Day 123: Teacher Fail

I really should have known better.  Really.

Remember I told you about the animal report projects I assigned to my students?  And about the web sites I gave for research? On the letter I updated and printed in a hurry because I only had a 30-minute break that day? Yeah, well, there was a problem.

The day after I sent home the projects, I received an e-mail from one of my parents stating that one of the sites was showing inappropriate content for children.  She wasn't angry or anything, but thought I should know so I could warn the other parents.  I will not go into what content, but I think you know where I am going with this.  Anyhow, I checked the site and sure enough, what I read there made me blush.

Insert thought here: Oh no.  (Along with a monster-sized panic attack, stomach flip flops, a cold sweat, and an overpowering feeling of doom.)

Insert second thought here:  WHAT happened?

Well, it seems that the nature site I have used for the past three years has either been bought by a new owner or hijacked by someone.  (I'm thinking the latter because the information used by my students in the past was still there, but there was what appeared to be chat boxes all over the page, like new search windows.  These boxes held the questionable and rather disturbing content.)

Insert third thought here:  FIX IT! NOW! BEFORE OTHER PARENTS GO TO THE SITE AND SEE THE CONTENT AND THINK YOU'RE AN IDIOT TEACHER FOR EXPOSING THEIR CHILDREN TO SUCH FILTH AND RALLY TO HAVE YOU FIRED! (Not sure they would go that far, but it really was a pitchforks and torches moment in my mind.)

SO...
I sent out an emergency e-mail to all of my parents explaining what happened and taking full responsibility.  I also sent them a replacement link (which I tested before I sent).  I also had my students copy a note in their planners, telling the parents to avoid the one site and use the other.  No issues since.

Catastrophe averted. Pitchforks and torches stored safely away.

Lesson learned. I will be sure to double check the websites before I assign them for use.  I usually do, especially if it is something we are doing together in class.  I was simply in a rush and didn't take that extra step.  Totally my fault.  Won't happen again. 

Like I said, lesson learned.