This video on A Class Divided, shows a teacher who will work hard in having her students whether young or older understand discrimination.
At young ages, students are very absorbent in what they hear and or see. Instead of the teacher saying this is right and this is wrong end of story; this teacher puts together an active lesson for the students. A lesson in which came from the teacher thinking of the Indian Su Prayer; " Oh please great spirit, keep me from ever judging a man until I have walked in someones mochasins." This led the teacher to incorporate the lesson where the class was segregated by blue eyes and brown eyes. The teacher treated brown eyed students with such respect and blue eyed students as if they were no good. It was sad to see the kids faces when they had to put the blue collar on and feel humiliated. My first impression was, "How Horrible!" However as I kept watching, the children did not like to be segregated and they were asked, is blue eyed people any different from brown eyed people?, the kids said no. The teacher also asked is the skin color brown any different than the white skin color people ?, the kids said no. I was really impressed from this lesson. I saw that the students were all together on never wanting to feel like that again; let alone someone else.
Fourteen years later, the teacher interviewed some of the students who were in the class, and it amazes me how she really had put an impact on these students who are now adults. They remembered being hurt and learning "how would you like it" in agony was worth it. Another adult said he thinks every school should implement this program in an early stage of education. Seeing how these adults are from when they were children i believe it has greatly impacted them in and also believe school should and can use this as a lesson. However Jane Elliot said, this lesson may not be every student; and if not done right can really damage students. Her students felt that they will refuse to ever hurt one another feelings ever again in that way; and also that they feel they have became practically a family.
The last segment is one that I found very interesting. Jane Elliot put together the program for teaching adults/ Correction officers. They were going to have to deal with it in their minds. Adults were noticing the blue eyed people only bathroom, as well as the brown eyed people sign in sheet. The class started at 9:00 and the people who had blue eyes had to wait more than half an hour outside the room; they were so insulted. After being brought into the classroom, right away they were being picked on from the teacher. I found it hard and annoying to watch one woman, arguing and practically fighting with the teacher. I felt as if the kids were much more cooperative than the adults. The adults became more arrogant because they were embarrassed. On the other hand after lunch break speaking about their emotions, the one woman that was very angry and nasty towards the teacher, felt as if she was discriminated before just like anyone else. What amazed me was that she was not wearing her eye tie around her neck , which others were as well as someone actually spoke up on how that woman will never really know how a black person would feel waking up every morning knowing the problems and differences they will have to face. That made me so proud to hear that because personally I feel I would stand up and say the same thing!
