Teacher has kids dress up as KKK members for history lesson.

I already posted this in my blog but thanks for the heads up brother.

I still get madd everytime I see it..... It makes me very disgruntal....

that's the black woman's spin...... to going postal (((LOL)))

I know that you guys will chew me up and spit me out, but I really don't think this teacher should be fired for a serious lack of judgement on the teen's part. I think their parents should probably be blamed for this. How can you let your kids walk out of the house with sheets on their faces? Or if the parents had no clue to what their kids were doing in history why is it?

Racism is a sentive issue in this country and I believe that we need to dialogue about it in such a way that we leave our emotions at the door. At some point, we are going to have to get beyond the touchy feely of the issue.

Would it have been better if the kids had dressed up like slaves and came to school in black face, dressed up like plantations owners, or just carried a confederate flag--- Would that have been better? I think instead of been outraged, it would have been a better use of history for all the kids to explain what seeing those KKK outfits did to them or meant.

Again I don't think the teacher should be fired. She thought she was allowing those kids to express themselves, but anyone who has teenagers know that they will Push the Envelope as far as you let them. We've all been teenagers before.

?????

@ Siebra

I'd be happen to clear of your ???? if you could clarify what you don't understand about my brillantly written comment.

minus the one typo when I typed sentive instead of (sensitive)

Jen, of course we have all been teenagers before. But there is a RIGHT way to do things, and there is a WRONG way to do things. There was a similar situation that took place here in New Orleans during a high school pep rally where a football coach allowed the students to dress in racist outfits, and it made national headlines. So in my opinion the teacher knew exactly what she was doing. If the parents allowed these students to dress up like KKK members, and the teacher did not object, then I say it is just as much the teacher's fault as it is the parents and student's fault.

This is one of those cases where any snap judgements will be based on false assumptions.

4 students come to school dressed like KKK memebers.

What is going on?

In my opinion, nobody should be making any decision about whether this is a good idea or not without gathering more information--and expecially not before listening to the teacher's point of view.

So I looked at the video. She made this point: 'HOW CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF RACISIM IN AMERICA WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE KLAN?"

How, exactly, do you teach about probably the most virulent and vicious home grown terrorist groups in American history?

The second point to think about--what was her motivation? What was her educational goal for the students? What she advocating or glorifying the Klan? Or was she using the Klan to teach a lesson in ignorance and intolerance?

I do support the idea in gerneral of role playing as an effective teaching tool. It is especially necessary in high intensity situations where people may not feel comfortable in saying what they think. Playing a role makes it easier to understand other points of view--and because it is only a role and a pretend game, nobody is harmed.

Then, there is the historical fact of Indiana's racist history and support of the Klan in the state of Indiana. How did that factor into the situation?

The bottom line here is: what is the point of the lesson? What was the educational outcome the teacher hoped the students would achieve?

Let's find out before someone loses her job.