Who is to blame for this mistake?

[NHPatsFan]

So it was "International Day" at my mom's school. The sixth graders were all paired up and given a country to do a presentation on. The kids who did Austria dressed up as the Von Trapp children. The kids who did the UK dressed up as Sherlock Holmes and Dr.Watson. It was all cute until the kids who did Luxembourg came in the room dressed as old Country and Western stars with cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and bolo ties. They gave their presentation on the basic facts of the country. A teacher then asked about their costumes. They said that they read online that the people of Luxembourg dress in standard "Western attire"... The teacher tried hard not laugh when she said that referred to the Western Hemisphere... not US.

For such a glaring and hysterical mistake who do you blame? The parents... who obviously had to provide the clothing, the kids for doing lazy research...or the teacher for not overseeing the research properly? I literally would mortified if I sent my 11 year old to school in such incorrect attire. I can't imagine blaming the teacher.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

My guess is lack of communication between parents and kids.

Or, the other possibility - the parents brain farted on "Western attire".

 

[Arielle22]

The children did the assignment to the best of their ability. Why would that be the parents' fault? At 11, children don't need their parents reviewing their homework unless the child has a problem in that particular class. So the parents probably thought the children were dressed appropriately for their assignment.

 

[cabanafrau]

I don't know who I'd blame, or if it really matters all that much. I always loathed the dress up requirement as a student & still do as a parent. Why spend so much time & resources trying to recreate traditional cultural dress of countries when so much of the world dresses the way we do? Our clothing isn't just made overseas, it's worn there, too.

 

[mom2rose&john]

A mix of all three. Depends on how much outside the school work had to be done. My 5th grader does group projects in school. The students should know that googling "western wear" will result in many hits and not to use the first one that pops up. The teacher for not asking for a rough draft. They are only eleven and still developing the skill for reports. The parents for not being aware of extra clothing being taken to school and inquiring why.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I do not see any reason to blame anybody

The parents were (hopefully) not over-involved in the kids' homework and either did not do any of it, or simply helped find costume pieces when the kids said they needed to dress "Western" for school--without ever hearing mention of Luxembourg to know there might be an issue.

And the kids DID do research; they were simply unfamiliar with a term, and had good reason to think they DID know that term. I can easily imagine 11 year olds misinterpreting that.

I think it sounds like a simple "mistake" that is no big deal, no one should be blamed, and the whole class learned what the term "Western Attire" means. That is a teaching and learning win in my book.

 

[VAfamily1998]

It's possible the parents thought that "western attire" meant the same thing that the kids thought.

 

[joviroxx]

Why blame anyone? The kids did the best they could and what they thought was correct. I don't find it mortifying at all. While they misread the information, their intentions were great.

I actually admire the parents that allow the KIDS to do their own work. Its 6th grade, not 2nd and parents needn't be hovering over every assignment...

 

[NHPatsFan]

This is a big event... so it would be highly unusual for parents not to know what country their child had. That's what everyone found so shocking... that any adult actually thinks they dress like they're on an episode of Bonanza in Luxembourg or that the parents were unaware of what country their child had. The teacher was embarrassed though because it literally was one of those moments that people had to leave the room they found it so funny.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

It's possible the parents thought that "western attire" meant the same thing that the kids thought.

Oh, god, I hope not.

 

[RitaE]

Yeah, I'm not sure why there needs to be blame.

They're in 6th grade. They did their homework and they made a mistake. I'm guessing that they will now know for the rest of their lives what exactly "Western Attire" means in general writing.

Isn't that kind of the point of kids doing their homework … so they learn?

 

[wiigirl]

I don't know who I'd blame, or if it really matters all that much. I always loathed the dress up requirement as a student & still do as a parent. Why spend so much time & resources trying to recreate traditional cultural dress of countries when so much of the world dresses the way we do? Our clothing isn't just made overseas, it's worn there, too.

This...

 

[NHdisneylover]

This is a big event... so it would be highly unusual for parents not to know what country their child had. That's what everyone found so shocking... that any adult actually thinks they dress like they're on an episode of Bonanza in Luxembourg or that the parents were unaware of what country their child had. The teacher was embarrassed though because it literally was one of those moments that people had to leave the room they found it so funny.

I still think that for 6th grade it is not uncommon to not oversee the kids--I agree with the PP who said they applaud parents who let a 6th grader do their own work and make their own decisions.

I think parents who laughed more than a sympathetic chuckle, which made it clear the understood how the kids could make the mistake, were RUDE and awful role models for all of the kids--as is looking to "blame" someone for something so simple and harmless.

The teacher being embarrassed is also so unfair to these kids who made a good effort and had only a basic misunderstanding. I REALLY hope the kids were not made to feel badly by him or her.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Hmmm, I am just now seeing your post count. Welcome to the DIS--I am out of this thread

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Oh, god, I hope not.

What if "western attire" were the only thing the parents knew about the project? "Cowboys" would probably be the first thing I'd think of.

That said, there is that other possibility

 

[JanaDee]

It's possible the parents thought that "western attire" meant the same thing that the kids thought.

If I heard "western attire" and didn't know anything else about the assignment, I would send my kid dressed the same way.

Why do you need to blame someone?

 

[firecracker725]

Hmmm, I am just now seeing your post count. Welcome to the DIS--I am out of this thread

I thought the same thing, but this reminds me of the time I asked my 2nd graders to tell me the capital of Georgia. One little girl proudly raised her hand and when called on said, "The G."

My co-teacher had to leave the room.

 

[NHPatsFan]

Hmmm, I am just now seeing your post count. Welcome to the DIS--I am out of this thread

What does my post count have to do with anything? How many posts makes a poster acceptable to you?

 

[NHdisneylover]

I thought the same thing, but this reminds me of the time I asked my 2nd graders to tell me the capital of Georgia. One little girl proudly raised her hand and when called on said, "The G."

My co-teacher had to leave the room.

Okay, I said I was out, but here I am I totally believe the scenario could happen--I saw all kinds of things when teaching. What I do not believe is that parents and TEACHERS found it "shocking" and "embarrassing" and feel a need to "blame" someone for it.

No teacher I have ever known would think of it as anything other than yet another cute story to add to their repertoire.

 

[RitaE]

And in all fairness, I'm pretty sure there aren't all that many people in Austria running around dressed in costumes made from old curtains like the Von Trapp Family Singers these days.

So the Luxembourg kids aren't the only ones factually off center. Maybe at one point in time there was a singing Luxembourg Cowboy family out there and we've just never heard of them because the movie never made it past pre-production planning.