Teacher shows students pictures of lynching

[lucyanna girl]

Must have been pretty graphic because the teacher was suspended.

Not DD's class but it happened at her high school. She only knows what she heard. A male teacher pulled up a website with pictures of a lynching on it because students didn't believe racism is still a problem.

Students were so upset they got up and left the classroom.

What do you think.

Penny

 

[LoraJ]

I think if they are in high school they should be able to handle that. I am taking an American History class and there is a picture a lynching in one of my books. I can't believe the teacher got suspended for that.

 

[profdsny]

If these were actual historical pictures then I don't see why he/she would have been suspended. If this teacher had shown pictures of piles of bodies in the concentration camps after WWII it probably wouldn't happen. I'm confused by this. Any further info? School, town, etc?

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

High School!?!?! - they should be able to handle it. We learned about the Holocaust much earlier than that (- back in the 60's).

 

[Michelle67]

I agree that at that age they should be able to handle the truth and the reality. It IS disturbing, and it should be disturbing, but we can not ignore history, particularly our OWN history, just because it is disturbing to look at.

When I was a junior in high school we were shown extremely graphic photographs and film footage from concentration camps during WW2.

I don't think the teacher should have been suspended.

 

[Breezie]

My memory is foggy, but I think in my high school history book (I graduated in '05) there were a couple pictures that involved lynching. That or we watched a movie where they showed pictures.

I can definitely understand being upset after viewing the pictures, but I don't think the teacher should have been suspended either. Lynching is completely horrible, but I think it's something we all need to know used to, and unfortunately sometimes still does happen.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I remember learning about slavery, Jim Crow... in the 5th grade. We saw pictures of lynchings, backs scared from beatings and Emitt Till. I saw Holocaust pictures in 6th or 7th grade.

What in the world have these kids learned in previous history classes?
This could not have been the first time they saw a picture of a lynching.

 

[Stacerita]

I would think that high school students could handle it. I have seen younger kids than that at the Museum of Tolerance. My own DD has seen worst at the museum and in just general learning of things such as the Holocaust, Dafur, and racism in the country.

Im thinking there may be either more to the story, or these kids were looking for a way to get out of class.

 

[lucyanna girl]

I wish I did have more information about what happened. No school tomorrow because of the election but I may go to the school Wednesday and ask.

All DD and her BF know is contained in the first post. They are Juniors and it was not their class.

I wouldn't have thought anything of it BUT the teacher was sent home so apparently there was a problem.

I don't feel comfortable posting a school name until I find out more but DD and her BF are usually very reliable. Both are straight A students who don't tend to tell tales.

I just wanted more input because it seems an extreme measure to me and I wondered if others would feel the same.


Penny

 

[LakeAriel]

By high school kids should absolutely hear about it and see images of it. Michael Schwerner, one of three civil rights workers killed in Mississippi by the KKK, has a plaque hanging in my youngest DD's HS...as it was his alma mater. Civil rights were revolutionized in my lifetime. Why shouldn't our kids be taught about it? Too many people of this younger generation have no idea what Blacks went through in this country and should.
I do not understand why this teacher was suspended...

 

[lemondog]

History can be brutal, but it's reality and a part of our past. I think it is important for every person in America to know about the bad things that happened in our past, to keep them from happening again. I don't know all the details, but IMO the teacher did nothing wrong.

 

[sahd2one]

Sounds like the telephone game to me.

 

[Yen Sid]

So should we not teach our kids about the Civil War, WW1, WW2 and so on because they involved people being killed? I think we are entirely too soft on kids today in thinking we might offend them or make them grow up to be some kind of monster or something, it is just plain ridiculous.

 

[Cindy B]

I did some teaching in a 5th grade classroom last semester. This classroom's history book had a photo of one.

 

[#1hockeymom]

History can be brutal, but it's reality and a part of our past. I think it is important for every person in America to know about the bad things that happened in our past, to keep them from happening again. I don't know all the details, but IMO the teacher did nothing wrong.

So should we not teach our kids about the Civil War, WW1, WW2 and so on because they involved people being killed? I think we are entirely too soft on kids today in thinking we might offend them or make them grow up to be some kind of monster or something, it is just plain ridiculous.

I agree that at that age they should be able to handle the truth and the reality. It IS disturbing, and it should be disturbing, but we can not ignore history, particularly our OWN history, just because it is disturbing to look at.

When I was a junior in high school we were shown extremely graphic photographs and film footage from concentration camps during WW2.

I don't think the teacher should have been suspended.

Must have been pretty graphic because the teacher was suspended.

Not DD's class but it happened at her high school. She only knows what she heard. A male teacher pulled up a website with pictures of a lynching on it because students didn't believe racism is still a problem.

Students were so upset they got up and left the classroom.

What do you think.

Penny

I agree with all of these posts. They're in HS, they should be upset as it IS upsetting. To pretend it didn't happen and not teach it would be doing a disservice to our youth. I hope the kids who left upset were truly not able to handle it, and it wasn't just a follow the leader type leaving. The World's and our own USA history is not always pretty. We must learn from our past mistakes and not just sweep it under the rug. HS is plenty old to be viewing and learning about that time. I am positive there are pictures like that in our fifth or sixth grade history books.

 

[Planogirl]

Pictures can often drive the truth home. I'm surprised that a high school teacher would get in trouble for this.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I'm glad the teacher showed them the pictures, to most kids this stuff is very abstract until you see the evidence with your own eyes. It's disturbing, yes, but honestly these kids see worse when they go watch any off the popular horror flicks. I'm hoping there is more to the storyl

 

[MI mom of 3]

In 8th grade at the school I work at the kids read "Black Like Me"

The teacher always prefaces the book with a week long discussion of what racism was REALLY like then. The kids are all shown pictures of lynchings, etc.

It is VERY disturbing and upsetting to them, as it should be. But to hide from it would be wrong.