As we begin December, and the traditional celebration of the holidays, I am reminded of how important diversity is, and that is does exist in the classroom. Let me explain.... recently, during my field observation, I met a very sweet, 6th grade student that is a Jehovah’s Witness. He exhibits good behavior, and appears to be a good student. His religion is not a secret to other students or faculty, because he does not participate in the Pledge of Allegiance each morning. Jehovah’s Witnesses are not allowed to celebrate Christmas, birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving, or any other holidays, claiming they all have pagan roots.
Yet, a Language Arts teacher gave an assignment, dealing with Christmas in other countries. The basis of the assignment is to research the country and how they celebrate Christmas. This Jehovah’s Witness student refused to do this assignment. Now, this should not of been an issue, because the assignment could have been easily modified to accommodate the student. But, rather than make the adjustments, the teacher did not offer an alternative assignment. As a matter of fact, she was upset that he refused to do the assignment. Another teacher said that the student never mentioned anything in her class when they watched “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” so they concluded that he was just being lazy, not offended. Several of his other teachers agreed that the student was just using his religion as an excuse to avoid work. I was flabbergasted!! I witnessed the entire conversation among these teachers. (Note to self: avoid teachers' lounge!) How can someone, such as these teachers, be so ignorant? We are in a melting point of diverse cultures and religions, yet we have teachers that are still so ignorant and disrespectful of others. This saddened me at first, then I felt sorry for the student, then I got angry! If this student is offended by the assignment, than it is more than likely, that there are others that are afraid to speak out. This student is being outcasted, because of his religious beliefs?!? CRAZY! The assignment was not the big deal, the way the teacher handled it was the big deal!
At this point, I do not know the outcome of the situation. I assume the parents will become involved, and the situation is going to escalate. UNNECESSARY- just make the accommodations and learn to respect all diverse students. Final thought: It's bad enough that all individuals are not treated equally, but isn't this illegal, and couldn't this teacher find herself in big trouble!?
As teachers, it is important to educate ourselves about other cultures and religions. Below is a great link about Jehovah's Witnesses and their beliefs. Education is the key to avoiding ignorance!
http://www.towerwatch.com/Witnesses/Beliefs/their_beliefs.htm
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