Tuesday night will go down as one of the happiest times in my life, and the next morning as one of the most disturbing. Before the election, I overheard my students' loud and clear immature comments on how they were for McCain. By the way, I am always careful to keep my political beliefs to myself unless I am asked. When kids asked who I would vote for, I was honest. The next morning after the election, I was disturbed by these kinds of comments I overheard in the hall, "I'm so pissed off that Obama is President...He'll be assassinated...He's a Muslim...He's a terrorist...He's a baby killer...He SHOULD be assassinated..." (Thank goodness our social studies teacher kept the two boys who made the last comment after school and told them that maybe she should report them to the FBI.)
I teach middle school English in a small rural community of about 2000 people. My classes are made up of mostly white middle class students with one African American and one Hispanic student. Our social studies teacher said when she held an election in her classroom the vote was even; however, on Wednesday morning, the McCain voters were either much louder or it's changed.
I would really like to teach these kids a lesson. I do teach a unit on the Holocaust in the spring but may just fit it in before Christmas. But maybe I need to be more direct. I teach tolerance in my classroom as much as possible through literature.
I am going to keep my eyes and ears open for any comments and will pounce on them immediately and action can then be taken. This is not easy to do because some of them are so good at doing things behind your back and can lie so well.
I welcome comments from any of you on any ideas on how to get through to these kids. I am deeply troubled, frustrated, and enraged. I don't want my temper to get the best of me.
This is my first diary and I have really enjoyed the intelligent discourse on the KOS so I am looking forward to reading your comments.
Update: I have been in contact with a teacher from St. Louis. We are going to ask our students to share their compositions about the presidential candidates that they will write after watch the both speeches from Tuesday night.
Thank you all of you for your great suggestions. I think a real life lesson not from a book may get their attention. I may follow up with some of the readings you all recommended.