Slavery lesson goes too far

I would be furious as well, she could have simply demonstrated by showing movies and documentaries. It was not necessary for her to force a child into that position to make her point, whether the child were black or white.

If the issue was not color (as the parent who complained stated) why was a representative of the NAACP present in the conference? If it was just the embarrassment of the girl, this should not have been news. Singling out students (even though it wasn't a good way to teach the subject) is pretty standard practice, unless things have changed drastically since I was in public school. Maybe I was just a weird 13 year old, but I would have said, "Hell No!" if I was uncomfortable with something like this.

Insanejain, thanks for the link. It gives a much better perspective than this host article.

The teacher was obviously wrong and she appologized for it. Yes, she could have gone about it differently, by maybe choosing two white girls or having ALL the children participate. Then maybe they could have all experienced how humiliating it is to be in that position.

Appearently, the only one truely offended in this event was the parent(s), who brought in the NAACP, and will undoubtly seek monetary retribution.

Things are really getting blown out of proportion. Obviously It was NOT RACIST!

She didn't do it put down a race or anything. she did it to stimulate what it was like before. But of course it was her poor choice of picking the two black kids that brought the whole thing down. Point to be noted there were other black kids in the classroom too.

As for binding up the kids i bet the kids didn't even see in a racist way but rather as being upset for having to do that in front of her classmates. Now if her reason for being upset was because she thought it was her being looked down upon for being black then that's a whole new issue.

I just don't see this whole issue as being RACIST! It was just a teachers lack of judgment that she didn't realize she should or could have had asked for volunteers instead.

WTF? She taped up the black kids hands and made them simulate a slave ship? That's the most racist thing I've heard in a WHILE. The kid didn't have to be black to explain what slave ships were like- she could have had ALL the kids doing this if she really wanted to make a point. I'd be enraged if I were the parent!
Also, the girl was 13 at the time! At 13 I was as rebellious as they come. I would have never let a teacher do this to me or any other student, for that matter. This happened in NEW YORK-I can't believe no one said anything!

Do I smell a lawsuit? The child was old enough to refuse that ridiculous behavior however.

WTF??? that damn teacher needs to be punched in the face!

Ummm...it would seem there is a big difference in indentured servitude (most of us are still slaves to money) and being hog-tied. WTF?

I wonder if the teacher plans on making them all get naked and build a pyramid to illustrate what it's like to be a prisioner in Guantanamo Bay.

Since slavery is an aspect of our society that no longer exists, for the teacher to go this far is twisted and uncalled for. Her extreme attempt to display something that doesn't even exist in our lifetime is ridiculous.

(although I didn't bother to read the article, I just read that her idea of "slavery" is somewhat extreme and twisted)

There was nothing to be learned there that applies towards modern life. The teacher is an idiot.

Silly teacher. Tapes aren't for kids!

Apology... sorry if this had been done to my child I would take legal action there was no need to do this furthermore if she was trying to convey how it was to be a slave she should have chosen the white children to do it instead to illicit empathy she's a lucky gal that wasn't my child, lucky lucky lucky!

I understand a parent being very upset over the emberssment of their child.

I also understand what the teacher was trying to convey.

I believe it was a poor decision and the children may want to be removed from the class, but life is full of poor decisions and not everyone who makes them deserves to be branded or attacked or slammed for them.

I think if she apologizes for her wrong that should be sufficient.

I think the crime here is NOT that the student was taped by the wrists and ankles, but that the teacher MADE the student do this.
Word of advice: Ask for volunteers for your history demonstrations.

theres a slavery museum in the south which i believe was deisgned by a new york interpretive artist where your subjected to verbal abuse and things like wearing shackles as part of the slavery experience...this may be wear the idea came from. it's an interesting concept but i dont really think its appropriate for school.

Why are we assuming that they were black children?
A more accurate scale could be made from the color of kid's eyes. Then you can teach hate as well as cruelty.

woah. why would you single out one of two black kids to do it? Unless... she actually volunteered. But either way. why would the teacher actually tape her hands together??? Most kids understand roleplay by gr7!

that teacher was an idiot. she should be taped up and made to crawl around on the floor, then she'd see how idiotic her lesson was.

They aren't mutually exclusive, it can be both serious and funny simultaneously. There is usually a bit of both in every scenario.

umm yeah im sorry i dont know whether to be pissed or laugh lol.

i mean in a way its funny