that’s interesting though, I don’t ever remember wanting to covering everything in stickers heh

Instead of shying away from the N-word, for example, they should understand where it came from, what it really means, and why don’t use that term. If they never interact with the word, it’ll be that more tempting to use and abuse. Similarly, if they never get over the shortened version of Richard, what will they do if they have a classmate or co-worker with that name in the real world?

I may be wrong, but that’s how I try to handle controversial issues in my classroom. I find it more productive to face the issue, dismantle it, and defuse its power than to be controlled by it.

Also a formal announcement to the students would be beneficial. Where you tell the class a procedure or “rules” of what to do if they find something they feel uncomfortable with in a book. That way it’s more official and they’ll follow a protocol that you can give them and we won’t run out of stickers inshaAllah.

Assalamu alaikum,

I think that your student’s reaction is OK in some cases and not OK in some other cases. Let’s look at these individualy.

No need to desensitize them to things like pictures in the science book. Imagine if the prophet SWS saw those figures, would he not have shown displeasure? In cases where you truely feel that they are overreacting or perhaps reacting inapropriately, like in case of Richard, tell them to work on cleaning their own heads instead of putting the sticker on and in case of the N word, your response to their over reaction is apropriate.