Jane Elliot Discrimination Is an Essay

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Elliot also allowed her students to learn their lessons first-hand, on their own. Her students drew their own conclusions from the exercise rather than having their teacher tell them what they were supposed to gain from it. For example, Elliot's students felt fearful and tearful, ostracized and criticized. The smartest kids in the class fell back because of the lowered expectations of others. On the other hand, students who never did well on tests excelled because they were told they were wonderful. Elliot's exercise made a difference in many children's lives, opening their eyes to the harsh realities that minorities experience from the day they are old enough to think.

Far more powerful than reading words in a text that preach morality, the experience of being shunned can impart learning in a way that no boring books can. Few teachers were or even are willing to venture into such tricky territory. Jane Elliot was, because she was so deeply moved by the death of another American hero: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Had Jane Elliot done what other teachers did and rely on the dry words of far-away authors, she would not have fulfilled her life's calling, her duty, her responsibility as a teacher. Because of this, Jane Elliot is a role model for all American teachers, who inevitably deal with issues of diversity within their walls.

Half a century after Jane Elliot conducted her blue eye/brown eye experiment on an unwitting audience, teachers should still incorporate such methods into their classroom but few do. Abandoning both blackboard and book, modern-day mavericks can regain control of their classrooms, change American culture, and cater to the needs of all their students, all at the same time. All they need to do is look to the example of Jane Elliot, and follow in her footsteps regardless of who might be looking.


Some may scold Mrs. Elliot for going beyond the call of duty, for stepping beyond the boundaries of what is deemed decent in our culture. Those are the ones who will either fail to make an imprint on young minds, or worse, who will perpetuate the status quo. The status quo, for most people in the world, is unacceptable: it means more than just prejudice but poverty, starvation, persecution, and injustice. Others yearn for a better world.

Most people can only hope to have a teacher, a parent, an ant, or a friend such as Jane Elliot. She is a true American pioneer, navigating through psychological and sociological realms. Because of her bravery, Jane Elliot helped many white Americans realize the power of their privilege, the privilege of their position of power. Jane Elliot was a hero, rising to the challenges of the day and age. She is a legend and a leader......

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"Jane Elliot Discrimination Is An" (2005, October 03) Retrieved May 7, 2024, from
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"Jane Elliot Discrimination Is An" 03 October 2005. Web.7 May. 2024. <
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"Jane Elliot Discrimination Is An", 03 October 2005, Accessed.7 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/jane-elliot-discrimination-68784