Learning about the Holocaust through Narrative
Bullying and the Holocaust
Dear Colleagues,
I do not know if many of you (or any of you) face this problem. I do, however. During the course of the teacher development sessions I have run, I always ask the participants how they teach the Holocaust, what activities, books, etc, they use. There are always teachers who tell me they teach the Holocaust (in fourth grade, but that is a different discussion) in the context of anti-bullying and diversity and "be nice to everyone" curricula. I try to teach them that Nazism was an -ism and an ideology and that the Jews were not "bullied," but rather persecuted, but they insist that "it is the same idea" or "well, it is a simplified version." I try to explain that the Holocaust is a complex event and ought not be "simplified." I delineate the features of Nazism (lebensraum, racial hierarchy, the concept of a fuehrer) but I rarely make inroads with the teachers. What do you think? Should we try and change this bullying approach with our educators? Should we be "grateful" they teach the Holocaust, at all?
I do not know if many of you (or any of you) face this problem. I do, however. During the course of the teacher development sessions I have run, I always ask the participants how they teach the Holocaust, what activities, books, etc, they use. There are always teachers who tell me they teach the Holocaust (in fourth grade, but that is a different discussion) in the context of anti-bullying and diversity and "be nice to everyone" curricula. I try to teach them that Nazism was an -ism and an ideology and that the Jews were not "bullied," but rather persecuted, but they insist that "it is the same idea" or "well, it is a simplified version." I try to explain that the Holocaust is a complex event and ought not be "simplified." I delineate the features of Nazism (lebensraum, racial hierarchy, the concept of a fuehrer) but I rarely make inroads with the teachers. What do you think? Should we try and change this bullying approach with our educators? Should we be "grateful" they teach the Holocaust, at all?
About
© 2009 Created by Dr. Keren Goldfrad on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
