DD Teacher Told Her That Mickey Mouse Is Not Real!

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by mcnuss
I would really hesitate to go to the school or the teacher on this (and I think the OP has decided to let it drop but just in case...)...calling this particular incident "unprofessional" and acting outraged minimizes the other, much more important things your children's teachers are responsible for and do with them every day. We have so many real problems in the schools, when we complain about things like this, I am afraid we create a situation where the schools start to tune us out. Please save the conferences, phone calls, emails, etc... for those really important educational issues. I think that if I were a teacher and someone called me about this, I'd laugh about it behind their back and then take them much less seriously the next time they called.

Flame me if you wish, but I think it's true.

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No flames but...

What was the educational value in revealing this information to a child of this age?

Would it make a difference if a teacher told a kindergarten student there was no Santa Claus? (Which incidentally is happening more and more frequently now?)

Would it be okay if the teacher told her students that God is a myth?

It's not the subject matter so much as a teacher clearly overstepping their boundaries.. Very small children have a tendency to think that whatever their teachers tell them is carved in stone.. (Can't tell you how many times my own children said, "But my teacher said.....")

I'm not advocating that the OP charge into school like a bull in a china shop, but this teacher does need to be aware that she clearly stepped over the line into an area she had no business being in..

As for "laughing at the parent behind her back and not taking her seriously the next time" - a teacher with that attitude has no business being a teacher and should consider a different career..

One of the biggest complaints you hear from the schools today is that parents aren't involved - parents don't care - parents don't have the time to communicate.. Do they really want the parents to be involved - or do they only want involvement in the areas that they have pre-determined to be significant?

Any concern a parent has is a valid one - and should be treated with respect..

 

[mcnuss]

No flames but...

What was the educational value in revealing this information to a child of this age?

Right back at you with no flames....but....

What was the educational value of celebrating Mickey Mouse's birthday at school? Or Santa Claus? Or the Easter Bunny?

I am probably the biggest holiday sap there is, but I go nuts over the amount of school time devoted to "celebrations". You can call me a killjoy if you will but I wish that the school day was devoted to school work!

You're right, if a parent has a concern, they should voice it. I just hesitate about calling this incident "unprofessional", "outrageous", etc.. bc I just don't think it rises to that level.

Now to answer specifically, I would have no problem at all with a teacher providing a different point of view on the subject of God. It would depend on how the information was presented (sort of like I said earlier about the Mickey Mouse issue -- it's all in the presentation and why & how it came up -- not to correlate Mickey with God...). My child has a strong sense of our family's beliefs and values, I am not worried at all about this being "challenged". I am not sure about the conversation about Santa...I know this sounds completely contradicatory, doesn't it? And I am not sure that I can really articulate the difference, which seems ridiculous but maybe I need more coffee!! I think it has to do with the fact that I see talking God as a theological and philosophical discussion, so educational, and Mickey as clearly fictional, he wears a costume so it's pretty obvious he's not "real", but Santa is more like a myth or a fantasy. His reality is kind of time-limited for most kids, whereas for a lot of kids, they never think Mickey is real.

We've gone way OT on this one, C.Ann, but it's a good conversation. I have to leave for a business trip now, so I'll be signing off this thread for good. Bye!

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by mcnuss
We've gone way OT on this one, C.Ann, but it's a good conversation. I have to leave for a business trip now, so I'll be signing off this thread for good. Bye!

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Well I hope you have a good trip - and I know you're not here to respond, but maybe someone else can..

I have to admit I was a little surprised that they were celebrating "Mickey Day" because I'd never heard of it before..

Is that a "regional" thing or what?

I'd still be ticked off over the incident though..

 

[vacationwoman]

Trust me on this, your DD teacher is wrong.
Mickey and the whole crew is alive and well and as real as you and I want them to be.

I am a Grandmom of 13 and I know from personal experience that MM is as real as can be. (no matter how many of them you see, lol) They are all "real".
How else to explain the magic they bring to everyone.



ps: Santa is also real, I know this for a fact!!

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by vacationwoman
Trust me on this, your DD teacher is wrong.
Mickey and the whole crew is alive and well and as real as you and I want them to be.

I am a Grandmom of 13 and I know from personal experience that MM is as real as can be. (no matter how many of them you see, lol) They are all "real".
How else to explain the magic they bring to everyone.



ps: Santa is also real, I know this for a fact!!

------------------------------------------------------

Garsh....and here I thought I was the only grandma that still "believed".......

 

[vicb]

2 things as a former first grade teacher:

1. I remember doing a Mickey Mouse day in first grade but can't remember why... I know we integrated our math and reading around Disney as a theme that day and make Mickey cookies. I remember teaching the kids about Walt Disney. Maybe it was just a fun way to stimulate learning for that one day.

2. I do remember kids always asking about Santa, Easter Bunny and Toothfairy. I used to always say "Santa can only be real if you belive he is", kind of a vague answer and some kids would say "I believe and here's why" (then tell a Santa magic story) and others would say "I don't, my parents are Santa". Then they would say "But Mrs. B do YOU believe in Santa?" and I would answer "I believe in Santa magic". Again each kid would draw what they wanted out of the answer and myself and the parents were off the hook! I had several parents of believers thank me.

Lastly, when we go to WDW my kids now 8 and 11 know they are just characters but because DH and I get all into it so do they. I call it "Mickey Magic" and let my kids know I believe in it!

 

[hpygrll]

I came to this thread late but I have to post an anecdote of what happened to me when I used to be a cast member with The Disney Stores. We were having a Pocahontas/Meeko character visit. There was one line for both characters but you only saw one - you couldn't pick which if one went on break you would see the other. Well people really wanted to see Meeko and I had a parent ask me really loudly in front of all the kids and other parents why don't you just bring out another Meeko. I replied because there is only one Meeko - she repeated, no really bring out another one. I said again as politely as I could and with a big smile "There's only one Meeko" after she kept insisting I finally whispered in her ear "Don't ruin the magic - there's only one Meeko"

Funny - but I have 2 boys, ages 2 and 5 months, and they will believe in Mickey, Santa and whatever other fun, magical things I can give them.

Jenny