Updated: Horror movie shown to my little one

[Chris in VA]

55 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

I don't think I'd like that format lol. I didn't even enjoy all the films we watched in class. One film I think was nothing but sound and images. Not fantasia but like random things... I couldn't tell you the name of it. Sitting through Citizen Kane was also torture for me. Ha. 

We watchedz the commentary on Citizen Kane. It will give you an appreciation of how amazing that film is, and why it's considered so. 

[Chris in VA]

Bet I know what happened--she saw it was based on a children's book and assumed that and  the PG rating would make it acceptable, but didn't screen it. 

I love the book and the movie--but more for 3rd grade and up, with talking-about-it time. 

We laugh about Coraline at our house bc I read it early to dd (maybe 2nd grade?) and then tried to read Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, and dd was so much more into the artistry and interesting characters and plot of Coraline that Rebecca was just horribly slow and sappy by comparision!

[madteaparty]

Coraline is not a horror movie. That said, we are super liberal with these things and DS was freaked out by that one when he saw it (very young). My nieces on the other hand were fine...DD7 has not seen it yet. I do hate they show movies in school. Are kids suffering from not enough screen time?

[unsinkable]

1 hour ago, Ktgrok said:

In middle/highschool I think movies are better suited. We watched Inherit the Wind in an American History class, and another, that I can't remmber the name of, about a Quaker family and their ambivalence about war/killing. That was at least apropos to the topic we were studying. And we watched some film strips in elementary school in my gifted class....but some of them DID upset me. I Juan De Pareja was one, and The Black Cauldren was another I think. 

Taran: Have you seen my pig?

Gurgi: Piggy? Round, fat piggy? Big snout?

Taran: Yes, yes.

Gurgi: Curly tail?

Taran: That's her! That's Hen-Wen!

Gurgi: Uh-uh, Nope. Gurgi not seen piggy. Nope.

[cintinative]

I'm really sensitive to creepy and dark stuff. That movie really bothered me and gave me nightmares.  I'm sorry OP. I would be upset also.  

[katilac]

46 minutes ago, itsheresomewhere said:

For those surprised they show a movie- Schools are showing movies around here as a treat now as they are doing away with parties.  Food allergies and such so they had to come up with a way to give the kids a treat.  I remember when it was end of the year only.  

 

Such a severe lack of imagination on their part (schools). You can have fun without movies or screens!  food! 

Edited November 1, 2018 by katilac

[SanDiegoMom]

I would be livid.  This would absolutely be a horror movie to two out of three of my kids. (My oldest saw it when she was in middle school and had nightmares, my son wouldn't touch it now at 12 with a 10 foot pool.  It's just too "much").   

 

[Bluegoat]

As far as showing movies in class, I think it should be very much a treat, and sometimes it's used like a babysitter.  But I don't think it's beyond the pale.

As for Coraline - yes, it is creepy.  I am guessing they chose based on the rating, and PG is really about as low as you get these days without watching something produced for toddlers - I'm not quite sure why this is.  The idea that it's a horror movie - it wouldn't have occurred to me to describe it that way, I think of horror movies as being intended for adults - I think Coraline was intended for kids, though obviously not all of them like it.

I remember some parent complaining when I was in elementary school because they showed us The Watcher In the Woods - also a fairly creepy movie. I think maybe this is one of those things where some people really see the same story quite differently.    

[Bluegoat]

7 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

I don’t know the movie but commonsense media recommends 9+ and their guidelines seem to make sense to me most of the time.  Could you request that the teacher check the commonsense media age guideline in future?

 

I think that's a really good idea.  Realistically, the teacher may not always have seen the movies they are offered to watch, and the ratings themselves aren't all that helpful.

[itsheresomewhere]

26 minutes ago, katilac said:

 

Such a severe lack of imagination on their part (schools). You can have fun without movies or screens!  food! 

With budget cuts, lack of people to help and the few parents who are just not going to be happy with anything, I see why they don’t do anything else.  Even field day has been such a nasty thing with the parents and other crap.

[MrsRobinson]

Op, you and your ds have my sympathy. I would be livid, too! 

My ds is 7 and is very sensitive to themes and imagery in books, movies, tv, and video games. And not all children will speak up even if they know they can. Ds won't. We've had more than one playdate where ds waited the whole ride home and then collapsed into tears once he was safely in the house over something scary to him on a screen at the playdate. He gets nightmares and certain emotional stressors will even set off an asthma attack. If he watched Coraline, it would be weeks of nightmares and him sleeping in bed with me and dh no matter what we do to comfort, reassure, and give context.

I hope your letter opens eyes that movies need to be screened more thoroughly and I hope your little guy is okay! ?

[Lady Florida.]

I think the choice of movie was totally wrong for the age group. 

However, on the copyright issue, it's not illegal to show movies in the classroom as long as the copy used was legally obtained - bought, rented, or borrowed from a library. Our school system used to have an annual required inservice on the law related to media use in the classroom when I was teaching. We all had to attend and sign off that we understood.

Now, the law says you have to be using it for educational purposes and that it needs to be part of the instructional activity. However, I can guarantee you that every teacher with the possible exception of those fresh out of college knows how to make it look as though there is related instructional activity going on. 

http://libguides.uta.edu/copyright/media

http://www.teachwithmovies.org/copyright.html

Edited November 1, 2018 by Lady Florida.

[sassenach]

I would probably stop calling it a horror movie because in the generally accepted definition of the word, it is not. It comes across as over-reactive. I've dealt with a ton of school administration garbage and I have learned to position myself through my words, actions, and tone of voice to be the most reasonable, well-spoken, emotionally level parent that I have the ability to be. I don't give them any reason to write me off if I can help it. That said,  it was inappropriate and the teacher should be held accountable for exposing your little to the content. PG=PARENTAL guidance for good reason. 

[Bootsie]

11 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

I think the choice of movie was totally wrong for the age group. 

However, on the copyright issue, it's not illegal to show movies in the classroom as long as the copy used was legally obtained - bought, rented, or borrowed from a library. Our school system used to have an annual required inservice on the law related to media use in the classroom when I was teaching. We all had to attend and sign off that we understood.

Now, the law says you have to be using it for educational purposes and that it needs to be part of the instructional activity. However, I can guarantee you that every teacher with the possible exception of those fresh out of college knows how to make it look as though there is related instructional activity going on. 

http://libguides.uta.edu/copyright/media

http://www.teachwithmovies.org/copyright.html

Not only does the movie have to be legally obtained it must be used for educational purposes (unless the school has an license to use it for entertainment puproses).  I had experiences at 2 different schools where this was definitely being violated (despite the fact that teachers signed paperwork that they understood this).  When DD was in middle school and, on a frequent basis, was seeing multiple Disney movies at school in a day--Little Mermaid in science, Snow White in PE, Lion King in math....The principal said she had no idea this was happening (which was especially bad given that she had a child in the same classes that DD was in; she was clueless both as a principal and as a parent of what was going on in the classroom.)  When it continued to happen, she said, "Well I told them not to do it, what else do you expect me to do?"  

At another school this was also an issue that parents were complaining about; the response:  "We didn't play the video; a parent was in the room and put the video in and pressed play"

Both of these situations caused me to call into question not only the quality of the academic instruction but the morals and integrity of those in leadership roles.  IMO, this is extremely poor role modeling of behavior for children.  

  

[Lady Florida.]

6 minutes ago, jdahlquist said:

However, I can guarantee you that every teacher with the possible exception of those fresh out of college knows how to make it look as though there is related instructional activity going on. 

That was actually my statement - don't know how it got in your quote. But that's what I wanted to address anyway - the part of my quote you didn't bold.

[nixpix5]

One Halloween a teacher in the high school I was working in showed Coraline and the executive director walked in when the old naked lady in the pasties was dancing and her jaw nearly hit the floor. She allowed the movie to be finished but she was not happy that a parent permission form hadn't gone out. That movie is so creepy. Ghosts, toy creatures being lit on fire, cats eating mice and gushing blood...it just isn't even close to 7 year olds in a class appropriate. It is a far stretch from "Its the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" of my day. One of the creepiest scenes for me was when her alternative universe parents gift her a box with her new eyes to be sewn on. Eesh...disturbing. 

[nixpix5]

56 minutes ago, sassenach said:

I would probably stop calling it a horror movie because in the generally accepted definition of the word, it is not. It comes across as over-reactive. I've dealt with a ton of school administration garbage and I have learned to position myself through my words, actions, and tone of voice to be the most reasonable, well-spoken, emotionally level parent that I have the ability to be. I don't give them any reason to write me off if I can help it. That said,  it was inappropriate and the teacher should be held accountable for exposing your little to the content. PG=PARENTAL guidance for good reason. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coraline_(film)

The first line does indeed refer to it as a horror film. I would also say it fits this criteria

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horror_film

I do agree though, going from the angle of PG is probably how I would approach it. 

 

Edited November 1, 2018 by nixpix5

[Bootsie]

12 minutes ago, Patty Joanna said:

I can't find the post where jdahlquist said something like "any teacher except a newbie can figure out how to make a movie 'instructional'" (not a direct quote...) but here is my response:

YUP.  They are called "hangover lesson plans."  

Truth.

 

Just for clarification--the quote that you are looking for was from Lady Florida, it was not my quote.

[SanDiegoMom]

Wikipedia calls it a horror movie. I think so many people think if you animate something that takes away the impact of the plot or themes and it just doesn't. 

[Lady Florida.]

17 minutes ago, Patty Joanna said:

I can't find the post where jdahlquist said something like "any teacher except a newbie can figure out how to make a movie 'instructional'" (not a direct quote...) but here is my response:

YUP.  They are called "hangover lesson plans."  

Truth.

 

That was me. Somehow when I quoted jdahlquist who had quoted me, I got my quote in a box with her name. ?

[JustEm]

while wikipedia may call it a horror film, multiple movie sources do not..  IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, and even Common Sense Media do not.  

[sassenach]

18 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

while wikipedia may call it a horror film, multiple movie sources do not..  IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, and even Common Sense Media do not.  

Yeah, I don't need to particularly win this debate, but I would not call wikipedia a credible source for defining anything. 

[alisoncooks]

1 hour ago, nixpix5 said:

One Halloween a teacher in the high school I was working in showed Coraline and the executive director walked in when the old naked lady in the pasties was dancing and her jaw nearly hit the floor. 

 IIRC, there was a lot of innuendo with those old ladies and their banter. 

[Kanin]

I love Neil Gaiman as well, but Coraline really freaked me out when I saw it a few years ago. I can't stand that creepy/gross, dark animation. The theme was so sad too! Very scary. I would be very angry if my child saw that movie at school. Did anyone get back to you?

[happi duck]

I heard NG interviewed and he quipped that he wrote Coraline after not being able to find good horror for five year olds.

[happi duck]

Interesting update!

[Katy]

I can't believe she quit.  You must not have been the only parent to complain. Good for you.

[Harriet Vane]

1 minute ago, Katy said:

I can't believe she quit.  You must not have been the only parent to complain. Good for you.

I suspect she never wanted this job in the first place. It was something she settled for as a new grad as a way to get a teaching job on her resume.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

My dd was shown Coraline at about the same age (though she may have been 8.  I don't remember).  She was traumatized!  She's 13 now, and still talks about how horrified she was by that movie.  She refuses to watch it, even now.  She can't believe they showed that movie to young children, some even younger than her.  It was a terrible choice.  

BTW, it was the community center that took the kids on the outing to the local movie theater to see the movie.  There were two choices.  The other choice was more appropriate, but she had seen it before, so she chose Coraline.  No one warned her that it was creepy and violent and scary and traumatizing.  I'm guessing the staff members hadn't seen it either.  People just automatically think animated = kid friendly.  But that is definitely not the case.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Thanks for the update!  What a crazy situation.  Maybe she had already given her resignation at the time she put the movie on and was just "done" and wanted a screen babysitter (not that this excuses the film choice or the behavior).  

I absolutely, 100% agree with you in everything else you said in your update.

 

[MEmama]

19 hours ago, dirty ethel rackham said:

Bravo to that boy.  Unfortunately, school socializes kids to be obedient ... just sit there and accept what those in authority tell them.  I know that, as a kid, it would never have occurred to me to leave ... "good kids" just didn't do that.  

Not true in my son's public high school. Quite the opposite, actually.

We are going through a situation right now which parents and students are not just complaining about, but taking action to remedy (involving a weird circumstance and a substitute). When my son talked with his guidance counsellor, she immediately supported him and took action. She had high praise for his desire to do what's right and make (potentially drastic) changes, and that he was willing to go to her and advocate for his needs.

I know it's off topic, but please don't make disparaging blanket statements like this. It doesn't serve any purpose and is simply false.

On topic...DS and I are PETRIFIED of that movie. That said, we tend to be pretty sensitive and it's obviously a popular and much loved movie (FWIW he was terrified of Finding Nemo when it was shown in his K class, so there's no accounting for what delights one kid and scares another). I have NO PROBLEM with movies shown in class, parties, etc. Kids work hard and can't be expected to all the time (especially seven year olds at Halloween!). Goodness knows we played plenty when we homeschooled, and not all of it was intentionally educational. As a parent of a high achieving Honors student, I would love to see more "fun" built into the school year.

It's typically standard that kids can go to the library or do something else if they want to opt out of an activity like watching a movie. It sounds like the movie choice wasn't the best for that age group, and I agree with speaking up, but since the teacher is gone I'm not sure it's worth pursuing it too much further. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

I have been called in to sub more than once for young first year teachers who just quit with no notice (or almost no notice).  Most of them I never heard of again, but a couple that I did hear of, left teaching all together.  Education classes teach you a lot about making lesson plans and classroom management (in the managing behavior sense) but they don't teach you a lot  about how to manage all the moving parts of a classroom all at once.  And maybe that just comes from experience.  I know that if I started teaching now after being a mom, I would have had a lot easier time juggling everything than when I actually started teaching in my 20's.