"AS IF!"

While doing some research for my final project I came across this blog: http://asifnews.blogspot.com/

This blog is about authors supporting intellectual freedom. It brought me right back to our discussion about censorship and deciding what books we will place in our classroom. I just thought it was an interesting site and wanted to share it with you!

Unbelieveable. In more than one way.

First off, GO STATE! National Championship here we come!

Yesterday I went to pick up snacks for the game at Kroger. When I started walking into the store there were several people standing outside the store so I stopped to see what was going on. One table was a group of girl scouts selling cookies, nothing out of the ordinary. Next to them stood a man wearing a Kroger apron holding a can. On this can it said "Help the retarded." I went into the store unable to get this guy and his can off my mind. As a special education major, I'm sure that I am more affected by the terminology and technicalities because it is something that I constantly face but I couldn't help but wonder if other people were affected by this too. I got back in my car and told my friends about this guy standing outside. Both of them (who are not special education majors) said they couldn't believe the can said "retarded." One friend then asked me what term I would prefer for the can to say. Honestly, I struggled thinking of any word I would want this man to have on his can. I now wish I would have taken the time to ask him about his cause and inquire more about his word choice. This is just another reminder that these are the types of things we face everyday, even outside of Kroger!

Who has the right?

Last week in class we briefly touched on the subject of censorship. Censorship is something we struggle with all the time, whether we realize it or not. When we were children our parents decided what we could and could not watch. When we were in school our teachers decided what books we were allowed to read. When I was in high school my principal decided what stories could not be published. And as I look towards the future I realize that I will have that same power in my classroom. Is it really my right to decide what things children should be exposed to? Not only that but how do I decide what types of things should be discussed in my classroom and in the literature I provide to my students?!

Last week I was watching One Tree Hill and I was thrown into one of the characters shoes. On the show one character, Haley, is an English teacher. For one of her writing assignments one student wrote about her rough childhood. The writing was graphic, sensitive and honest. As a teacher Haley chose this students writing to print in the newspaper because she thought it was inspiring. The principal on the other hand thought the topics written about in this paper were not appropriate to print. Haley decided to print it anyway, knowing that her job was on the line. She was fired for her actions. As a future teacher, I wonder what I would have done in her shoes. Did the principal have the write to censor a student's life story? What topics are we not allowed to address within our classrooms? I am so torn in this debate. While I want my students to be exposed to these real life issues, I struggle with knowing if that is my place to teach about these issues. And if it is my job, then how do I approach such topics? Is there good literature that can help students relate to these struggles?

So much to think about with a lack of answers to all my questions. We will be teaching children so many things and yet it is up to us to decide what we will be teaching them. Do we have that right to decide?