Small Town Living, Small Town Minds

When we moved to this small community 4 years ago, I was happy. And I still am. But there is one thing I really didn't think about or consider: The small town mentality. This is quite a conservative little area, eventhough when I went to the Democratic Caucus with my husband, there were quite a few Dems from the neighborhood!

Anyway, I've been teaching about Ancient Greece to my 6th graders. Also during social studies, I take 4 students from another teacher who has a 5/6 split class. In social studies, I like to get the students involved in projects, rather than just me lecturing to them. So they began their unit on Ancient Greece with the task of creating an illustrated timeline of events in Greece's history. This took quite a while for them to complete. When we were able to move on, eventually, I decided we needed to do something with Greek Gods and Goddesses.

One of the gals who also teaches 6th grade had given me this 2-page packet of information on the Greek Gods. She had decided just to teach about the gods and goddesses, and skip the history. I looked once again at this packet, and noted that it pointed out which gods and goddesses were related to whom. I had the brilliant idea of having the kids create a family tree with names and symbols. In my mind, I could visualize it.

I really did not anticipate the fact that Zues married his sister, and he wasn't the only one. We're talking ancient Greece here, and that was probably standard practice. Our history, and the history of many cultures, are full of that. But, had I realized it or thought this activity through carefully, admittedly, I probably would not have done it.

But I did. And I got a phone call from a parent of one of the kids who comes to me from the other 6th grade classroom (which is worse, becuase I don't have that relationship with the kid or the parent). She tells me that her son is confused about what he is supposed to do for this activity. I begin to explain the activity and how long we had been working on it already, so I couldn't quite understand why at this point he was confused about it (it was due like that very day). But she then begins to question the activity, saying she had gone onto websites to help, and there was incest amongst the gods.

Yes, there was, and I really didn't know how to respond to this. In class, the kids just did the work: we discussed who was married to whom, but ignored if they were married to a sibling...But I also saw her point that it was now OBVIOUS. I wasn't sure what to say to her. I should have asked her, "What would you like me to?" But I didn't, as I wasn't still quite sure whether she was upset about her son not knowing what to do, or upset about the assignment. I later talked to the student, and made sure he had all the information he needed to complete the project at home.

I thought it was solved until one day during conferences I get an email from my beloved principal: "When you get time, can you stop by to talk?"

Ok. What did I do? We chat all the time, but this was an invitation. That always puts fear into me, even as nice as she is. I showed up during my recess, right before social studies. She has received a phone call from this parent who is very upset about the activity I did. Now, it was due a week ago, and we've moved on to a different activity concerning the gods and goddesses. But we talk about the assignment, and how it was a bit too visual with the incest, and could I just make an alternative activity for this boy?

Yes, I could. But not quickly enough for today. But the next social studies day I was prepared. I had checked a book out of the library on Ancient Greece (if our library has it, then I can say it is "district material."). I gave him a two-sided paper that was divided into four categories to gather information. When he came in, I called him over and told him that his mom didn't want him to do the Greek Gods, so I had a different activity for him. I got him settled, and to the rest of the class I handed out this sheet with sections to do descriptions of various Greek gods and goddesses. Problem solved.

I thought. Until the next morning. I walk into the office, and my beloved principal again wants to talk with me. "What now," I ask wearily.

Well, she was getting to me before I opened my email, because there was an email FROM THIS MOM who was now angry because her son was SINGLED OUT and given an assigment to do that was different from anyone else at HER SUPPOSED REQUEST! I swear, you just can't win. The email was to me but my principal had been cc'd. Since she was the one who asked me to change the assignment in the first place, she said she wanted to be the first one to respond to the email. I appreciated that.

I waited for her response, then I responded, just apologizing for us misinterpreting her desires, and I was more than happy to have him do the assignment that everyone was doing. She also had asked why had I give him all Ns for social studies on his report card, since he does all of his assignments. I check my grade book, and saw that all year he has only handed in one final project. I told her that he got Ns because I had nothing to grade.

I expected to hear back about the assignments not getting in, but I've heard nothing, and it's been a couple days now.

Geesh.