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Case: Problematic Book Collection
I got in trouble because of the books I have in my 2nd grade classroom library. I have been an elementary school teacher for 10 years. Recently, I completed my master's degree in education. In the master's program, I learned about the importance of teaching children about different people, different cultures, and different perspectives. Although I am not a big fan of gays and lesbians, I learned to accept them as another group of people in the society that need recognition as anyone else does. So, I decided to include in my classroom library books that included families with two moms or two dads. I have had books with single-parent families, interracial families, families with a mother and a father. So, I thought by including books depicting gay and lesbian families, I was being more inclusive and representing all family types in the society. I believe children should learn that there are families out there that are not like the families they have been seeing and children should learn to respect such families. However, I learned recently that not everyone agrees with me. I have been criticized openly by some of my colleagues. More recently, some parents sent angry letters to me and to the school principal describing their displeasure with my book collection. More specifically, they think I am trying to teach their children to become gays and lesbians. How am I going to handle all these pressures? What would you do?
Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!)
I understand your willingness to be so inclusive on this matter, however I understand that this is a very contraversial topic. I would have done an inventory of the relationships of the parents that I teach before including these books. If there were parents that were lesbian or gay couples of students in my classroom then I would have included the books in my classroom library. I would then justify any conversations that came to me or about me with the fact that their are students in my classroom that can relate to these books. |
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Rating
| The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) |
No
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| The suggested solution is relevant to the case |
No
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| The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement |
No
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| The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue |
No
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| The suggested solution is original |
No
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| Comments: Even if the students in the class do not have home situations that mimic the books, there are many children who do. Students should be appropriately exposed to the way other students live so that they don't feel like their home lifestyle is bad or different. |
| Rated On: October 14, 2014 7:34 pm |
| Rated By: ehaZeb |
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Rating
| The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is relevant to the case |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue |
No
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| The suggested solution is original |
No
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| Comments: I believe we need to be sensitive to all aspects of the schooling. The parents are an important part and need to be talked to about possible books their students would rather enjoy then. |
| Rated On: October 17, 2014 12:31 am |
| Rated By: PezaLe |
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Rating
| The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) |
No
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| The suggested solution is relevant to the case |
No
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| The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement |
No
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| The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue |
No
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| The suggested solution is original |
No
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| Comments: It's the classrooms that don't have student's with same gender parents that need these kinds of books the most. They might not learn about same gender parenting any other way. |
| Rated On: March 2, 2016 10:42 pm |
| Rated By: daPaJa |
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