Teacher assigns persuasive essay on why "Jews are evil"

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Comments

  • Bentleyspop
    Bentleyspop Craft Beer Brewery, Colorado Posts: 11,640
    Byrnzie wrote:
    PJ_Soul wrote:
    Well, all that is what I was precisely NOT talking about.
    I get it. I agree with you. I understand the purpose and intent. Hell, I would have loved that assigent myself in high school. But that does not change the fact that it was stupid as fuck because she's a high school teacher in this day and age. Unless she was trying to get in shit, she's foolish.

    Why? You think we should all have to censor ourselves anytime the subject is about Jews?

    Maybe the teacher simply thought the assignment would be educational and challenging, and underestimated the level of knee-jerk hysteria in America whenever a Jewish person decides to be offended.

    As a proud American Jew who lost half his family in the holocaust I was not offended by the assignment that the teacher gave her students. When I read about it I just shook my head in disbelief.

    What offended me is your extremely high level of ignorance and anti-semitism. :fp:
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,910
    Byrnzie wrote:
    PJ_Soul wrote:
    I don't think we should censor ourselves at all... I have a feeling that you aren't even bothering to try and grasp the meaning of what I'm saying. :lol: I am not commenting on the topic of discussion that she chose, nor on the right or wrong of the students discussing it (though I personally think it's an intriguing topic and if I ran the world this kind of thing would be acceptable). I am commenting on her complete stupidity in not, at the very least, taking reality into account. Parents and administration react like crazy people to this kind of thing in this day and age, and unless the teacher is a moron, she wouldn't have done this because she would have known she'd catch this much shit about it. As I said, unless she didn't want her job any more, or maybe wanted to get into the media, it was a dumb thing to do. I didn't say principally wrong. I said dumb.

    Why do you think I don't grasp the meaning of what you're saying? What point in anything I posted in response to your comments gave you that impression?

    You're saying that teacher is dumb and a moron, and she possibly wanted to get fired. Why's that? Because she assigned the students a task that involved trying to understand the mindset of Nazi's in WWII so as to better understand the power and influence of propaganda and indoctrination? As far as I can tell, the assignment was perfectly acceptable, and would have forced the students to examine the prevailing currents of the day vis-a-vis media and government racism and ideology. If I was the parent of any of those students I'd have been pleased to learn that their teacher was trying to teach them something relevant and important in today's World.
    I understand what you're saying: that in today's World everyone should be extra careful not to offend anybody. You say that 'Parents and administration react like crazy people to this kind of thing in this day and age'. Though just what 'kind of thing' do you mean exactly? Critical thinking in general, or just anything to do with Jewish history that seeks to explain why the majority of Germans acted as they did, and that doesn't just lazily cast them all as evil?
    I think you know perfectly well what kind of "thing" I'm talking about. Anything that is even a little bit controversial.
    And I am NOT saying that in today's world everyone should be extra careful not to offend anyone. Way too many people are too easily offended for that to be acceptable. What I'm saying is that teachers who want to keep their jobs have to be extra careful not to offend idiot parents (which is the majority of them).
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,910
    Bentleyspop wrote:
    Byrnzie wrote:
    PJ_Soul wrote:
    Well, all that is what I was precisely NOT talking about.
    I get it. I agree with you. I understand the purpose and intent. Hell, I would have loved that assigent myself in high school. But that does not change the fact that it was stupid as fuck because she's a high school teacher in this day and age. Unless she was trying to get in shit, she's foolish.

    Why? You think we should all have to censor ourselves anytime the subject is about Jews?

    Maybe the teacher simply thought the assignment would be educational and challenging, and underestimated the level of knee-jerk hysteria in America whenever a Jewish person decides to be offended.

    As a proud American Jew who lost half his family in the holocaust I was not offended by the assignment that the teacher gave her students. When I read about it I just shook my head in disbelief.

    What offended me is your extremely high level of ignorance and anti-semitism. :fp:
    No shit. I don't know why Byrnzie thinks it's Jewish people who were upset. It is almost certain that it was non-Jewish parents with this disturbingly wide-spread problem of PCism and need to coddle and ignorantly shelter their kids who complained.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • Jeanwah
    Jeanwah Posts: 6,363
    Last-12-Exit wrote:
    Jeanwah wrote:
    Although I think it's and interesting and thought provoking assignment - more of a college assignment at that, of course it's not going to fly for the parents of 10th graders! The teacher has to be stupid to think that she would get away with this assignment; it's controversial and non-PC. Too much for public high school education, unfortunately. When the country's public education system is focused on taking money away from education and dumbing student's down, the least this teacher could have done was assign a topic less controversial if she really wanted to get the kids thinking AND for it to be successful.

    So should we not teach about slavery because it is not PC? Political correctness should not get in the way of education. The last time I looked, the parents aren't involved in helping the teacher plan the yearly syllabus. This was an honors English class. Not a freshman technical math class.

    I didn't say I agree with PC issues being covered and non PC issues being kept out of the status quo. It's just typical that an assignment like this, as controversial as it is, will get attention from the parents, as well as the students refusing to do the assignment (many did).
  • Jeanwah
    Jeanwah Posts: 6,363
    cincybearcat wrote:
    Jeanwah wrote:
    more of a college assignment at that, of course it's not going to fly for the parents of 10th graders!


    I've seen a few people mention this. Why is that?

    Oh I don't know. Perhaps because typical 10th graders are a lot more immature nowadays than they have ever been. And of course the parents are going to raise a ruckus because that's what they do when their kids are in high school (or younger) vs. college.
  • Last-12-Exit
    Last-12-Exit Charleston, SC Posts: 8,661
    Jeanwah wrote:
    cincybearcat wrote:
    Jeanwah wrote:
    more of a college assignment at that, of course it's not going to fly for the parents of 10th graders!


    I've seen a few people mention this. Why is that?

    Oh I don't know. Perhaps because typical 10th graders are a lot more immature nowadays than they have ever been. And of course the parents are going to raise a ruckus because that's what they do when their kids are in high school (or younger) vs. college.

    Should students be allowed not to do assignments because they get offended by the topic? As long as the teacher isn't pushing an agenda or is a racist, why shouldn't they complete the assignment? It sounds to me like the teacher is trying to get tje student to think differently. I know they are 14-16 year old kids, but they are in an honors class that is supposed to prep them for college.
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,910
    Last-12-Exit wrote:
    Jeanwah wrote:
    cincybearcat wrote:


    I've seen a few people mention this. Why is that?

    Oh I don't know. Perhaps because typical 10th graders are a lot more immature nowadays than they have ever been. And of course the parents are going to raise a ruckus because that's what they do when their kids are in high school (or younger) vs. college.

    Should students be allowed not to do assignments because they get offended by the topic? As long as the teacher isn't pushing an agenda or is a racist, why shouldn't they complete the assignment? It sounds to me like the teacher is trying to get tje student to think differently. I know they are 14-16 year old kids, but they are in an honors class that is supposed to prep them for college.
    What it comes down to, unfortunately, is NOT what is right or wrong, or best for the kids as students. All it comes down to is what the idiot parents want. Fact of life now. :( It's a great argument for private school.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • mcgruff10
    mcgruff10 New Jersey Posts: 29,190
    You guys are right, the parents do unfortunately control the school districts. I miss the days where you could actually teach.
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me......
  • Hugh Freaking Dillon
    Hugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    Byrnzie wrote:
    Critical thinking in general, or just anything to do with Jewish history that seeks to explain why the majority of Germans acted as they did, and that doesn't just lazily cast them all as evil?

    you know, you always say you are in no way anti-Semitic, but man, this statement comes incredibly close. please explain your last statement.

    it's not about Jewish people. It's about general acceptance in a public school of all peoples, and you know it.

    Jean has already said it, but I was going to say the same thing: this might be a good assignment for college-age political science class, but not 10th grade english.
    Gimli 1993
    Fargo 2003
    Winnipeg 2005
    Winnipeg 2011
    St. Paul 2014
  • Hugh Freaking Dillon
    Hugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    mcgruff10 wrote:
    You guys are right, the parents do unfortunately control the school districts. I miss the days where you could actually teach.

    a friend of mine is a teacher of grade 5ers. parent teacher stresses her the fuck out, because she's been told by her superintendent that she is NOT ALLOWED to say anything bad to the parents about the students lack of progress. so what is exactly is the point of education if those who aren't learning aren't helped to do so?

    even when she has tried to say "(this) is an area Joey can improve in, and this is how I'd like to help him", she generally gets screamed at by the parents that she must be talking about some other kid, "our Joey is just fine". it's disgusting.
    Gimli 1993
    Fargo 2003
    Winnipeg 2005
    Winnipeg 2011
    St. Paul 2014
  • Bentleyspop
    Bentleyspop Craft Beer Brewery, Colorado Posts: 11,640
    Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:
    Byrnzie wrote:
    Critical thinking in general, or just anything to do with Jewish history that seeks to explain why the majority of Germans acted as they did, and that doesn't just lazily cast them all as evil?

    you know, you always say you are in no way anti-Semitic, but man, this statement comes incredibly close. please explain your last statement.

    it's not about Jewish people. It's about general acceptance in a public school of all peoples, and you know it.

    Jean has already said it, but I was going to say the same thing: this might be a good assignment for college-age political science class, but not 10th grade english.

    He is clearly anti-semitic and should probably be banned from here because of his hateful comments
  • mysticweed
    mysticweed Posts: 3,710
    i haven't read the entire thread
    but
    it could have been a kind of devil's advocate kind of thing
    fuck 'em if they can't take a joke

    "what a long, strange trip it's been"
  • mookeywrench
    mookeywrench Posts: 6,086
    Good writing concept; shitty execution.
  • Thirty Bills Unpaid
    Thirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    Just teaching history from a textbook and fact cards is not the most effective way to teach kids how to learn from the past. I think it is important to investigate how and why such attitudes developed and although I'm not necessarily in agreement with the assignment (not having seen the scope and sequence of the entire unit and the lesson's place within it)... at least the teacher sought an original method for students to probe the prevalent attitudes of the time that allowed the Holocaust to occur. I'm pretty sure there was another part to the lesson. The kids and community seemed to have a high regard for the teacher who was said to have consistently challenged students to think critically and never had any prior history that reflected a racist attitude.

    I don't think this teacher was deliberately trying to minimize the Holocaust or defend Nazi attitudes. The teacher took a risk and is now getting slammed for it. If society continues to hang teachers on mistakes... eventually the classroom is going to become a pretty dull place as teachers tread very carefully instead of trying to ignite passion, emotion, or enthusiasm in their lessons through thought provoking exercises.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • Thirty Bills Unpaid
    Thirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    Such an exercise reminds me of the brown-eyes/blue-eyes lesson that elementary kids remembered for their entire lives and was celebrated for its effectiveness in teaching tolerance:

    http://seattletimes.com/html/opinion/20 ... mlk17.html

    What an unreal lesson. If you do not know of it... please read the link (it's not long)!

    As mentioned a few times in this thread... there was much trust and faith in teachers in 1968. How far would this teacher get today with this historic lesson given society's propensity to jump all over teachers the moment things are a little out of the ordinary or the moment it seems as if someone's feelings might be getting hurt?
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:
    Such an exercise reminds me of the brown-eyes/blue-eyes lesson that elementary kids remembered for their entire lives and was celebrated for its effectiveness in teaching tolerance:

    http://seattletimes.com/html/opinion/20 ... mlk17.html

    What an unreal lesson. If you do not know of it... please read the link (it's not long)!

    As mentioned a few times in this thread... there was much trust and faith in teachers in 1968. How far would this teacher get today with this historic lesson given society's propensity to jump all over teachers the moment things are a little out of the ordinary or the moment it seems as if someone's feelings might be getting hurt?
    I can't believe I forgot about this until re-reading it. A valuable lesson, for sure.

    Years ago, the Museum of Tolerance out here had two entry doors (not sure if they still have them but I hope so). One marked "prejudiced", the other "not prejudiced".

    No entry to the latter; it was locked.

    It's within us all to hate, but by the same token, we also have the capacity to set it aside and douse the flames - to be humbled and to learn and open our minds some.
  • riotgrl
    riotgrl LOUISVILLE Posts: 1,895
    I think this has been a very interesting discussion that has happened and I don't necessarily have anything to add but this came across my facebook this morning and thought it was appropriate to some of the comments that were made about teaching and trying to pound learning into the heads of kids despite being thwarted at every turn. This is a local weekly here in Louisville that actually makes light of some of the very disturbing trends and horrible people that run this state. If I didn't laugh about the state of education, I would cry - so laugh instead :D

    http://leoweekly.com/summary-my-discontent/education-blame-game
    Are we getting something out of this all-encompassing trip?

    Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned...

    I AM MINE
  • mcgruff10
    mcgruff10 New Jersey Posts: 29,190
    i'm almost positive the teacher who taught the "brown eye/blue eye" lesson got fired. go figure. awesome lesson; i show the documentary to my students every year when I teach the mlk assassination.
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me......
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,910
    Bentleyspop wrote:
    Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:
    Byrnzie wrote:
    Critical thinking in general, or just anything to do with Jewish history that seeks to explain why the majority of Germans acted as they did, and that doesn't just lazily cast them all as evil?

    you know, you always say you are in no way anti-Semitic, but man, this statement comes incredibly close. please explain your last statement.

    it's not about Jewish people. It's about general acceptance in a public school of all peoples, and you know it.

    Jean has already said it, but I was going to say the same thing: this might be a good assignment for college-age political science class, but not 10th grade english.

    He is clearly anti-semitic and should probably be banned from here because of his hateful comments
    I don't support anyone being banned for saying what they want to say. Unless he's actually promoting hate or crime (or personally disrespecting individual forum members), no banning if we like freedom of speech please.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • peacefrompaul
    peacefrompaul Posts: 25,293
    I like the assignment a lot and I think it is only a tool to help students better understand the atrocities of Nazi Germany.

    With that being said, I can see how it is controversial and how these kids might not be ready for it in high school... this might be something best saved for college.

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