For Teachers. Do you get upset when you find out there is a Witness in your class?

I have taught for several years now, and have really only had two or three years where I had students who were Jehovah Witnesses. It didn't bother me at all. I taught fourth grade. Holiday parties in my classroom were never holiday parties.

In October we had a fall festival.. We played games that did not involve any holiday activities, you know like bingo, unscramble spelling words, we played math games, and for the "costume parade", I dressed as Mrs. Frizzle and my students chose book characters.

In December, we had a friendship party. Students brought in "prizes" for the games, and if you won two or more prizes, you shared your prizes with a friend in the classroom. We played a lot of "guess the classmate", estimation (who could make a plane that could fly the farthest) guessing how many MM's were in a jar, charades etc.

In February, instead of a valentine's day party, we had a "who do you love party" Every student was asked to invite someone they care about to our party. Many brought grandparents, friends from church, parents or whomever. Again we played a lot of "team" games and ate a lot.

The classroom was very supportive because they wanted their friends to come. The parents of the JW were very supportive because they could let their children come to school on those days without being embarrassed, sent to the office, or whatever, and the non JW. parents were great with it, they sent food that was non-holiday and accepted that people come from many backgrounds. It was a good experience about tolerance and that friendship has no boundaries or religion. I am very sorry that you experienced those hardships. It's a shame it made you bitter. I hope it made you more empathetic towards other minorities as well.

This is interesting because I grew up as a Witness and never once did I ever feel "excluded" from anything and never once did I blame my parents just because I couldn't salute the flag or participate in holiday celebrations in school.

I had a great childhood and my teachers were fantastic. As I grew older even the students were very respectful of my beliefs. As I got into High School I was chosen to be "the most sincere" among my peers. So I never had your problem and I am sorry your teachers did not respect your parents wishes. It's really a shame because teachers are supposed to be respectful of the parents in this regard.

It should NEVER bother teachers who get kids who are Jehovah's Witnesses in their class. They should actually be glad because our kids are wide known for being the best behaved. Do NOT feel sorry for kids who are Jehovah's Witnesses either because they lack nothing and are raised very well.

No. Never. I was an elem. music teacher which made it difficult for the kids when we were singing lots of holiday songs every holiday and patriotic songs a lot of the other time when we sang, but it never bothered me that I had JW kids in class. They were allowed to sing if they chose to, though. I NEVER stopped them from singing along if they chose to do so. I didn't feel like that was my place. One time when I had several JW children in class, in lieu of the Christmas concert, I purposely chose all WINTER songs that had NOTHING at all to do with Christmas. I was extremely careful about the lyrics of all the songs. I wanted those children to be included in the performance for once. I contacted their parents and let them know what we were doing. I even put it off till January! The day of the concert, their parents didn't let them participate anyway! They said they thought it was just too close to being a Christmas program and chose not to let the kids participate anyway!!! So I just went back to majority rule and had Christmas music each year! I was just upset with the parents' attitude at not accepting my consideration of their child's belief. The children were so excited that they were being included for once! I felt badly for them.

I am a school age Witness, and I would just like to say that we really don't feel too hurt when others in the class are celebrating holidays. I have experienced had my fair share of holidays, and I just go along with whatever work that we are doing, and say no thank you to any birthday treats etc. And, I would also like to say that I am not forced to go to meetings by my parents, and that is my own choice. I have a strong love for my religion and would not relinquish it for anything.

A few years back I had a Jehovahs Witness in my class, and it was difficult, not because of my feelings ( I had none) but the fact they celebrate no traditional holidays, I had to find extra work for her to do during those certain weeks, it's very confusing for a child when they start school and see that there are other traditions and ask why are they doing something different than me. We need to be tolerent and just do our jobs, but it is up to the parents to keep us fully informed as to what they expect.

There's nothing worse than making a child do something only to find out it's against their religion. And I as a teacher have never humiliated a child in or out of class.

No, I've never found it upsetting. I just work around it. There are lots of activities to do around the holidays that deal with WINTER and not Christmas or Hanaukka or whatever. I DO appreciate it when a students lets me know ahead of time, though, so I can plan accordingly.

In my case it is easier. I am a Spanish teacher so when we get to holidays that most of the world celebrates...or holidays that only the Spanish speaking countries celebrate I merely have to say "I am not asking that you believe or celebrate this, we are just talking about the way this country does things" I do the same thing when talking about La Virgin de Guadalupe to get around the religion in school stuff...I just say I am not asking you believe in her or celebrate her holiday...we are just learning what some people believe. You may try this in your class....??? Maybe when you get to a holiday celebrate it like another country or something...and try doing what I do and also talk about holidays that are not traditional to the US such as Day of the Dead in Mexico or La Tomatina in Spain

i never cared what religion my students were. i did have several jehovah's witnesses and i'll admit it was difficult when a child had a birthday and i had to decide how to allow that child to have his/her birthday fun without leaving out the child who doesn't believe in birthdays. it was really hard to do. but i did my best. i'm sorry that your teacher's weren't as considerate of your religion and feelings. maybe they didn't even realize how awkward they made you feel. but in any case, please try not to feel bitter about it. and don't hate an entire group of people because of some bad experiences you had as a child.

The majority of education professionals in the United States are sensitive to the cultural and religious sensibilities of their students and the families of their students. If and when these professionals have felt "upset" at the awkwardness and extra work involved in maintaining a tolerant classroom experience, they have tended to handle it well.

Jehovah's Witnesses have been exemplary among religious minorities in not insisting that secular government schools discontinue what can only be described as taxpayer-supported religious instruction and practices. Witness children generally just excuse themselves from these religious activities and concentrate on their schoolwork while they are at school.

In other countries, and sadly in the United States also, a few teachers have proven to be bigots who actively work to alienate, humiliate, and persecute children among Jehovah's Witnesses.

It is true that Jehovah's Witnesses are not loved by everyone.

http://jw-media.org/newsroom/human_rights.htm

Some people hate Jehovah's Witnesses out of ignorance, or over some misunderstanding. A few may have had a bad personal experience with an individual who claimed to be a Jehovah's Witness, and prejudicially extended their animus to this entire Christian religion and its children.

However, it seems that the majority of anti-Witness hatred is motivated by religious intolerance and bigotry. A few may even be motivated against their Christian worship by the unseen 'god of this system of things', Satan the Devil.

(2 Corinthians 4:4) the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers

Interestingly, such "hatred" should be expected by true Christians in this time of the end, and it actually helps identify Jehovah's Witnesses as Christ's true disciples:

(John 15:19) If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, on this account the world hates you.

(Luke 6:22) Happy are you whenever men hate you, and whenever they exclude you and reproach you and cast out your name as wicked for the sake of the Son of man.

(1 Peter 4:4) Because you do not continue running with them in this course to the same low sink of debauchery, they are puzzled and go on speaking abusively of you.

(2 Timothy 4:3-5) For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, whereas they will be turned aside to false stories. You, though, keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry.

It seems signficant that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are the ones best known for their worldwide preaching work. Yet Jesus commanded that ALL who would call themselves "Christian" perform this public work:

(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.

Learn more:

http://watchtower.org/library/jt/index.htm

http://watchtower.org/e/20030301/article_01.htm

http://watchtower.org/e/20020401/article_01.htm

@Don, they did the task in combination and the questioner's daughter used to be the crew chief. In my opinion, all people within the organization will have to have got the award however unluckily, that is lifestyles. It does not regularly pop out really.