The Responsibility of Teachers

I am hoping to teach seniors in high school.  This was my most memorable year in school, as it is for many.  I feel that teachers have a huge potential to impact students during this period of their lives.  As a senior English teacher I will be responsible for preparing students for the challenging transition from high school to college in very practical ways. In being given this assignment I am faced with a difficult dilemma.  I realize the truth in that not one dialect is “superior” but do not believe that society has, more specifically I do not believe that college acceptance boards or all potential employers have. So how can I teach my students that all dialects are equal but that they should only use one in order to have the best possibilities for success? It is contradictory.  My initial thought is that for the benefit of my students I must endorse “standard” English until society recognizes that dialects do not reflect intelligence.  However, my second thought that is that as educators we have a great impact on the next generation.  This impact can determine societal change.  Is it up to us to address the misconception and embrace different forms of language? Is it right to possibly hinder a generation of students so that the next will have dialectal freedom? Perhaps the largest challenge is finding a way to embrace all dialects, while educating communities, and avoiding any hindrance to students. This seems a large task.