Is showing classic films to elementary students three years ago a violation of BC curriculum guidelines?.A Prince George School District learned the answer to that after he was suspended for showing The Hobbit and To Kill a Mockingbird — both of which are not on the curriculum — to kids in Grade 6 and 7..Andrew Dennis was teaching in October 2018 when some students’ parents protested after he played the films for the class..Dennis’ problem was further compounded, according to the Commissioner for Teacher Regulation, when he had his class read The Lottery — a short story written by Shirley Jackson that was first published in the June 26, 1948, issue of The New Yorker — and then showed the students the short film based on the story..To Kill a Mockingbird is listed on the BC Curriculum as a secondary school book for Grades 10 and higher..The book contains themes of “racism and rape” and “repeated use” of the N-word, according to the Teacher Regulation report..The Lottery tells the story of a fictional, small American town which observes an annual rite known as “the lottery,” in which a member of the community is selected by chance..It’s only at the end of the book it’s learned those chosen will be stoned to death; an annual sacrifice to guarantee a good harvest..It was later learned Dennis conducted the students through a game of dodgeball based on the stoning scene in The Lottery..The commission again reminded Dennis to stick to the Grade 6 and 7 curriculum..Leaving kindergarten students unsupervised in a hallway earned Dennis yet another letter in March 2019..Dennis served a one-day suspension and was ordered to take the Creating a Positive Learning Environment course through the Justice Institute of British Columbia by the end of this year..The caveat is he isn’t permitted to teach kindergarten and Grades 1 to 7 until he completes the course..Mike D’Amour is the British Columbia Bureau Chief for the Western Standard..,.mdamour@westernstandardonline.com
Is showing classic films to elementary students three years ago a violation of BC curriculum guidelines?.A Prince George School District learned the answer to that after he was suspended for showing The Hobbit and To Kill a Mockingbird — both of which are not on the curriculum — to kids in Grade 6 and 7..Andrew Dennis was teaching in October 2018 when some students’ parents protested after he played the films for the class..Dennis’ problem was further compounded, according to the Commissioner for Teacher Regulation, when he had his class read The Lottery — a short story written by Shirley Jackson that was first published in the June 26, 1948, issue of The New Yorker — and then showed the students the short film based on the story..To Kill a Mockingbird is listed on the BC Curriculum as a secondary school book for Grades 10 and higher..The book contains themes of “racism and rape” and “repeated use” of the N-word, according to the Teacher Regulation report..The Lottery tells the story of a fictional, small American town which observes an annual rite known as “the lottery,” in which a member of the community is selected by chance..It’s only at the end of the book it’s learned those chosen will be stoned to death; an annual sacrifice to guarantee a good harvest..It was later learned Dennis conducted the students through a game of dodgeball based on the stoning scene in The Lottery..The commission again reminded Dennis to stick to the Grade 6 and 7 curriculum..Leaving kindergarten students unsupervised in a hallway earned Dennis yet another letter in March 2019..Dennis served a one-day suspension and was ordered to take the Creating a Positive Learning Environment course through the Justice Institute of British Columbia by the end of this year..The caveat is he isn’t permitted to teach kindergarten and Grades 1 to 7 until he completes the course..Mike D’Amour is the British Columbia Bureau Chief for the Western Standard..,.mdamour@westernstandardonline.com
