Originally published at: Teacher made third grade students enact terrifying scenes from the Holocaust with Jewish student playing Hitler | Boing Boing
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That’s NOT appropriate historical education for any age group, much less third graders!!!
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The teacher is on leave pending an investigation.
I just wrapped up my investigation, this person should never be around children, ever.
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That investigation should’ve lasted a whole 15 seconds.
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I counted 20, but I may have gotten distracted for 5 seconds or so.
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I keep hearing about these sorts of lessons from US schools, but have yet to work out what value they have or what lessons were being taught. Can we not simply read a book or watch a film on the subject?
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I hope they’re were told in no uncertain terms that this is their future if their parents continue to vote Republican.
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I feel like someone got it into their head that they could shape young minds the way Jane Elliot worked to educate her schoolkids – by “turning the tables”, except they fail to understand it doesn’t work that way when it is used to promote racism (or any unfair beliefs).
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The instructor allegedly made antisemitic comments during the reenactment. The parent said that when the children asked why the Germans did this, the staff member said it was “because the Jews ruined Christmas.”
Something something indoctrination…
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I hate this stupid timeline so damn much…
SMH
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Looks like the next RNC is going to get another catch for their speaker’s lineup.
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Are you sure he/she was trying to promote racism? Jane Elliot was my first thought too, but I wondered whether it was more a ham-fisted attempt to do it without the eyecolour analogue (or any common sense whatsoever).
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They would, but someone pulled down all the statues of Hitler, and now nobody knows what the Holocaust was any more, which is why they have to resort to this sort of thing. /s
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The instructor asked students after the reenactment not to tell anyone about it
This tells me that the teacher knew it was wrong, yet decided to do it anyway.
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This. I’ve been telling my kid that when an adult says not to tell anyone about something, she needs to tell one of her trusted adults right away.
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Maybe so. Or maybe they realised halfway through that what seemed like a good idea at home was a really really dumb idea in reality. I mean there must have a been a monumental lack of forethought at work either way for them to think that they could do something like this and it not get out.
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This is brilliant, thank you. I don’t have kids, but if I do in the future, don’t mind me while I copy your technique.
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I could, possibly, be a little paranoid?
I’ve inserted all kinds of micro-discussions casually so they are not frightening but she knows when to tell someone about something. Also use proper names for body parts and discuss who is allowed to touch what and why, but keep it light. I want her to have the language and understanding if she needs it, but not scare her. Oh, and supporting her bodily autonomy from before she could even talk. She was never forced to hug or give kisses. Now if someone wants to give her a hug she doesn’t want, she says “No thank you.”
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Fair enough. I do generally ascribe to Hanlon’s Razor (I.e., never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity).
Attributing this to stupidity requires a monumental amount of stupidity, but if the last 2 years have taught me anything it’s that there is indeed a monumental amount of stupidity out there.
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It’s a good principle – and I’ve never heard it given a label, so thank you.
I might be wrong, of course. I noticed that a few sites report the teacher was saying “the Jews ruined Christmas” – but one of them put it in a way that it might have been part of the role-play. Another report said she told the kid playing Hitler to finish things off by committing suicide – which is odd, if the intent was pro-fascist.
But, assuming we are being given the facts, this is totally nutty no matter which way you carve it.
Teachers are underpaid and unsung heroes of our society. But not all of them deserve more praise and money.
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