Appropriate or not?

Dec 21, 2016

I am a student teacher and recently I was "called out" for talking about date rape drugs with my 8th grade science students after one of my students asked how the nail polish works that changes colors as an indicator of the date rape drug in a drink. I thought it was a good opportunity to explain how the scientist at NCSU discovered and patented this nail polish. I also answered questions that followed about how to guard against becoming a victim (covering drinks, lids, etc). Evidently a parent complained to the principal about me discussing this. I was told this was not something that I should have talked about.

This bothered me a great deal, I felt it was relevant to science, helpful, and something useful for 8th graders to know. What am I to make of parents telling me what is and isn't appropriate within the confines of what is within policy? I can certainly understand not talking about religion, morals, politics, and such. I saw this as both relevant to science ...See More

Comment

(10)

report post

view previous comments

Thank you, Mark On 12/21/16, Mark M. wrote: > I am a student teacher and recently I was "called out" > for talking about date rape drugs with my 8th grade > science students after one of my students asked how > the nail polish works that changes colors as an > indicator of the date rape drug in a drink. I thought it > was a good opportu...See More

Dec 22, 2016

report post

Jme My advice would be to make yourself aware of the policies before deviating from the curriculum. A lot of things that are related to science are very inappropriate for an eighth grade science class. By being "called out," do you. mean that the principal or whoever talked to you, asked for your story about what happened, and told you not to...See More

Dec 22, 2016

report post

MacQ On 12/22/16, Jme wrote: > My advice would be to make yourself aware of the policies > before deviating from the curriculum. A lot of things that are > related to science are very inappropriate for an eighth > grade science class. By being "called out," do you. mean > that the principal or whoever talked to you, asked for yo...See More

Dec 22, 2016

report post

AM just so you know I am a parent not a teacher but here are my thoughts. I certainly see MCQ's point with a ! It's because some of these videos I see the kids get SO out of hand in a classroom over disagreements or some discussions unlike when I was a in school and SOME parents get up in arms over any discussion outside their beliefs. That is too bad...See Morejust so you know I am a parent not a teacher but here are my thoughts. I certainly see MCQ's point with a ! It's because some of these videos I see the kids get SO out of hand in a classroom over disagreements or some discussions unlike when I was a in school and SOME parents get up in arms over any discussion outside their beliefs. That is too bad. Education should be for life and prepare us for life. I do not think that is a discussion too mature for middle schoolers.

I agree wholeheartedly with Deb/IA's post.

I think what you need to look at is what is the culture at your school. What is or is not allowed. Perhaps this is a good time to have a general discussion to learn why your admin reacted as they did. If they trust you to stay in bounds acceptable to them perhaps it will be nothing to worry over going forward. If they are just trying minimize any parent complaint then you don't have much maneuver room. That would be too bad for you and the kids but something you won't have a lot of choice over at this time.

One of my most memorable class conversations was 9th grade Sociology. The discussion got sidetracked to birth control pills which were relatively new. A black girl, I can vividly picture her and never forgot her name, commented that it was engineered to prevent blacks from procreating. I was shocked and said it was to give women choices in life and make it so we didn't have to get married so early or have 6-10 kids like our parents did. She felt they would be forced on to them as a race. I was like no, if anything you (as a group) won't be able to get them like middle class whites will. Keep in mind I was born into the ending of the of segregation generation and most blacks in our town were not middle class and lived in one section of town. We only had one middle and one high school so everyone mixed at that point.

The teacher stopped the discussion. Not due to topic or the heated level but rather because she and I were the only ones talking. Our classmates said no, let them go this is interesting. He gave us a time limit to continue. When it was up he asked if anyone had any questions for the two of us. A couple people did ask questions. I don't know the impact of that discussion on her or the other students but I never forgot it. I can't help but think it had an impact on everyone in some manner. While I disagreed with her position, it made me look at it from a different and understandable viewpoint that I would have never even thought to think about. It made me consider hot topics from that day on from a point of how might this or that group see this.

These are valuable conversations in classrooms and I find it sad there can't be more of them.

Dec 23, 2016

report post