendance
  5. 5
    refusing to participate in icebreakers
  6. 6
    banning icebreakers entirely from professional development sessions

In their words

Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.

The truth is I would not and do not recite the pledge if I am alone.source ↗

duggatron57 · r/Teachers · 91 upvotes

Today’s was to get in groups of four and HOLD HANDS to keep the balloon they gave us from touching the ground.source ↗

I am officially in hell.source ↗

Key-Author-2014 · r/Teachers · 52 upvotes

Honestly, it makes me sick to my stomach these days.source ↗

I stand when the PA system does the thing, but that's it.source ↗

E1M1_DOOM · r/Teachers · 11 upvotes

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised