Poll: Kindergarten teacher playing Lady Gaga in class?

dpdw · May 2012

Is it appropriate for a kindergarten teacher to play Lady Gaga's Born this Way in clause?[Poll]

shopgirl78 · May 2012

My kids listen to pop music on the radio in my car and on the bus to their afterschool program--to each their own. I wouldn't be surprised if they have heard this song; however, I cannot figure out the educational value/necessity in Kindergarten or in school period...it's not the song I have the issue with.

Were they just listening to the radio (backgroud noise) and that song happened to come on? Or a kids bop version?

penguingrrl · May 2012

Given that the song is a message about tolerance and being proud of who you are I have no problem with it. If it were just some random song I would want to know why they were listening to pop music in class, but starting a message of acceptance at a young age is really important IMO.

dpdw · May 2012

Lady Gaga just performed here & the kindergarten teacher went to the show - and more than once he has talked about Gaga in the classroom. Even a few months ago he asked the parents if they knew anyone who could get him tickets. Apparently he is a fan.

I'm not particularly happy about it, because I don't let my kids listen to pop songs that aren't Kid Bopz versions. Although once I googled the lyrics they weren't as bad as I had feared - but I hope I don't have to tell my 6 year old what a transgender or bisexual is just yet. Plus, this is a Christian school, so I'm even more surprised that a teacher would be playing it.

PhillyPhan · May 2012

SS: While I personally don't like Lady Gaga, I'd imagine that the music we listen to with DD isn't everyone else's first choice either. (DD listens to whatever DH and I have on our iPods with some variation is a song is really inappropriate).

ppants · May 2012

My kids listen to *some* Lady Gaga. Born this Way is one that's ok. Government Hooker is not. I'm pretty picky about what they hear in the car. I don't listen to songs with the word sexy in it because of this when they are around. So I'd be ok with it in class, but I could see how others would not.

Glendi428 · May 2012

-auntie-:
I'm impressed you have a male kindie teacher. They're pretty rare in the primary grades.

Did your child ask you what bisexual or transgendered means? Many kids that age wouldn't parse out the lyrics correctly and ask for clarification. But even if you do have to explain, best to keep it simple and on DC's level. I live in a pretty diverse community; we support the fire company with a transvestite beauty pageant. When DS was five he was getting his haircut in the chair next to a transvestite being readied for a show later that night. Let's just say I had to think on my feet.

I would hope a Christian school would be more inclusive of different kinds of people, but sadly, that's not been my experience.

I've always loved popular music, and I vividly remember singing along to Donna Summer's "Bad Girls" when I was about 5 or 6 years old... I had NO idea what she was singing about (prostitutes, for those not lucky enough to grow up on disco), and frankly, didn't care. I just wanted to jam!

I try to remind myself when suggestive lyrics come on the radio, that young children aren't dissecting songs like we (their parents) are. They appreciate the song and melody in its entirety. Furthermore, I kind of love the idea of pop culture serving as a vehicle for positive discussions like tolerance and equality. That's all-around good in my book.

Zenya · May 2012

dpdw:
I hope I don't have to tell my 6 year old what a transgender or bisexual is just yet. Plus, this is a Christian school, so I'm even more surprised that a teacher would be playing it.

them homo-sexuals are heathen folk!

jessicaclare · May 2012

This wouldn't bother me in the slightest. My oldest goes to a Lutheran school, and isn't this really what we're trying to teach them? That God loves ALL of us, regardless of what we do here on earth? That song illustrates that message perfectly, IMO.

However, at 5, they aren't really thinking about the "message" of a song anyway, they're just interested in dancing around to a good beat.

laurakaz13 · May 2012

Zenya:
dpdw:

I hope I don't have to tell my 6 year old what a transgender or bisexual is just yet. Plus, this is a Christian school, so I'm even more surprised that a teacher would be playing it.

them homo-sexuals are heathen folk!

Indifferent to the bolded. Yep, teaching tolerance would be horrible!!!

summerbrideDC · May 2012

I'm actually thrilled that my kid knows the words to that song. Given the song's message, I think its absolutely okay.

dpdw · May 2012

laurakaz13:
Zenya:
dpdw:

I hope I don't have to tell my 6 year old what a transgender or bisexual is just yet. Plus, this is a Christian school, so I'm even more surprised that a teacher would be playing it.

them homo-sexuals are heathen folk!

to the bolded. Yep, teaching tolerance would be horrible!!!

Sorry, I'm now realizing I didn't express my thoughts well enough. My surprise with the Christian school allowing this is because, in my experience, Christians are not at all tolerant of GLTs. I send my kids to a Christian school not because I share their beliefs, but because I have no other choice where we live in Asia.

I do teach my kids "tolerance" - although I hate that word in this context because to me it means that you are just "tolerating" a person who isn't the same as you, like you are just putting up with them even though they are different. I personally teach my kids that we love everyone and embrace their diferences because that's what makes people interesting. I often say that it would be boring world if we were all the same. My kids know that couples are together because they love each other. We have a few gay & lesbian family members and a few same-sex parents at their school, so they've been around it all their lives. We haven't gotten to the point of dicussing transgender per se (because aside from the butch-lesbians, drag queens and lady-boys we've seen in our travels, we don't know any real transgender folks), but we have talked at length about how it is totally OK for my DD to not want to wear dresses and for boys to have long hair - obviously just laying the ground work for accepting non-traditonal gender roles. What I meant by "not wanting to tell my 6 year old what a transgender or bisexual is" was that I'm hesitant to give a name to it all just yet because, to me, by defining or giving it a name, it points out that they are different just because of their sexual orientation - which brings up sex and I don't want to go there yet either.

dpdw · May 2012

-auntie-:

I'm impressed you have a male kindie teacher. They're pretty rare in the primary grades.

Did your child ask you what bisexual or transgendered means? Many kids that age wouldn't parse out the lyrics correctly and ask for clarification. But even if you do have to explain, best to keep it simple and on DC's level. I live in a pretty diverse community; we support the fire company with a transvestite beauty pageant. When DS was five he was getting his haircut in the chair next to a transvestite being readied for a show later that night. Let's just say I had to think on my feet.

I would hope a Christian school would be more inclusive of different kinds of people, but sadly, that's not been my experience.

Ooooh, I LOOOOVE New Hope!!! I've been many times because one of my best friends lives in Lambertville. My kids have been too and we've also been to Provencetown, MA - so they've seen their fair share of drag queens. At this age, when they ask, we tell them that that is the way that guy likes to dress - although I do redirect their eyes when the ass-less chaps boys are strutting by! LOL! IMO we don't need to go into a full-length "life-choice" discussion with a 6 year old.

To answer your question - no he hasn't asked what they are, but he did just ask me to play the song so he can learn all the words. I don't think it's necessary for those words to be in his vocabulary just yet.

justEK · May 2012

My DD just turned 6 and had a Lady Gaga birthday party. Everyone had a blast.

pookie2005 · May 2012

That particular song wouldn't bother me, no. It has a very good message that I think is important for kids to hear. I also think it's important that kids are taught to be accepting of everyone. My dd is five and she has never asked me why her aunt has a girlfriend or her uncle has a boyfriend, it's just the way it's always been and she hasn't yet been spoiled by people telling her they don't think that's ok. To me, it bums me out that I'll have to explain to her that those people are ignorant and that she shouldn't listen to them.

Leila'sMommy · May 2012

Not the worst song in the world. We listen to all sorts of stuff in the car. Meh.

Emiliana7 · May 2012

I wouldn't be thrilled that the teacher was playing pop music in the class. And what I have against the Born This Way song is the wrong use of the word oriental. Big Smile

dpdw · May 2012

Emiliana7:
I wouldn't be thrilled that the teacher was playing pop music in the class. And what I have against the Born This Way song is the wrong use of the word oriental.

Seriously! And we live in Asia!

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