2.19.2009

Man. This gave me a headache, but you might enjoy it.

Speaking of ethics, yesterday in preparation for our persuasive writing unit, I had the kids discuss whether the BOE Student Representative should be given voting power in some or all education policy issues brought before the board. It was a really good discussion (I love when we hit on something so provocative to them that they're still talking about it at recess) but I sometimes forget that I'm dealing with elementary school students. They're not young adults - 6th graders can maybe be considered YA, but not this level, not this demographic anyway. Things are pretty black-and-white to these guys. They are very concerned with fairness and accuracy, and they like things cut-and-dried. They're also very idealistic. They are naughty, but at the core, very moral. The other day OPPH posed a question to them: If you were the government, and stood to make millions off tobacco companies, would you outlaw cigarettes or slap a warning label on the product and take the money? My kids' response: Outlaw cigarettes! Those things will kill you, man!

The jaded OPPH proceeded to call them liars, then made a big show of thanking the one or two who raised their hands for "take the money." Then he said, "Do you know Glen Miyashiro (or some other generic local name)? He died of lung cancer the other day. Do you play baseball with his kid? Do you go to his house for dinner? Is he friends with your grandpa? So how can you say you care about people dying of lung cancer?"

Um.

And that's where my angry tweets came from the other day - an overgrown bully posing an ethical dilemma that's way over the kids' heads in the first place, then slamming them for being their sweet, morally upright selves. What an awesome message to leave on these impressionable young minds.


PostSecret is particularly sweet this week. :)
I'm so close to sending in my card ...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Ahhhh so THATʻS the reason you were writing the stuff about the bully.

That said, WTF is wrong with that man? Hello, Psycho! Yeah, take the money over helping people- now thatʻs a good thing to teach kids.

Poor little ones...