Comments

1. Ryan wrote:

   Personally , I don’t think it was appropriate AT ALL for her to say that word… even if it was in a book.

   If she felt that the children are ready for that discussion, perhaps she could have cleared it with the parents first by sending a note home maybe?

   I also feel that the BEST way to approach that word would be to tell the children about the word first (explaining the history/origin/hurtfullness) PRIOR to reading it in a book and throwing the explination in secondhand.

   I guess she DID tell the kids that it was “derogitory”, but in my book it’s MUCH more than just “derogitory”… it’s one of the the most offensive and dehumanizing words in the english language.

   If she thought the kids were ready for that word, then she should also think they are ready to learn all about slavery and the huge amount of hatred that was thrown at blacks… and all that went with it.

   Too too early. I would be contacting the principal.

   Ryan

   Posted 02 Nov 2007 at 7:55 am ¶

2. egypt4 wrote:

   My first (white person) reaction was that she shouldn’t have read the book or said the word.

   Then I realized that my kids will need to know about this word, its history and meaning, MUCH earlier than third grade. And all kids should know it’s bad.

   Calling it only a “swear word” would be really dangerous because kids like to use swear words, and to toss around this word without knowing the meaning or context strikes me as particularly dangerous.

   I think the problem here is that perhaps the teacher wasn’t prepared, that she wasn’t expecting these questions. And she didn’t prompt the parents so they could be prepared for the kids’ questions at home.

   But her definition seems like a good one to me.

   Posted 02 Nov 2007 at 9:39 am ¶

3. Yvette wrote:

   I’d be interested to know what the teacher believed was the pedagogical value of a book containing the n-word for an audience of 3rd graders. From the description above, it does not sound like this book was read as part of a unit on anti-racism. In fact, it seems as if the teacher may not have even brought it up had a child not asked about the word first. This was hugely irresponsible, IMO.

   Posted 02 Nov 2007 at 9:42 am ¶

4. kaywil wrote:

   Just like something inappropriate on TV, the teacher could have just skipped over it and talked to her superiors and parents before returning to the issue. That’s silly to think that because it’s in a book, you have the right to say it out loud. Bad judgment.

   Posted 02 Nov 2007 at 9:49 am ¶

5. shirky wrote:

   I am also curious about the title of the book but there are probably a bunch of historical fiction books that would encounter it at that grade level. I would just want to know what my kid took away from the lesson. Nine year olds can understand. It’s not kindergarten.

   Posted 02 Nov 2007 at 11:46 am ¶

6. Alicia wrote:

   It’s interesting to see how this is handled (or not) in a classroom. At least the teacher even said that. As a black/white college student who grew up in the racially non-diverse pacific northwest, I always dreaded the points in my education where “milestone” lessons or books were read about race (teaching about slavery for the first time, reading Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, etc). I always remember being highly uncomfortable as the only “black” kid in the class at those times.

   Posted 02 Nov 2007 at 12:00 pm ¶

7. Tammy wrote:

   I wish I knew the name of the book but I don’t. Long story short … my son has a different teacher and did not hear the story. I do know that it was NOT Huckleberry Finn. My gut reaction was that my son was too young … but then I thought if there is the slightest chance he’ll hear it on the playground then I’d rather he hear it from me first … in age-appropriate terms. I suppose I liken it to the sex talk … too young to know/understand EVERYTHING but it’s important to introduce the topic when he’s young. I don’t know … I’m struggling. I do appreciate all of your comments. Thank you!

   Posted 02 Nov 2007 at 1:00 pm ¶

8. mary wrote:

   I agree with everyone that children at some age (and 8-9 may be the right ages) need to hear the word with context so that they know what it means and how horrible it is if they hear it on the playground or somewhere else. If I was a parent with a child in this class I would be very concerned that the teacher was either (1) reading a book to the class without reading it first herself to determine if it was appropriate and/or how it fit into her lesson; or (2) had read it first and read the word anyway without any prior explanation or intent to explain unless someone asked. I would want the teacher to provide a further explanation of what exactly went on, he r intent, what she plans to do if she hears racist words used on the playground or directed at children in the school, etc.

   Posted 02 Nov 2007 at 4:38 pm ¶

9. Atena wrote:

   I have a hard time believing that this was the first encounter all of these kids had with this word. It may have been the first time anyone bothered to tell them what it meant, though.

   I don’t think it was the best judgment to present the word as she did, but I’m not horrified. With words like this, odds are you won’t get to introduce them gently to your child’s vocabulary. I would prefer that someone had the wherewithal to define it in such a reasonable (though overly-simple) way. I would prefer that a teacher follow up with a phone call, or acknowledge in some way that it had happened to the parents.

   I guess the book would be a large determining factor for me. Some literature is worth navigating murky waters.

   I think it’s silly to suggest 3rd graders “can’t handle” the word. Children that age are well aware that words can be hurtful, and that some words have more atomic effects than others.

   It’s more likely that the teacher, the school, and the curriculum weren’t able to handle it presenting it in a way that was really respectful and appropriate to the needs of all of those children in that class. Adults should stop blaming children’s supposed immaturity for their own lack of aptitude in handling sensitive topics.

   Posted 02 Nov 2007 at 4:40 pm ¶

10. Karen wrote:

    We got blindsided by a reference to “happy slaves” living with George Washington last year in kindergarten from a book read around Presidents Day. For many kids it was the first they had heard the word “slave” and talk about your bad introductions. Don’t think this stuff will wait for 3rd grade, or later. Talk to your teachers early and often. Talk to your kids, too.

    Posted 02 Nov 2007 at 5:06 pm ¶

11. GM wrote:

    Wow! This is absolutely the most thought provoking conversation I’ve listened to on this website. This is a relevant subject matter and conversation about race and everyone has responded with helpful suggestions on how to approach this subject. The consensus seems to be teacher beware before you appoach this word you need to not say it; unless the audience is ready for every conversation that needs to be discussed with regards to this offensive, defensive and pugnacious word.
    GM

    Posted 02 Nov 2007 at 8:07 pm ¶

12. carosgram wrote:

    Great discussion about an obviously hot topic. As an educator myself I would find it highly appropriate to read works containing the ‘n’ word and other racial slurs to children. I am just amazed that the teacher appeared unprepared to deal with it. I would have thought that it was a great springboard to talk about race and racism, name calling and bullying. All of which are part of the 3rd grade curriculum in NY State. I am also always amazed at how naive many parents are about what their children hear, say, and know. If they are 8 years old and go to public school they have heard the ‘n’ word. The fact that you don’t know that, haven’t talk about it and believe the children are too young to understand it may actually mean that your children have absorbed some of your attitudes towards race and controversial subjects. They may be trying to protect you from dealing with subjects you find uncomfortable. Many of our children are very careful not to ‘upset’ their parents and avoid subject they think their parents will not want to talk about. Maybe it is time for parents to initiate the conversations about race and racism. And frankly I think it should begin long before age 8.

    Posted 03 Nov 2007 at 3:29 pm ¶

13. Hilary wrote:

    Wow. I posted about this on a parenting website a while ago - but it was me reading the book to my son. I hope I can remember the situation accurately.

    I read Tom Sawyer to my third grader. There was a LOT of interesting subjects to discuss in the book, including corporal punishment, alcoholism, and various forms of racism. I read the full n-word out loud the first time it came up, explained to him what a painful and destructive word it was, and called it “n-word” for the rest of the book.

    Posted 03 Nov 2007 at 9:57 pm ¶

14. Julie wrote:

    I have an 8 year old daughter and you definitely have me wondering whether or not she’s heard this word and what kind of conversation I need to have with her about it.

    I guess I am in the minority in believing that the teacher handled this fairly well. Maybe not superbly, but adequately.

    I’m going to assume that what she was reading the class was a decent piece of literature, that like many, many, many pieces of good literature written before a certain time, contains the n word. I think it would be unfortunate if she had chosen not to read it simply because it contained that word. And it would have been even more unfortunate to me if she had edited the word out of her reading.

    Her explanation of the meaning of the word seems appropriate to me for that age group. It’s simple and to the point.

    Sometimes as adults we get all caught up in the explanations we give to kids. A kid asks where babies come from and we pull out books models and charts. A child asks why are we here and we start into a philosophical discussion on the meaning of life. And rather than illuminating we end up confusing our children.

    Sometimes they just need a simple answer. And that’s what the teacher gave. The only thing I would have added would possibly be something like, “And it’s a word that no intelligent, caring person should ever use.”

    I also don’t think 8 is too young to start discussing these things. 8 is an amazing age at which kids really start questioning the way the world works. It’s a perfect time for having discussions about how people treat one another, and how people think about themselves and each other.

    My 8yo has been fascinated with history for many years now. When she was younger I read her books that dealt with slavery and civil rights and we discussed those issues on a simple, age appropriate level. Now those discussions are becoming more in depth as she has more questions.

    I think you start simple with kids and give them the opportunity to show you how much detail they’re ready for. Which is what this teacher seems to have done.

    Maybe you might want to have a conversation with the teacher to discuss how she intends to handle it if kids have further questions about the n word and any other racial issues in the book.

    Posted 04 Nov 2007 at 1:25 am ¶

15. SB wrote:

    come on…you really think these kids (or at least most of them) had never heard this word before? Sounds to me like a kid who knew what an issue this is was baiting the teacher to see what she would do, and that she responded very well by refusing to be baited by her students.

    Posted 05 Nov 2007 at 6:48 am ¶

16. L&N's Mom wrote:

    Where I live, this teacher would be put on administrative leave or fired for this.

    Teachers have been put on the chopping block for talking about gay marriage which is legal in Massachusetts….

    Are there not enough books to choose from? Shouldn’t families teach their children right from wrong in these situations? Leaving the teachers the three R’s????

    Posted 05 Nov 2007 at 12:17 pm ¶

17. Susanna wrote:

    Wow. Interesting discussion. Someone above wrote “If your kids go to public school they’ve heard the word …” and I would like to add “or private school.” Our daughter is in first grade at a private school. This year, we’ve heard of a very hurtful racist comment to an African-American boy in the school, and the other day she came home with a racist joke about “Spanish” people in “England.”

    My only comment on the teacher’s actions would be that I would prefer more emphasis on the meaning of “derogatory.” Perhaps telling children that these words are cruel words designed to put people down based on their outward appearance or perceived difference would be more helpful.

    Posted 05 Nov 2007 at 2:16 pm ¶

18. Meghan wrote:

    This is so interesting. This for me would depend a lot on what the book is. However, clearly it deals with racism and I would hope that the teacher could include this in their discussion of the book. Too often people deal with racism by pretending that it does not exist in today’s world and to erase the evidence of it to their children. The problem here, to me, is not that the teacher said the word. In fact, if it’s in the book then I think it’s kind of important that she did say it. As others have said- these kids are 8/9, not 5. They can handle complex issues. Does no one remember being that age? My problem with the teacher would be that she hadn’t screened what she read. I would have wished that she reviewed the chapter (or whatever) before reading it aloud. Upon realizing the word was there she could have prepared accordingly and if I were her I would explain to the kids BEFORE I started reading that they’d be hearing this word that many of them might have heard before- I would explain, to the best of my ability, what the word is, why it’s bad, etc. and THEN I’d read the story. And I would say the word. I think it’s important not to try to pussy-foot around these things were kids are concerned. They can comprehend and “handle” a lot more than most adults give them credit for.

    Posted 06 Nov 2007 at 4:49 pm ¶

19. TMs Mom wrote:

    I think the teacher should have said the word, but as others have suggested, should have spent some time first talking about racist words. And personally I would have included a variety of racist slurs during the pre-discussion. There are nasty words that are/were used for people of various heritages. I’m sure if you think you can come up with words to insult Jews, people from India, Sikhs, people from Vietnam and other countries who escaped by boat, people from Asian countries, etc. And if you look into it, you can find the racist terms people of non-Caucasian heritages use against “whites.” (And yes I know in the USA the n-word is probably the worst word, and it has far more venom than many of the other slurs. But I think isolating it as the only bad racist word may make some students feel singled out,when they might feel slightly more comfortable with a wider spotlight on ALL the racist words.)

    I’m surprised that these terms and the racism behind them hasn’t been discussed with these children before Grade 3. Since many children use these words against each other starting in Kindergarten, they should be discussed very early. CATCHING children using them is not the ideal time to talk about it, as children are far better at not getting caught than adults credit them.

    I think you can have a serious discussion of these words without necessarily bringing up the details of slavery. Although I’m surprised that they haven’t been talked to about that yet, either. Here in Ontario, Canada, the Grade 1 children watched a movie and read a book about Ruby Bridges. Admittedly, I wished they had warned the parents more first, as what my child drew from the movie was that adults had been screaming they would poison/kill the little girl for going to school. From that point on, she was too scared to watch or understand. So we had a long talk that night, and we could tie it back to earlier discussions we had had at home about racism.

    Anyway, it’s an interesting discussion. Thanks for inititiating it!

    Posted 07 Nov 2007 at 9:41 am ¶

20. dorothy wrote:

    I agree with many here that if you’re going to use that word or any other inappropriate or derogatory word in the context of literature, you need to talk about the fact that it’s going to be there before reading it out loud. The word is violent, and I think it should be treated like other violence - prepare for it, make sure the child is old enough to handle it, and be prepared to explain and perhaps comfort the child if the child is shocked or hurt by it.

    I’m shocked when I come across these words in literature now, and I’m 33 and an English major. I feel the only reason we should even talk about this word or other hurtful words is to explain that they were wrong, they are wrong, and we have grown as a culture to a place where we know better than to use them. I’m not sure third graders are mature enough to fully comprehend the importance of what happened in our country’s past, how horrible it was, how important it is that we acknowledge it, but how important it is that we understand it was so damn wrong.

    Or is it? My child isn’t in third grade yet. Am I oversimplifying third graders?

    Posted 07 Nov 2007 at 10:45 pm ¶

21. Hana wrote:

    First–I wonder if the teachers in these instances pre-read these books before introducting them into the classroom.

    I would be very wary of reading literature with 3rd graders that introduces racist words. If there were a sound purpose for doing so, perhaps within the context of a larger learning unit, perhaps that might be different, but in that case, I think I might want the teachers to give the parents a heads up first.

    The book with the reference to “happy slaves” sounds like something that should have been read with a critical eye before deciding whether to use it in the classroom. In fact, all books introduced into classrooms at the grade school level should be pre-read by the teachers (or school librarians if the school has one). Just because it’s still on the school library shelves doesn’t mean it’s appropriate to use anymore.

    Posted 17 Nov 2007 at 11:27 am ¶

22. Janyce wrote:

    I am a seventh grade teacher who will be beginning the study of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer with my students after the holidays. I came across this discussion as I have been researching the best way to deal with the use of the n-word and other demeaning racial language in the book. I had already decided that the word will not be spoken in class. I also believe that the students (12-14 year-olds) need to learn more about cultural conditions in a slave-holding state during the 1830’s and about the personal and societal harm that is done by the use of degrading terms for people of other races or nationalities. I think seventh graders can handle this and learn something valuable from it, but I am concerned that that the small number of “black” students I have will feel self-conscious. The message written by Alicia on Nov. 2 supports this very strong possibility. Are there any suggestions on how to handle this issue? If these things are never discussed, how will they be changed?

    Posted 28 Nov 2007 at 6:47 pm ¶

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