Christensen Chapter 2

I agree with a lot of what Christensen says in this poem as far as the need to teach about the differences in todays society and what role the media plays within that realm. However, too much of anything is not good. As I was reading this chapter, I was thinking to myself..."okay, thats great that these kids are realizing what is wrong with the media, but if I was them, I wouldn't want to constantly be destroying everything I had grown up with."

If we are going to dissect Disney movies and analyze how bad they are, why stop there? My mom was a stay-at-home mom with no job skills. She just took care of my sister and me. Is that so bad? I mean, if we are really looking at these stories in this light, shouldn't all women go out and have a nine-to-five job and be strong and independent of a man? I totally agree with the women's rights movements and teaching to change the world, but I think some things are just going too far.

I feel that parents should teach their kids what is right within the world. Teaching a child that Disney movies are fairy tales is the parents job, and most kids are able to figure that out. I understand that these movies create some of our values and beliefs as we are growing up, but don't kids' attitudes, beliefs, and values change as they get older? I know mine did. Maybe these are some beliefs that are being instilled in our children, but the same thing happens in our History classes. Kids come to the realization as they get older that life is not a fairy tale and things do not happen in a picture perfect way.

I want to be a teacher that cares about my students and helps them learn and grow into productive members of society and I will do everything I can to make sure they not only feel safe in my classroom but that they feel that they can achieve whatever they want. However, I will not be a parent to every child that comes into my classroom. Parents are still parents and still need to accept the fact that there are things that a teacher and a school should not have to teach their children.