The Words are the Problem

            The use of cross-curricular teaching methods is a positive and effective instructional strategy used in many schools across America. However, the way in which the math teacher at a Norcross, Georgia elementary school incorporated the history of slavery into third grade math problems was, in my opinion, very obtuse and insensitive. As a teacher, I know the many pressures we face in trying to motivate and encourage our students to gain new knowledge. However, that pressure should never outweigh commonsense.

            Yes, the information which he referred to in the math problems might be based on factual events of the past, but was the content really relevant to the overarching understandings one would want a student to take from lessons on the Civil War and slavery? Did the math problems truly show a valiant effort made by the teacher to critically infuse important facts about history?

            I believe the teacher was being insensitive to the content in which he/she decided to use and should have followed the protocol set by the school to send all cross-curricular material to school administrators first for approval.

Question: Since the reporting of this incident, the teacher in question has resigned. Do you think the situation required his/her resignation? Why/Why not?