A Class Divided

                I thought the video “A Class Divided” was extremely interesting. It is obvious that the teacher’s experiment proved to have a positive outcome. Given the time period and societal circumstances, I do believe the teacher had a right to carry out the experiment. Although the method is controversial, she thought it was necessary in order to truly get the point across and she did. I do not think the children would have had the same outlook on life in general, specifically including the aspect on racism and judgment without having gone through this experiment. Thus I believe it was a vital life lesson that was not only taught by the teacher, but experienced firsthand individually and as a group.

                Although I applaud the teacher’s innovative experiment, I think any teacher would experience much greater controversy and receive negative reactions in today’s society. I think that the kids would go home and tell their parents about it and although some would support the effort to teach understanding and the harsh effects of prejudice, I am sure many of them would still have major complaints. I believe this idea is important to teach at a young age, such as the third grade experiment, so I also do not believe it would have the same effects on my students in secondary school. As an elementary school teacher, I think this would be a great lesson to teach, with prior permission from supervisors and parents. Overall, the idea behind this lesson is invaluable and I applaud the teacher for a creative lesson  that has proven to be beyond effective.