Lies My Teacher Told Me
Parents, Textbooks, Educational Rigor, and Project Based Learning
If you missed a couple of episodes, the best way to binge-read Scrambling for Voice, Choice, and Agency is to use the Table of Contents links to previous posts.
Episode 23
February Already
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Kerry
Yesterday’s parent meeting
To: Chance sent - Gmail 5:48 AM
Hi Chance—
Unfortunately, the meeting with parents yesterday was not as easy or as smooth as your meeting with Ernie’s mom and her friends. It was clear that the meeting was only the beginning of a long conversation about how race and slavery and systemic racism is talked about in our classrooms.
It will be a good conversation going forward, but it will not be easy. Everyone is going to have to do a considerable amount of listening to each other. We agreed that everyone will read the US history textbook and figure out exactly what it says. We also agreed that it was important to share reading and sources with each other through this process of discovery.
Before the meeting, it had not occurred to me that working with parents would have such a large component of parent education, but it makes perfect sense. I am up for the challenge of listening and learning as much as I am up for presenting exactly what we teach here. I hope that they can learn why we have adopted various alternative methods of teaching information that does not exist in the textbook.
I must rush because I have to get to school early for another early morning parent meeting.
Kerry
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Chance
re: Yesterday’s parent meeting
To: Kerry sent - Gmail at 7:03 PM
Hi Kerry—
Thanks for the update on your meeting with the parents about race education at your high school. I am eager to hear about your progress with the parents……and why is it a surprise that working with parents is challenging?? Teaching parents was never covered in my graduate level courses in education.
Would you be willing to share all of the resources that you are talking about in the meetings? Do you have an extra US history textbook that I could borrow to follow along with the discussion?
Chance
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Kerry
Re: Yesterday’s parent meeting
To: Chance sent - Gmail 5:48 AM
Hi Chance—
I have an extra copy of the textbook we use, and I’ll give it to you the next time we get together. It will be great to share all of the sources with you.
I appreciate that you want to read and learn and think about this complicated topic….I will appreciate having you in the background to help me as I navigate these waters that are fraught with sharks and skunks.
Kerry
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Chance
Thanks for the textbook
To: Kerry sent - Gmail at 7:03 PM
Hi Kerry—
I loved getting together. I appreciated that you had an extra US history textbook for me. I also appreciated getting one of your extra copies of Lies My Teacher Told Me, by James Loewen.
I have already started reading Lies. I am a little shocked at what I am reading. I look forward to discussing it with you.
I plan to start reading this whole section of the textbook: Testing the Nation 1820-1877. I must admit that even though I always received A grades in my history classes in high schools, I may not have always read all of the assignments. I was more interested in getting a good grade than in learning and retaining information. It will be a relief to read it for information, not for a grade.
I have lots of lesson planning and reading ahead of me tonight.
Chance
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Chance
Stan and Rich and Harold’s dad
To: Kerry sent - Gmail at 8:47 PM
Hi Kerry—
My mind is whirling around……and not in a good way……
I met with Stan and Harold’s dad right after school. The meeting was not pleasant. Their behavior was not pleasant. Rosemary, my principal was there, and her presence did not offset their aggressive stance about rigor and test scores and my classroom being too much fun for the kids.
I got together with Rich for dinner. Getting together with him made me feel valuable. This time, he offered me a job that sounds perfect. I think I would like coordinating all of the professional development for the entire company. He is sure I am the right person for the job. After my horrible afternoon meeting, I am sorely tempted.
I won’t make any decisions for at least a week. Rich said I could take as much time as I need to make the final decision.
I hope I can sleep tonight……
I need all of the rest I can get because the kids are doing a huge culminating activity. It centers on what they have learned about the three industrial revolutions that changed the country. I am really looking forward to it….
Chance