Teacher Under Fire For Misguided Slavery Lesson

[Are_grits_groceries]

White Instructor Said To Have Taped Hands And Feet Of 2 Black Middle Schoolers, Made Them Crawl Under Desk

HAVERSTRAW, N.Y. (AP) ― A white teacher attempted to enliven a seventh grade discussion of slavery by binding the hands and feet of two black girls, prompting a complaint from one girl's mother and the local chapter of the NAACP.

After the mother complained to the school, the superintendent said he was having "conversations with our staff on how to deliver effective lessons."

"If a student was upset, then it was a bad idea," said Superintendent Brian Monahan of the North Rockland School District in New York City's northern suburbs.

The girl, Gabrielle Shand, attends Haverstraw Middle School. On Nov. 18, social studies teacher Eileen Bernstein was discussing the conditions under which African captives were taken to America in slave ships.

She bound the two students' hands and feet with tape and had them crawl under a desk to simulate the experience, Monahan and Shand said. Monahan said the two were not the only blacks in the class.
http://wcbstv.com/watercooler/slavery.haverstraw.middle.2.880370.html

Not a good idea at all!

[Deja Q]

1. That's pretty dumb. Indeed, if the teacher wanted to hit the point home,

she'd have bound up two honkies instead.

Still dumb, regardless, but you know I had to say it.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

2. She really should have known better.

It's great that she wants to enliven her lessons, but her execution failed horribly.

[my2sense]

3. is our children learnin?

Why would she bound any of the kids to prove a point - that's what videos are for. It never ceases to amaze me that we have some total idiots that have slipped into the education system.

[bertman]

4. Why would she "bound" any of the kids . . .

Surely you meant "bind". Or maybe "Why would she HAVE bound . . ."

Otherwise, your spelling is grate.

[my2sense]

8. Thanks for the komplement

:sarcasm:

Guess I was in a hurry.

:hi:

[ashling]

10. Bound to have been in a hurry

:rofl:

[bertman]

12. You're welcome. Bin there, dun that. Heh heh.

[WI_DEM]

5. Some teachers just don't have common sense

[ashling]

6. How can any rational person think this is a good idea?

:shrug:♠

[KittyWampus]

7. Indeed, it rises to the level of psychodrama which can be effective but must be done under

strict guidelines and a lot of preparation.

[qwlauren35]

9. Yes. It's actually been done before, but it's high risk.

And to do it only to black children is unthinkable.

[mitchum]

11. Damn! There goes my "Diary of Ann Frank" lesson plan

that teacher is an idiot