Racially Insensitive Teacher?

[Anonymous]

it is entirely possible to teach children about why systems of inequalities are wrong without trying to repeat them in the classroom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get over it. Stop looking for racism where there is none.

Great so would you volunteer your child to sit on the back of the bus and give up their seat because of the color of their skin?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the teacher meant well, was trying to come from a good place. I think it falls under the category of poor judgment because the kids are young. I remember when my child's K teacher read a story to the class about the civil rights movement and talked to the kids about the police using dogs attack black people. My child was very disturbed by this image and I believed that the teacher should have chosen a book that was age appropriate.

Yes.

What she probably should have done was shirt colors, or something else, or really saved the lesson plan for an older age.

No.

Let's not use clothing or give half the class stickers and try to teach the kids about racism. I would agree about using books and about having courageous conversations but not about trying to repeat systems of racism in your own classroom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get over it. Stop looking for racism where there is none.

Great so would you volunteer your child to sit on the back of the bus and give up their seat because of the color of their skin?

To be fair, my kid would be the one the kids had to get up for

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a black with biracial children and wouldn’t complain. As a country we can not eradicate racism without talking about it, modeling the past for children to understand and integrating it into the school curriculum lest we fall prey to it again by not talking about it. I’d first email the teacher to see if there’s a way for you support what she is discussing at school. Also, if you OP are Black then you should already be teaching your child his/her history i.e. Black social organizations, the National History Museum of African American history etc. My DH also teaches my children that not all “white” people were racist even in those times and many supported the civil rights movement by marching or supported the Underground Railroad during times of slavery. Beware of some people on this board because they immediately odemonize all people —-instead of looking at true context. It makes it hard to discuss race with people telling Black people or anyone whose people has experienced injustice how to feel. If you are not sure of what to do, it’s clear that in your gut you might not believe the teacher was out to offend.

Well, I'm Black with black children and I damn sure know that we need to talk about racism and to teach the full depth and breath out nation's history ( not just from the white man's perspective )
And I also know that what this teacher did was dumb, inappropriate , thoughtless and ignorant . I'm going to teach you not to be racist but acting out racism with little kids.
WTF!
Yea, I would have a chat with teacher, a reallll niiiiceee chat!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“


I agree with pp that the very fact the teacher was doing this lesson means she was trying to teach students not to be racist. However you choose to approach her, please assume she did this with goodwill and start from a place where you two agree on the important goal of teaching about racism. I would just mention that she might want to do it using shirts or something in the future to make it less uncomfortable for black children. If the teacher was white (everyone seems to assume this but we don’t know), I expect she will be mortified that it was received that way.

Be nice, people. The odds that a kindergarten teacher is a giant a$$hole are low.”

Spot on.

I really hate when people discount racism by thing they really weren't trying to be racist !
I don't give a f*** if the effect was racism then than that is the effect.
Some of you are so worried about your own damn feelings that you make that the focus instead of the effect of the actions.
DEAL WITH THE EFFECT AND HOW THE OTHER PERSON WAS AFFECTED.
Then maybe later you can deal with whether or not the person INTENDED to be racist.
Geeezus!
If someone runs over you with a car do you lay there saying, well he did not mean to hit me, or does someone get your a** to the hospital and see to your injuries???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“


I agree with pp that the very fact the teacher was doing this lesson means she was trying to teach students not to be racist. However you choose to approach her, please assume she did this with goodwill and start from a place where you two agree on the important goal of teaching about racism. I would just mention that she might want to do it using shirts or something in the future to make it less uncomfortable for black children. If the teacher was white (everyone seems to assume this but we don’t know), I expect she will be mortified that it was received that way.

Be nice, people. The odds that a kindergarten teacher is a giant a$$hole are low.”

Spot on.

I really hate when people discount racism by thing they really weren't trying to be racist !
I don't give a f*** if the effect was racism then than that is the effect.
Some of you are so worried about your own damn feelings that you make that the focus instead of the effect of the actions.
DEAL WITH THE EFFECT AND HOW THE OTHER PERSON WAS AFFECTED.
Then maybe later you can deal with whether or not the person INTENDED to be racist.
Geeezus!
If someone runs over you with a car do you lay there saying, well he did not mean to hit me, or does someone get your a** to the hospital and see to your injuries???

your analogy bunk, when you get hit by a car it is black and white that you’re hurt. When feelings are hurt it is a possible the other person is being too sensitive, black and white. Also pointing out disparities isn’t the same as endorsing them.

Bus seating is about as not ugly a manifestation of institutional racism as it gets, kids get bus seating. You aren’t doing them any favors thinking them incapable of grasping

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“


I agree with pp that the very fact the teacher was doing this lesson means she was trying to teach students not to be racist. However you choose to approach her, please assume she did this with goodwill and start from a place where you two agree on the important goal of teaching about racism. I would just mention that she might want to do it using shirts or something in the future to make it less uncomfortable for black children. If the teacher was white (everyone seems to assume this but we don’t know), I expect she will be mortified that it was received that way.

Be nice, people. The odds that a kindergarten teacher is a giant a$$hole are low.”

Spot on.

I really hate when people discount racism by thing they really weren't trying to be racist !
I don't give a f*** if the effect was racism then than that is the effect.
Some of you are so worried about your own damn feelings that you make that the focus instead of the effect of the actions.
DEAL WITH THE EFFECT AND HOW THE OTHER PERSON WAS AFFECTED.
Then maybe later you can deal with whether or not the person INTENDED to be racist.
Geeezus!
If someone runs over you with a car do you lay there saying, well he did not mean to hit me, or does someone get your a** to the hospital and see to your injuries???

your analogy bunk, when you get hit by a car it is black and white that you’re hurt. When feelings are hurt it is a possible the other person is being too sensitive, black and white. Also pointing out disparities isn’t the same as endorsing them.

Bus seating is about as not ugly a manifestation of institutional racism as it gets, kids get bus seating. You aren’t doing them any favors thinking them incapable of grasping

Go away

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:it is entirely possible to teach children about why systems of inequalities are wrong without trying to repeat them in the classroom

This.

[Anonymous]

The problem is not the lesson, per se, but the grade/age at which they are trying to teach it. I'm the pp who wrote about the Rosa Parks skit. I wouldn't have really objected to it in 5th grade. By K, my dd hadn't been given any reason to think that some people might view her as inferior and I wanted to wait a bit longer til she could absorb the nuances of that.

For the white kids, it's potentially an interesting lesson about white privilege. For black kids, it is being smacked in the face (possibly for the first time) that people view them differently (and inferior to) their white classmates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem is not the lesson, per se, but the grade/age at which they are trying to teach it. I'm the pp who wrote about the Rosa Parks skit. I wouldn't have really objected to it in 5th grade. By K, my dd hadn't been given any reason to think that some people might view her as inferior and I wanted to wait a bit longer til she could absorb the nuances of that.

For the white kids, it's potentially an interesting lesson about white privilege. For black kids, it is being smacked in the face (possibly for the first time) that people view them differently (and inferior to) their white classmates.

Even for fifth grade, it is inappropriate. It can be very difficult to be a child of color in a predominantly white school and go through this type of simulation. Sometimes kids giggle because they are uncomfortable, but you don’t know this because you are a child yourself. Other times, kids just say cruel things afterwards because they feel guilty and don’t know how to process. You can’t do this and just move on to the next lesson or recess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is not the lesson, per se, but the grade/age at which they are trying to teach it. I'm the pp who wrote about the Rosa Parks skit. I wouldn't have really objected to it in 5th grade. By K, my dd hadn't been given any reason to think that some people might view her as inferior and I wanted to wait a bit longer til she could absorb the nuances of that.

For the white kids, it's potentially an interesting lesson about white privilege. For black kids, it is being smacked in the face (possibly for the first time) that people view them differently (and inferior to) their white classmates.

Even for fifth grade, it is inappropriate. It can be very difficult to be a child of color in a predominantly white school and go through this type of simulation. Sometimes kids giggle because they are uncomfortable, but you don’t know this because you are a child yourself. Other times, kids just say cruel things afterwards because they feel guilty and don’t know how to process. You can’t do this and just move on to the next lesson or recess.

You should hear the absolutely racist things my AA dc (and some friends) had to endure in 5th grade. I won't even repeat them here, but they were not subtle micro-aggressions. They were in-your-face racist statements and it took those kids months before they told the teacher it was happening. (It wasn't due to any simulation, though.)

[Anonymous]

How else will tell the story of why white people have to treat everyone with kid gloves lest they not show they are properly sorry for their ancestors continuously exploiting everyone else’s ancestors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How else will tell the story of why white people have to treat everyone with kid gloves lest they not show they are properly sorry for their ancestors continuously exploiting everyone else’s ancestors.

It's not just ancestors. Racism is alive and well, and often in forms that are blatant enough that every AA kid has encountered it directly by the time they graduate in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How else will tell the story of why white people have to treat everyone with kid gloves lest they not show they are properly sorry for their ancestors continuously exploiting everyone else’s ancestors.

Oops sound the alarm, bigot got triggered!