[sept11info] Please help me with advice on how to deal with this situation.

[Cathy Mc Quone <mcquone@mcquone.com>]

Fellow educators,
 
Please help me with advice on how to deal with this situation.
 
The events of today were appalling. However, I was met with a very appalling
event in my own classroom. I teach a class of Juniors and Seniors in High
School. One of my students is of mid-eastern descent. During an afternoon
class, other students came in saying things like: "Look what you did, look
at all those people who died. This is your fault." Fortunately the student
being accused ignored it. I was horrified. I was so angry that I was afraid
of what I might say to the accusing student. I simply said how inappropriate
talking like this was at such a time of crisis and tragedy. This immediately
stopped the conversation. I would like to say more tomorrow. Maybe there are
better words to say. Maybe there is a short-story from another time that I
could share with my students which exemplifies how horrible this kind of
thinking is. I do not know of any. Maybe one of you could share one with me.
In any case, please help me choose the right words to help them to think and
act differently.

Thanks,
Cathy McQuone
mcquone@mcquone.com
Tallahassee, Florida

Update: The next day the guidance counselor at my school and I met with the
students. We discussed the real NY and Wash, DC tragedy which I think the
students had a better understanding of after watching the evening news. We
discussed the meaning of prejudice: making assumptions about a person based
on external or superficial characteristics of a person not on the actual
events. The guilty students said that they were just teasing. Well..... we
discussed Columbine and the fact that some students were teasing - bullying
another and the reaction was unacceptable. After this discussion, there were
apologies to the students who had been "teased". Since then there has been
NO negative teasing. Both the guidance counselor and I were very pleased
with the result. We often have the opportunity to teach our subject matter.
That day we felt we had the opportunity to teach the "real" stuff about
"life".