Purpose of 2nd grade segregation chat..
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Anonymous
| I'm don't understand why our school is telling DS that If it wasn't for MLK he wouldn't be able to play with some of his classmates. Isn't this topic a little too deep for that age not to mention not being true... |
Anonymous
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I don't think so. But I've been teaching my kid about it since kindergarten. He learned a lot about MLK this year in 2nd grade as well. I think it's great, but then I'm a big admirer. I like having these discussions with my kid.
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Anonymous
| They are trying to make kids aware of race. And they are trying to teach kids to notice diversity. They want the kids to respect the diversity of the school and classroom and their neighborhoods. |
Anonymous
As a teacher, I would not personalize it in that manner. I would address the issue about how AA's were mistreated, etc, but that MLK did so much to help them. I would not personalize it. The kids will do that when they are ready. |
Anonymous
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I think learning about our history and MLK is completely appropriate for that age. We've talked about it with DS since age 4 or 5. His elementary school has been really thorough with it in grades 1 and 2.
I think for the teacher to personalize it that way is inappropriate. But are you sure that's what the teacher said, or did your DC or his or her classmates put 2+2 together? |
Anonymous
Why should they be aware of race? Why can't they come to their own terms about traits they see in peers without it being forced on them. I don't think it's about diversity as the many cultural events at school highlights the customs of the student population. The way I see it, it appears that now DC is thinking of other kids differently than before when this would've never occurred to DC and not in a positive way. DC did say the teacher specially said the part about not being able to play with others which again is not really true. |
Anonymous
| We should be talking more about how people are the same--not how they are different. Of course, MLK should be presented and what he did--but to personalize it is divisive. That will come later. |
Anonymous
I agree with this. The schools focus so much on race that they are essentially teaching our kids to view people by the color of their skin. Before school, my kids did not point out people by race. Plus school only focus on AA and white and not the complexity of the human racial makeup. The other day my 5 year old pointed out a person and mater of factly said "he's AA"...the gentleman happened to be from India. He was taught that dark skin is AA but the school forgot to point out that other racial groups have dark skin too. We are a multicultural family and focus on culture and what makes "people" a joy to be around. One can do this and teach the evolution of human physical characteristics with out pin pointing. The school has good intentions but they are teaching our kids to notice race when in fact most kids don't care what a person looks like. |
Anonymous
The current thinking is that you should proactively discuss race with your kids, and in so doing, impart your values and viewpoints. Otherwise, if you don't mention it, they will pick up cues from friends, TV, etc., and they may not be the views you want them to have. |
Anonymous
| One of my fondest memories of teaching is on a hot day after lunch, I had the kids rest. A little AA boy and a little blonde boy were feeling each others' hair while their heads were on their desks. So sweet. |
Anonymous
| My kid learned a lot about MLK in kindergarten in Canada. I think it's appropriate what the teacher said. Someone who grew up in Macon Georgia told me at her birthday party at a roller rink in the 70s her African American friend was told she had to wait outside. |
Anonymous
| ^^^^^first graders |
Anonymous
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When I questioned why my child was learning about these things in preschool, a kind black mom told me that her child had already been called horrible names so my child could certainly stand to learn a little bit about history.
She was right, and I appreciate that she answered my tone deaf question. In Kindergarten, my child asked me why white people, why white adults, yelled at black children and tried to stop them from going to school. Those were really hard conversations for me. I wasn't prepared for them. In first grade, my child made the leap and asked if white people had ever killed black people. And then she asked if they'd ever killed black children. We had some really, really hard conversations. But they were good conversations. She figured the killing out by herself, it was not something her teachers presented to the class. But it was a rational leap - if people would essentially riot to keep black children from attending a school, to what extremes would they go? The most extreme thing she could think of was killing. She learned about the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that day. My kid has the luxury of not thinking about race. Very rarely does she actively consider her race or the implications of what race has meant in history. Even the horrible aspects like slavery can remain abstract to her. She can let go of a bit of that privilege every now and again. She has yet to be damaged by being given factual information. |
Anonymous
Have you read Nurture Shock? Ignoring does not teach kids that race doesn't matter. They DO notice race and will make up their own (incorrect) explanations if you don't provide them. |
Anonymous
| Want to know something funny? The most clueless and ignorant people in this country are those who say they are "color blind". |