Final Paper

Amanda Chance

Eng 101

Paper #3

              Being number 25 out of 30 countries doesn’t seem like something America would be doing. Every child in America is raised to believe that this country is the best but when it comes to math and science that is not the case. America is not the best but actually close to the worst. It is hard to believe but it is true. In the documentary, Waiting for Superman, attention is brought to the fact that out of 30 countries America has one of the worst public school systems. Change is not only a must to help our country to become the best, but it is necessary to the future of our country. The most important change the education system needs is to observe each child to help them learn.

             Observation based teaching is using what the child already knows and individually helping them learn more when they are ready. It is given many different names in different organizations that already use it. In the National Association for the Education of Young Children or NAEYC, they call it creative curriculum and it is REQUIRED for a school to have accreditation (NAEYC). In a classroom that already uses this type of method; a group of 24 students in one room is given an assignment. The teacher presents the assignment and then uses the remaining time to help each student work through it. This type of learning requires more than one teacher in the room at a time, usually a primary teacher and an assistant teacher. At each step of learning in the assignment, the teacher helps their students. When a child is struggling it doesn’t take a bad test score at the end of the chapter to learn about it. Instead the teacher is aware of the struggles of each student and helps them overcome them. Using observation style teaching is also very parent involved. Each week the teacher must make an observation about the student. In a younger classroom it can be in language or social development. It can also be in math and science because even young children learn science and math without knowing it. An example observation is “Child A enjoys feeling different types of leaves from outside.” Using observation style also helps the teacher to create a curriculum that is centered on what the child enjoys. Because Child A enjoys leaves, next week the teacher is going to show child A the trees they come off of and present other things to feel. In an older classroom an observation can be “Child B has mastered the quadratic formula” and the curriculum for the next week is “Child B will continue practice for the quadratic formula with introduced new step of negative numbers in the quadratic formula.” These observations are positive and each parent has access to them. Since the teacher is working with each of her 24 students, they can use each individual session to help make observations.

                 Many professionals inside and outside the teaching profession have noticed the problems with the current method of teaching. Even Bill Gates in the documentary Waiting for Superman mentions that there is a problem with finding qualified people for jobs in the United States, from the United States. Big companies are forced to look to other countries just to find people with the skills needed to perform at the expert level. Also in Waiting for Superman, the narrator outlines that fifty years ago the model was 20% of people go to college, 20% go straight into the work force and 60% go to factories and farms. The problem with schools now is they are still developed to produce those percentages. In the “real world” or career world today, most everyone needs college to get a career. For example, fifty years ago, a mechanic was someone who was good with cars and could fix any part without a problem. Today a well-paid mechanic needs to be certified with several different national organizations, has a back ground of working on cars in a professional manner, has experience with computers and probably has an associates or technical degree. Unless a person wants to make minimum wage they need to go to college. Some people may say this isn’t true; a mechanic if they are good can earn a decent living. The fact is that most large chain stores are now requiring their mechanics to become certified and more and more they are also only hiring those with either a college degree or technical schooling. When a person is asked to succeed in life without college it is almost impossible in today’s world.

In every class there are also some students that get frustrated by the kids that are moving quickly through the material. The usual solution is that the teachers use tracking and tests to determine what math, science, and language class that student will be in for the next year. With that method, the children that are labeled as under achievers all get grouped together and are expected to do poorly. In Audre Lordes book, Zami; A New Spelling of My Name, Audre explains that there were two groups in her class room. The groups were of children that did well and children that did not do well, labeled as The Fairies and the Brownies. She writes, “The brownies were never called up to the front of the room we had to read in the anonymity from our double seats, where we scrunched over at the edges…” (4) Instead of this usual method, by using the observation style, the students all get exposed to the same math and stay in the college preparation classes. So by not using tracking each student is exposed and expected to do well in the college preparation classes. By segregating the students based on merit and test scores they are being coerced into not believing that they are smart. By labeling them as “remedial” they are being asked to fail! Some people might ask if the students that are behind will slow down the advanced student. With hard work and dedication to the students, each student can reach their full potential. One of the most important aspects of the observation style of teaching is the amount of one on one attention each student gets.

The Observation style of teaching would force the teachers to spend time with each student. The attention the students get would keep them from having wandering minds, or day dreaming. It keeps the teacher engaged with their students and away from just reading a newspaper in the front of the room. Every subject benefits from this. A student doesn’t need to shy away from asking questions because of being embarrassed. The student doesn’t need to feel stupid for not understanding. Or get the stare down because the other students are ready to move on. Why does homeschooling work? Why do smaller class sizes work? Why does tutoring work? Individual attention is the key to teaching. The observation style of teaching puts the individual attention into the classroom. A reason for a person to doubt this style is because they would argue that a teacher doesn’t have enough time to get around to each of the children. The teachers will make enough time for each of their students but having smaller classes and more than one teacher in the room will help. Others may say that the students won’t be forced to work and will just rely on the teachers to get their work done. This is not true as the student is still required to take tests to ensure they have the knowledge to move on. In a normal school a child enters high school behind in math. They are put into a basic math skills class with other kids of similar talents and if they get a bad grade they aren’t allowed to participate in after school activities and probably are in trouble at home. In this model, the student gets the extra attention they need to catch up with the class. They also stay away from the punishment at home and being kept from after school activities. This model refuses to let children become remedial. In the article, The Banking Concept of Education, Paolo Freire writes, “Their responses to the challenge evokes new challenges, followed by new understandings; and gradually the student’s come to regard themselves as committed,” (4) This is an example of how each child is known to have the knowledge to do well in school. In the movie Waiting for Superman, Geoffrey Canada says that each child will, “…rise to the level of your expectations...” He created the working model for his schools that have completely bridge the normal association between poverty and bad grades. His model incorporates many things that go along with the individual attention each student needs like in the observation model. In another example inWaiting for Superman, a principle at a popular charter school refuses to use tracking as well, 96% of his students graduate ready for college as opposed to public schools 34%. These models for success have worked well in these schools and should be incorporated into public school.

When watching the movie Chalk, you watch a few teachers in a fake school go through their year. It is almost comical to see the similarities between them and the real teachers in the real world. Most of the similarities are bad ones that bring not so fond memories to mind. Everyone has felt neglected by a bad teacher. In one scene the teacher literally says,“Maybe not act so smart when I am teaching…” The changes that are needed in the public school system are numerous, but the single most important change is the Observation style needs to be put into practice. It allows for the students to start achieving in strides. In another article written by John Taylor Gatto, he writes, “If David Farragut could take command of a captured British warships as a pre-teen, if Thomas Edison could publish a broadsheet at the age of twelve, if Ben Franklin could apprentice himself to a printer at the same age…there’s no telling what your own kids could do,” (3). By giving into a new style of teaching in the classroom each child can literally make their dreams come true, whether it be through becoming a doctor an engineer or a mechanic. Children really do rise to the level of your expectations. Let’s stop asking children to fail and start showing them how to succeed.

Works Cited

Chalk: Real teaching Leaves a Mark. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. Dir Mike Akel. Perf. Troy Schremmer, Janelle

Schremmer, Shannon Haragan. SomedaySoon Productions. 2006. DVD
Freire, Paolo. “The Banking Concept of Education.” Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum
Books, 1993.Print.

Gatto, John Taylor. “Against School.”Against School-John Taylor Gatto. Cornell.edu, Sept. 2003. Web

Mar. 2013

Lorde, Audre. Zami; A New Spelling of My Name. Trumansburg, NY: Crossing, 1982. Print.

Waiting For Superman. Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Perf. Geoffrey Canada. Michelle Rhee. Paramount

Vantage, 2010. DVD

Biggest challenge facing k-12 today

There are so many today I just have to say after watching Waiting for Superman, it would have to be the teachers union. I mean it is just absolutely horrible what they are doing to the classroom. Why these rules exist I have no idea. I mean I understand the uses of the unions but to be honest, it just seems so ridiculous. These teachers that are bad, why can't they be fired?? It really doesn't make any sense. I have never been fired from a job before. I have come really close. I was late a lot at my very first job and they told me, "one more time and you are fired" and I was not late again. Doesn't that seem to be a good plan? Give them a chance to improve or they are fired. There is no excuse for putting these "lemons" into the classroom. If that was my child suffering at the hands of a poor excuse for a teacher, and he continued to teach, I would be outraged! It hasn't happened to me yet, and I am still in an outrage because of the others that have already dealt with it. I think the charter schools are fantastic. My own brother went to a charter school and started to learn spanish in the first grade, now he was fluent at 13 years old. He also started to play the violen in first grade. I still rememeber the horrible sounds that came from his bedroom while he practiced at home. His little violen was so tiny, only 1/4 the actual size an adult uses. When my brother was forced to switch school in high school, he was lost in the system. He started to do poorly because he always needed that extra help. He was put into remedial classes, and eventually dropped out of high school. Now at 18 years old my brother believes he will never become anything. He works for a gocery store, he doesn't think he is smart enough to go to college or to get his GED. Where did that mentality come from? He did so well before public school it just makes me sad to think of how far he could have gone. He works hard and is a very great young man. I still have faith that one day he will realise how awesome he really is and reach his full potential.

What Paolo would change

I had a hard time understand what he was saying. He is obviously a very educated and smart man. From the parts that I understood. He believes that the students are asked to basically just memorize everything and not apply them. The relationship between students and teachers is strained and it needs to be changed. He is basically saying get rid of the typically classrooom setting and put these children in the hands on learning style. The "banking concept" refers to the children being asked to learn a bunch of material and just retain it for later use. He wants to get rid of that complety. He suggests, "Problem Posing" as an educational stradegy. Meaning again take the children out of the typically classroom and teach them everything in real time in the real world. I especailly liked when he started talking about one child is always a certain type of learner, he can't become a different type when he needs too. What I picture this as is a classroom that instead of just learning material in the classroom actually does all their learning on field trips. Going into different jobs maybe of the parents of students and actually learning how to do them. If a childs parent is involoved they can show them everything and teach them how to do it easily. The children would see everything in the "real world" it would really stick in their heads. Instead of using the formulas in math to just get an answer they can see how a machine or computer needs those formulas to create something. The results could be absolutely amazing. A child might even figure out where their passions lie through this method much quicker than  waiting all the way until college.

mike rose and Lewis Black

These two men had highly different opinions of the education system. They both are aware that the public schools in America are not very good but how they talk about them is what is really differnt. The opinions differ in how to fix them. I don't think that Lewis Black had a way to fix them. he just basically was just ranting about how idiotic our current system is. He knows there is a problem but Mike Rose was the one with the solution. As far as which person I would prefer to get my information from, it would be Mike Rose. Any one can tell you there is a problem. For example you know your car is broken. it doesn't make you a genius to say "this isn't working" what makes you a genius is having the solution. Even if you make fun of the way it is broken, "the noise it makes is so ridiculous, it sounds like a cat dying," doesn't make you more intellegent. When you know how to fix it and actually fix it is where the genius lays. Mike Rose had a few good ideas but on the whole it really just needs to be fixed. All the ideas are great so lets start putting them together.

Final paper 3

Amanda Chance

Eng 101

Paper #3 

 

               Being number 25 out of 30 countries doesn’t seem like something America would be doing. Every child in America is raised to believe that this country is the best but when it comes to math and science that is not the case. America is not the best but actually close to the worst. It is hard to believe but it is true.  In the documentary, Waiting for Superman, attention is brought to the fact that out of 30 countries America has one of the worst public school systems. Change is not only a must to help our country to become the best, but it is necessary to the future of our country. The most important change the education system needs is to observe each child to help them learn.

                Observation based teaching is using what the child already knows and individually helping them learn more when they are ready. It is given many different names in different organizations that already use it. In the National Association for the Education of Young Children or NAEYC, they call it creative curriculum and it is REQUIRED for a school to have accreditation (NAEYC). In a classroom that already uses this type of method; a group of 24 students in one room is given an assignment.  The teacher presents the assignment and then uses the remaining time to help each student work through it. This type of learning requires more than one teacher in the room at a time, usually a primary teacher and an assistant teacher. At each step of learning in the assignment, the teacher helps their students. When a child is struggling it doesn’t take a bad test score at the end of the chapter to learn about it. Instead the teacher is aware of the struggles of each student and helps them overcome them. Using observation style teaching is also very parent involved. Each week the teacher must make an observation about the student. In a younger classroom it can be in language or social development. It can also be in math and science because even young children learn science and math without knowing it. An example observation is “Child A enjoys feeling different types of leaves from outside.”  Using observation style also helps the teacher to create a curriculum that is centered on what the child enjoys. Because Child A enjoys leaves, next week the teacher is going to show child A the trees they come off of and present other things to feel. In an older classroom an observation can be “Child B has mastered the quadratic formula” and the curriculum for the next week is “Child B will continue practice for the quadratic formula with introduced new step of negative numbers in the quadratic formula.” These observations are positive and each parent has access to them. Since the teacher is working with each of her 24 students, they can use each individual session to help make observations.

                Many professionals inside and outside the teaching profession have noticed the problems with the current method of teaching. Even Bill Gates in the documentary Waiting for Superman mentions that there is a problem with finding qualified people for jobs in the United States, from the United States. Big companies are forced to look to other countries just to find people with the skills needed to perform at the expert level.  Also in Waiting for Superman, the narrator outlines that fifty years ago the model was 20% of people go to college, 20% go straight into the work force and 60% go to factories and farms.  The problem with schools now is they are still developed to produce those percentages.  In the “real world” or career world today, most everyone needs college to get a career. For example, fifty years ago, a mechanic was someone who was good with cars and could fix any part without a problem. Today a well-paid mechanic needs to be certified with several different national organizations, has a back ground of working on cars in a professional manner, has experience with computers and probably has an associates or technical degree. Unless a person wants to make minimum wage they need to go to college. Some people may say this isn’t true; a mechanic if they are good can earn a decent living. The fact is that most large chain stores are now requiring their mechanics to become certified and more and more they are also only hiring those with either a college degree or technical schooling. When a person is asked to succeed in life without college it is almost impossible in today’s world.  

 In every class there are also some students that get frustrated by the kids that are moving quickly through the material. The usual solution is that the teachers use tracking and tests to determine what math, science, and language class that student will be in for the next year. With that method, the children that are labeled as under achievers all get grouped together and are expected to do poorly.  In Audre Lordes book, Zami; A New Spelling of My Name, Audre explains that there were two groups in her class room. The groups were of children that did well and children that did not do well, labeled as The Fairies and the Brownies.  She writes, “The brownies were never called up to the front of the room we had to read in the anonymity from our double seats, where we scrunched over at the edges…” (4) Instead of this usual method, by using the observation style, the students all get exposed to the same math and stay in the college preparation classes. So by not using tracking each student is exposed and expected to do well in the college preparation classes. By segregating the students based on merit and test scores they are being coerced into not believing that they are smart. By labeling them as “remedial” they are being asked to fail! Some people might ask if the students that are behind will slow down the advanced student. With hard work and dedication to the students, each student can reach their full potential. One of the most important aspects of the observation style of teaching is the amount of one on one attention each student gets.

The Observation style of teaching would force the teachers to spend time with each student. The attention the students get would keep them from having wandering minds, or day dreaming. It keeps the teacher engaged with their students and away from just reading a newspaper in the front of the room. Every subject benefits from this. A student doesn’t need to shy away from asking questions because of being embarrassed. The student doesn’t need to feel stupid for not understanding. Or get the stare down because the other students are ready to move on.  Why does homeschooling work? Why do smaller class sizes work? Why does tutoring work? Individual attention is the key to teaching. The observation style of teaching puts the individual attention into the classroom.  A reason for a person to doubt this style is because they would argue that a teacher doesn’t have enough time to get around to each of the children. The teachers will make enough time for each of their students but having smaller classes and more than one teacher in the room will help. Others may say that the students won’t be forced to work and will just rely on the teachers to get their work done. This is not true as the student is still required to take tests to ensure they have the knowledge to move on. In a normal school a child enters high school behind in math.  They are put into a basic math skills class with other kids of similar talents and if they get a bad grade they aren’t allowed to participate in after school activities and probably are in trouble at home.  In this model, the student gets the extra attention they need to catch up with the class. They also stay away from the punishment at home and being kept from after school activities. This model refuses to let children become remedial. In the article, The Banking Concept of Education, Paolo Freire writes, “Their responses to the challenge evokes new challenges, followed by new understandings; and gradually the student’s come to regard themselves as committed,” (4) This is an example of how each child is known to have the knowledge to do well in school.  In the movie Waiting for Superman, Geoffrey Canada says that each child will, “…rise to the level of your expectations...”  He created the working model for his schools that have completely bridge the normal association between poverty and bad grades. His model incorporates many things that go along with the individual attention each student needs like in the observation model. In another example in Waiting for Superman, a principle at a popular charter school refuses to use tracking as well, 96% of his students graduate ready for college as opposed to public schools 34%.  These models for success have worked well in these schools and should be incorporated into public school.

When watching the movie Chalk, you watch a few teachers in a fake school go through their year. It is almost comical to see the similarities between them and the real teachers in the real world. Most of the similarities are bad ones that bring not so fond memories to mind. Everyone has felt neglected by a bad teacher. In one scene the teacher literally says, “Maybe not act so smart when I am teaching…” The changes that are needed in the public school system are numerous, but the single most important change is the Observation style needs to be put into practice. It allows for the students to start achieving in strides. In another article written by John Taylor Gatto, he writes, “If David Farragut could take command of a captured British warships as a pre-teen, if Thomas Edison could publish a broadsheet at the age of twelve, if Ben Franklin could apprentice himself to a printer at the same age…there’s no telling what your own kids could do,” (3).  By giving into a new style of teaching in the classroom each child can literally make their dreams come true, whether it be through becoming a doctor an engineer or a mechanic.  Children really do rise to the level of your expectations. Let’s stop asking children to fail and start showing them how to succeed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                Works Cited

Chalk: Real teaching Leaves a Mark. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. Dir Mike Akel. Perf. Troy Schremmer, Janelle

Schremmer, Shannon Haragan. SomedaySoon Productions. 2006. DVD
Freire, Paolo. “The Banking Concept of Education.” Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum     
 Books, 1993.Print.

Gatto, John Taylor. “Against School.” Against School-John Taylor Gatto. Cornell.edu, Sept. 2003. Web

 Mar. 2013

 Lorde, Audre. Zami; A New Spelling of My Name. Trumansburg, NY: Crossing, 1982. Print.

 Waiting For Superman. Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Perf. Geoffrey Canada. Michelle Rhee. Paramount

Vantage, 2010. DVD

rough daft 3

Amanda Chance

Eng 101

Paper #3

                Being number 23 out of 30 countries doesn’t seem like something America would be doing. Every child in America is raised to believe that this country is the best. When it comes to math and science that is not the case America is not the best but actually close to the worst. It is hard to believe but it is true. Out of 30 countries America has one of the worst public school systems. Change is not only a must to help our country to become the best, but it is necessary to the future of our country. The most important change the education system needs is to use observation of each child to help them learn.

                Observation based teaching is using what the child already knows and individually helping them learn more when they are ready.  In a classroom that already uses this type of method; a group of 24 students in one room is given an assignment.  The teacher presents the assignment and then uses the remaining time to help each student work through it. This type of learning requires more than one teacher in the room at a time, usually a primary teacher and an assistant teacher. At each step of learning in the assignment, the teacher helps her students. When a child is struggling it doesn’t take a bad test score at the end of the chapter to learn it. Instead the teacher is aware of the struggles of each student and helps them overcome them. Using observation style teaching is also very parent involved. Each week the teacher must make an observation about the student. In a younger classroom it can be in language development or social. It can also be in math and science. Even young children learn science and math without knowing it. “Child A enjoys feeling different types of leaves from outside” is a good example.  Using observation style also helps the teacher to create a curriculum that is centered on what the child enjoys. Because Child A enjoys leaves, next week the teacher is going to show child A the trees they come off of and present other things to feel. In an older classroom and observation can be “Child B has mastered the quadratic formula” and the curriculum for the next week is “Child B will continue practice for the quadratic formula with introduced new step of negative numbers in the quadratic formula.” these observations are positive and each parent has access to them. Since the teacher is working with each of her 24 students, she can use each individual session to help make observations.  Many professionals inside and outside the teaching profession have noticed the problems with the current method of teaching.

Even Bill Gates in the documentary Waiting for Superman mentions that there is a problem with finding qualified people for jobs in the United States, from the United States. Big companies are forced to look to other countries just to find people with the skills needed to perform at the expert level.  Also in waiting for superman, the narrator outlines that fifty years ago the model was 20% of people go to college, 20% go straight into the work force and 60% go to factories and farms.  The problem with schools now is they are still developed to produce those percentages.  In the “real world” or career world today most everyone needs college to get a career. For example, fifty years ago, a mechanic was someone who was good with cars and could fix any part without a problem. Today a well-paid mechanic needs to be certified with several different national organizations, has a back ground of working on cars in a professional manner, has experience with computers and probably has an associates or technical degree. Unless a person wants to make minimum wage they need to go to college. Some people may say this isn’t true; a mechanic if they are good can earn a decent living. The fact is that most large chain stores are now requiring their mechanics to become certified and more and more they are also only hiring those with either a college degree or technical schooling. When a person is asked to succeed in life without college it is in today’s world almost impossible. Observation based teaching is using what the child already knows and individually helping them learn more when they are ready.

When a child is ready to move on the usually slew of other students holding them back is frustrating. In every class there are also some students that get frustrated by the kids that are moving quickly through the material. The usual solution is that the teachers use tracking and tests to determine what math, science, and language class that student will be in for the next year. With that method, the children that are labeled as under achievers all get grouped together and are expected to do poorly. Instead of this usual method, by using the observation style, the students all get exposed to the same math and stay in the college preparation classes. So by not using tracking each student is exposed and expected to do well in the college preparation classes. By segregating the students based on merit and test scores they are being coerced into not believing that they are smart. By labeling them as “remedial” they are being asked to fail! Some might ask if the students that are behind will slow down the advanced student. With hard work and dedication to the students, each student can reach their full potential. One of the most important aspects of the observation style of teaching is the amount of one on one attention each student gets.

This style of teaching would force the teachers to spend time with each student. The attention the students get would keep them from having wandering minds, or day dreaming. It keeps the teacher engaged with their students and away from just reading a newspaper in the front of the room. Every subject benefits from this. A student doesn’t need to shy away from asking questions because of being embarrassed. The student doesn’t need to feel stupid for not understanding. Or get the stare down because the other students are ready to move on.  Why does homeschooling work? Why do smaller class sizes work? Why does tutoring work? Individual attention is the key to teaching. The observation style of teaching puts the individual attention into the classroom.  A reason for a person to doubt this style is because they would argue that a teacher doesn’t have enough time to get around to each of the children. The teachers will make enough time for each of their students but having smaller classes and more than one teacher in the room will help. Others may say that the students won’t be forced to work and will just rely on the teachers to get their work done. This is not true in this case because the student is still required to take tests to ensure they have the knowledge to move on. If in a normal school a child enters high school behind in math, they are put into a basic math skills class with other kids of similar talents. In most schools if they get a bad grade they aren’t allowed to participate in after school activities and they probably are in trouble at home.  In this model, the student gets the extra attention they need to catch up with the class. They also stay away from the punishment at home and from after school activities. This model refuses to let children become “remedial” In the movie Waiting for Superman, Geoffrey Canada says that each child will rise to the level of your expectations. He created the working model for his schools that have completely bridge the normal association between poverty and bad grades. His model incorporates many things that go along with the individual attention each student needs like in the observation model. In another example in Waiting for superman, a principle at a popular charter school refuses tracking as well, 96% of his students graduate ready for college as opposed to public schools 34%.  These models for success have worked well in these schools and should be incorporated into public school.

When watching the movie Chalk, you watch a few teachers in a fake school go through their year. It is almost comical to see the similarities between them and the real teachers in the real world. Most of the similarities are bad ones that bring not so fond memories to mind. Everyone has felt neglected by a bad teacher. The changes that are needed in the public school system are numerous, but the single most important change is the Observation style needs to be put into practice. It allows for the students to start achieving in strides. Without it, the children will the stuck thinking that they aren’t  smart enough for things and can’t achieve what they want in life. By giving into a new style of teaching in the classroom each child can literally make their dreams come true, whether it be through becoming a doctor an engineer or a mechanic.  Children rise to the level of your expectations. Let’s stop asking children to fail and start showing them how to succeed.

brainstorming

What should change in schools,

teachers training.

Teachers should be making observations on each child weekly.

Teachers should create specific curriculum in the areas that the child needs to improve on or the areas they are advancing in.

Teachers need constant training and retraining.

Going to training once a month every month with trainers that must stay accredited  through a national level.

Having the teachers get uninterrupted observations once a month and have training targeted to the areas they need to improve or advance in.

Start in preschool

Have different teachers for different subjects but one teacher that is always with the class.

Have creativity be the standard that everything is based off of.

ASK THE CHILDREN what they are interested in learning about.

Engage the children in talking about home life. Animals, family members, vacations, after school sports, create a relationship with the child.

Eat meals with the children

paper 2

Amanda Chance

Eng 101

2^nd Paper            

 

                If you have ever been in school, you know the dreary of having a teacher that doesn’t care. You have felt the pain of, “Open your books to page 224 and read silently until the end of class. Your homework is on the board” In every single school around the country there is a teacher that fits that description. What each school does not have is a teacher that breaks the mold and shows a student the thrill of learning. A good teacher is a teacher that involves themselves in not only teaching a student a subject but also helps them acquire the tools they need to become successful in life. Two teachers that meet this definition are Mr. Jaime Escalante of the movie Stand and Deliver, and Ms. Catherine Watson of the movie Mona Lisa Smile.

Each teacher had their own way of achieving their goals. They were admired and loved by their students while earning their respect. It is easy to compare them both to what a great teacher should be.  Also with knowing what they did differently it helps to understand how they could have improved their teaching methods, in whatever slight way.  A great teacher is easy to define with the help of professionals, especially if the professionals have college degrees and personal experiences. Dan Brown is a teaching ambassador fellow from the US Department of education (Brown 2). He has the knowledge and resources to clearly understand what makes a good teacher. He has several different criteria that help to give definition to a great teacher.  He mentions specifically a teacher needs supportive staff around them (Brown 2).  Not just in the way that they say “great job” but also are offered constructive criticism and helps the teacher develop the skills they need.  Dan Brown also outlines the importance of being active in the school not just in the classroom. He specifically says on page two of his criteria that, “Going to a volleyball game and cheering your face off can sometimes make a world of difference,” (Brown 2) It is very easy to see how that would make a student want to do well inside the classroom. There isn’t a limit to the importance of supporting your students.  The most important part of Dan Browns criteria for a great teacher is motivation. He mentions that just getting the students to perform their best on a daily basis is a constant battle. It is safe to say that without dedication there is no reason for a teacher to even teach. Dan Brown uses the phrase, “tremendous dedication,” (Brown 2) Maybe one important thing not mentioned by Dan Brown is that teaching also involves creativity.

                Sir Ken Robinson is an expert on creativity. In a news release from September of 2007 from Portland community college, he explores just how important it is to incorporate creativity into the classroom. Sir Ken Robinson blames the lack of creativity in the classroom as being the reason the US is behind the rest of the world (Robinson 1). Creativity is a huge part of learning. Motivating the students on a daily basis is much easier if the teacher would incorporate some creativity. Sir Ken Robinson knows the importance of creativity in the classroom. He spent 12 years teaching how to be a teacher at the University of Warwick, which is located in the United Kingdom, now he works in the United States with all sorts of different companies (Robinson 1). All of which use creativity to spur their growth. It is easy to see how well the amount of creativity mentioned by Sir Ken Robinson is used to encourage learning by both of the teachers and it is easy to see how both teachers meet the criteria mentioned by Dan Brown.

                Mr. Jaime Escalante and Ms. Catherine Watson are both teachers in their first year of teaching. They meet the conditions outlined by Dan Brown and by Sir Ken Robinson in several different ways. In one particular scene Catherine Watson is shown attending an after school dance party with the girls in the movie Mona Lisa Smile. This shows her dedication outside the classroom. She also attends the beginning of the year festivities where the girls engage themselves in silly traditional costumes and run races. In another scene she even goes to a secret society meeting with the girls of her class. It is no wonder the girls respect her so much when she gives so much of her time and opinions to her students. Catherine Watson is also very creative. She constantly keeps the students interested by asking them what they think about different types of art instead of just reading from a text book. In one particular scene, she takes the students to what looks like an abandoned warehouse that is full of modern art being unloaded from boxes. The assignment is to just “look” at the biggest piece of art in the room. You can see the awe in some of the students faces. Her level of dedication is definitely high. Her whole life revolves around her classroom. In her office you see all her ideas everywhere in various stages of chaos. This shows how passionate she is about her subject.  Almost the exact opposite would be the supremely organized Mr. Jaime Escalante of the movie Stand and Deliver. He teaches a math class for the remedial students. He is the perfect picture of organized.  He meets the criteria in much of the same ways.  In Dan Browns article, “What Makes a Good Teacher,” the writer identifies several standards that Mr. Escalante meets. The one that is most easily identified would be “trying to get the most out of them day in and day out,” (Brown 2). Jaime Escalante uses humor and his knowledge of the student’s culture to get the most out of his students. In one particular scene he actually creates a word problem using “Gigolos” and “girlfriends” as the subjects and actually asks the principle for gigolos to come in for visual learning.  He also fits through his dedication to the students. Not only does he work through a heart attack, he gives his summer and his nights during the regular school year to his students. His level of dedication proves how much he cares about his math students. Both teachers care deeply for the students in their classes. It is easy to see how much they sacrifice even if it is in slightly different ways.

                The difference in their teaching styles benefits the culture of the students and also the time that they are teaching in. Even though they had some differences, both teachers still were great at their jobs. The ways in which each teacher earned the respect of their students was different. Ms. Watson earned it through treating the students like peers, and valuing their opinions. Mr. Escalante earned the respect through fear and humor. Mr. Escalante did not back down when the gang member students came into the class to try and intimidate him. Ms. Watson was greatly intimidated by her students on the first day when they all knew all of the answers and had already read the text book. Ms. Watson was not from the same cultural back ground as her students, whereas Mr. Escalante was. He had the advantage of speaking the same language as his students as well as understands their ways of living. Ms. Watson did not have that advantage and as well as moving from across the country she was thrust into a new way of life. These things made each of these teachers play a big part in each of the student’s lives.

                The greatest teachers in anyone’s life are the ones that create a profound impact. They teach with all the patience of a parent and all the knowledge of an accomplished learner. Both Ms. Watson and Mr. Escalante show their patience continuously through their movies. They show how being involved and dedicated creates students that return those favors. The standards that Dan Brown outlines and the creativity that Sir Ken Robinson mentions are both met by each of the teachers.  A good teacher is a teacher that involves themselves in not only teaching a student a subject but also helps them acquire the tools they need to become successful in life. Each teacher did just that with their students and it is very obvious how successful they were at teaching. Throughout any student’s life, they can only hope to be so lucky as the classes of Mr. Jaime Escalante and Ms. Catherine Watson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Brown, Dan. “What Makes A Great Teacher” http://wj.la/TEqyRv79397.html. 8-31-2012.

Robinson, Sir Ken. “Sir Ken Robinson Explores Creative Revolution” US Fed News Service, Including US State News, Washington DC. 9-17-2007.

Mona Lisa Smile. Revolution Studios. 3-4-2003

Stand and Deliver. Warner Bros. 4-11-1988

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amanda Chance

Eng 101

2^nd Paper            

 

                If you have ever been in school, you know the dreary of having a teacher that doesn’t care. You have felt the pain of, “Open your books to page 224 and read silently until the end of class. Your homework is on the board” In every single school around the country there is a teacher that fits that description. What each school does not have is a teacher that breaks the mold and shows a student the thrill of learning. A good teacher is a teacher that involves themselves in not only teaching a student a subject but also helps them acquire the tools they need to become successful in life. Two teachers that meet this definition are Mr. Jaime Escalante of the movie Stand and Deliver, and Ms. Catherine Watson of the movie Mona Lisa Smile.

Each teacher had their own way of achieving their goals. They were admired and loved by their students while earning their respect. It is easy to compare them both to what a great teacher should be.  Also with knowing what they did differently it helps to understand how they could have improved their teaching methods, in whatever slight way.  A great teacher is easy to define with the help of professionals, especially if the professionals have college degrees and personal experiences. Dan Brown is a teaching ambassador fellow from the US Department of education (Brown 2). He has the knowledge and resources to clearly understand what makes a good teacher. He has several different criteria that help to give definition to a great teacher.  He mentions specifically a teacher needs supportive staff around them (Brown 2).  Not just in the way that they say “great job” but also are offered constructive criticism and helps the teacher develop the skills they need.  Dan Brown also outlines the importance of being active in the school not just in the classroom. He specifically says on page two of his criteria that, “Going to a volleyball game and cheering your face off can sometimes make a world of difference,” (Brown 2) It is very easy to see how that would make a student want to do well inside the classroom. There isn’t a limit to the importance of supporting your students.  The most important part of Dan Browns criteria for a great teacher is motivation. He mentions that just getting the students to perform their best on a daily basis is a constant battle. It is safe to say that without dedication there is no reason for a teacher to even teach. Dan Brown uses the phrase, “tremendous dedication,” (Brown 2) Maybe one important thing not mentioned by Dan Brown is that teaching also involves creativity.

                Sir Ken Robinson is an expert on creativity. In a news release from September of 2007 from Portland community college, he explores just how important it is to incorporate creativity into the classroom. Sir Ken Robinson blames the lack of creativity in the classroom as being the reason the US is behind the rest of the world (Robinson 1). Creativity is a huge part of learning. Motivating the students on a daily basis is much easier if the teacher would incorporate some creativity. Sir Ken Robinson knows the importance of creativity in the classroom. He spent 12 years teaching how to be a teacher at the University of Warwick, which is located in the United Kingdom, now he works in the United States with all sorts of different companies (Robinson 1). All of which use creativity to spur their growth. It is easy to see how well the amount of creativity mentioned by Sir Ken Robinson is used to encourage learning by both of the teachers and it is easy to see how both teachers meet the criteria mentioned by Dan Brown.

                Mr. Jaime Escalante and Ms. Catherine Watson are both teachers in their first year of teaching. They meet the conditions outlined by Dan Brown and by Sir Ken Robinson in several different ways. In one particular scene Catherine Watson is shown attending an after school dance party with the girls in the movie Mona Lisa Smile. This shows her dedication outside the classroom. She also attends the beginning of the year festivities where the girls engage themselves in silly traditional costumes and run races. In another scene she even goes to a secret society meeting with the girls of her class. It is no wonder the girls respect her so much when she gives so much of her time and opinions to her students. Catherine Watson is also very creative. She constantly keeps the students interested by asking them what they think about different types of art instead of just reading from a text book. In one particular scene, she takes the students to what looks like an abandoned warehouse that is full of modern art being unloaded from boxes. The assignment is to just “look” at the biggest piece of art in the room. You can see the awe in some of the students faces. Her level of dedication is definitely high. Her whole life revolves around her classroom. In her office you see all her ideas everywhere in various stages of chaos. This shows how passionate she is about her subject.  Almost the exact opposite would be the supremely organized Mr. Jaime Escalante of the movie Stand and Deliver. He teaches a math class for the remedial students. He is the perfect picture of organized.  He meets the criteria in much of the same ways.  In Dan Browns article, “What Makes a Good Teacher,” the writer identifies several standards that Mr. Escalante meets. The one that is most easily identified would be “trying to get the most out of them day in and day out,” (Brown 2). Jaime Escalante uses humor and his knowledge of the student’s culture to get the most out of his students. In one particular scene he actually creates a word problem using “Gigolos” and “girlfriends” as the subjects and actually asks the principle for gigolos to come in for visual learning.  He also fits through his dedication to the students. Not only does he work through a heart attack, he gives his summer and his nights during the regular school year to his students. His level of dedication proves how much he cares about his math students. Both teachers care deeply for the students in their classes. It is easy to see how much they sacrifice even if it is in slightly different ways.

                The difference in their teaching styles benefits the culture of the students and also the time that they are teaching in. Even though they had some differences, both teachers still were great at their jobs. The ways in which each teacher earned the respect of their students was different. Ms. Watson earned it through treating the students like peers, and valuing their opinions. Mr. Escalante earned the respect through fear and humor. Mr. Escalante did not back down when the gang member students came into the class to try and intimidate him. Ms. Watson was greatly intimidated by her students on the first day when they all knew all of the answers and had already read the text book. Ms. Watson was not from the same cultural back ground as her students, whereas Mr. Escalante was. He had the advantage of speaking the same language as his students as well as understands their ways of living. Ms. Watson did not have that advantage and as well as moving from across the country she was thrust into a new way of life. These things made each of these teachers play a big part in each of the student’s lives.

                The greatest teachers in anyone’s life are the ones that create a profound impact. They teach with all the patience of a parent and all the knowledge of an accomplished learner. Both Ms. Watson and Mr. Escalante show their patience continuously through their movies. They show how being involved and dedicated creates students that return those favors. The standards that Dan Brown outlines and the creativity that Sir Ken Robinson mentions are both met by each of the teachers.  A good teacher is a teacher that involves themselves in not only teaching a student a subject but also helps them acquire the tools they need to become successful in life. Each teacher did just that with their students and it is very obvious how successful they were at teaching. Throughout any student’s life, they can only hope to be so lucky as the classes of Mr. Jaime Escalante and Ms. Catherine Watson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Brown, Dan. “What Makes A Great Teacher” http://wj.la/TEqyRv79397.html. 8-31-2012.

Robinson, Sir Ken. “Sir Ken Robinson Explores Creative Revolution” US Fed News Service, Including US State News, Washington DC. 9-17-2007.

Mona Lisa Smile. Revolution Studios. 3-4-2003

Stand and Deliver. Warner Bros. 4-11-1988

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paper 2 rough draft

Amanda Chance

Eng 101

2^nd Paper            

                  If you have ever been in school, you know the dreary of having a teacher that doesn’t care. You have felt the pain of, “Open your books to page 224 and read silently until the end of class. Your homework is on the board” In every single school around the country there is a teacher that fits that description. What each school does not have is a teacher that breaks the mold and shows a student the thrill of learning. A good teacher is a teacher that involves themselves in not only teaching a student a subject but also helps them acquire the tools they need to become successful in life. Two teachers that meet this definition are Mr. Jaime Escalante of the movie Stand and Deliver, and Ms. Catherine Watson of the movie Mona Lisa Smile. Each teacher had their own way of achieving their goals. They were admired and loved by their students while earning their respect. It is easy to compare them both to what a great teacher should be.  Also with knowing what they did differently it helps to understand how they could have improved their teaching methods, in whatever slight way.  A great teacher is easy to define with the help of professionals, especially if the professionals have degrees and personal experiences.

                Dan Brown is a teaching ambassador fellow from the US Department of education (Brown 2). He has the knowledge and resources to clearly understand what makes a good teacher. He has several different criteria that help to give definition to a great teacher.  He mentions specifically a teacher needs supportive staff around them (Brown 2).  Not just in the way that they say “great job” but they the staff offers constructive criticism and helps the teacher develop the skills they need.  Dan Brown also outlines the importance of being active in the school not just in the classroom. He specifically says on page two of his criteria that, “Going to a volleyball game and cheering your face off can sometimes make a world of difference,” (Brown 2) It is very easy to see how that would make a student want to do well inside the classroom. There isn’t a limit to the importance of supporting your students.  The most important part of Dan Browns criteria for a great teacher is motivation. He mentions that just getting the students to perform their best on a daily basis is a constant battle. It is safe to say that without dedication there is no reason for a teacher to even teach. Dan Brown uses the phrase, “tremendous dedication,” (Brown 2) there are many personalities that make for a great teacher but with the criteria outlined by Dan Brown, it is not everyone that should make teaching their career. Maybe one important thing not mentioned by Dan Brown is that teaching also involves creativity.

                Sir Ken Robinson is an expert on creativity. In a news release from September of 2007 from Portland community college, he explores just how important it is to incorporate creativity into the classroom. Sir Ken Robinson blames the lack of creativity in the classroom as being the reason the US is behind the rest of the world (Robinson 1). Creativity is a huge part of learning. Motivating the students on a daily basis is much easier if the teacher would incorporate some creativity. Sir Ken Robinson knows the importance of creativity in the classroom. He spent 12 years teaching how to be a teacher at the University of Warwick, which is located in the United Kingdom, now he works in the United States with all sorts of different companies (Robinson 1). All of which use creativity to spur their growth. Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson both show an ample amount of creativity in their teaching styles. It is easy to see how well the amount of creativity mentioned by Sir Ken Robinson is used to encourage learning by both of the teachers and it is easy to see how both teachers meet the criteria mentioned by Dan Brown.

                Mr. Jaime Escalante and Ms. Catherine Watson are both teachers in their first year of teaching. They meet the criteria outlined by Dan Brown and by Sir Ken Robinson in several different ways. In one particular scene Catherine Watson is shown attending an after school dance party with the girls in the movie Mona Lisa Smile. This shows her dedication outside the classroom. She also attends the beginning of the year festivities where the girls engage themselves in silly traditional costumes and run races. In another scene she even goes to a secret society meeting with the girls of her class. It is no wonder the girls respect her so much when she gives so much of her time and opinions to her students. Catherine Watson is also very creative. She constantly keeps the students interested by asking them what they think about different types of art instead of just reading from a text book. In one particular scene, she takes the students to what looks like an abandoned warehouse that is full of modern art being unloaded from boxes. The assignment is to just “look” at the biggest piece of art in the room. You can see the awe in some of the students faces. Her level of dedication is definitely high. Her whole life revolves around her classroom. In her office you see all her ideas everywhere in various stages of unorganized chaos. Almost the exact opposite would be Mr. Jaime Escalante of the movie Stand and Deliver. He teaches a math class for the remedial students. He is the perfect picture of organized.  He meets the criteria in much of the same ways.  In Dan Browns article, “What Makes a Good Teacher,” the writer identifies several criteria that Mr. Escalante meets. The one that is most easily identified would be “trying to get the most out of them day in and day out,” (Brown 2) meaning getting the most out of the students. Jaime Escalante uses humor and his knowledge of the student’s culture to get the most out of his students. In one particular scene he actually creates a word problem using “Gigolos” and “girlfriends” as the subjects and actually asks the principle for gigolos to come in for visual learning.  He also fits through his dedication to the students. Not only does he work through a heart attack, he gives his summer and his nights during the regular school year to his students. His level of dedication is so intense his personal life becomes more chaotic. His Wife is unhappy at home as are his two children. His level of dedication proves how much he cares about his math students. Both teachers care deeply for the students in their classes. It is easy to see how much they sacrifice even if it is in slightly different ways.

                The difference in their teaching styles benefits the culture of the students and also the time that they are teaching in. The ways in which each teacher earned the respect of their students was different. Ms. Watson earned it through treating the students like peers, and valuing their opinions. Mr. Escalante earned the respect through fear and humor. Mr. Escalante did not back down when the gang member students came into the class to try and intimidate him. Ms. Watson was greatly intimidated by her students on the first day when they all knew all of the answers and had already read the text book. Ms. Watson was not from the same cultural back ground as her students , whereas Mr. Escalante was. He had the advantage of speaking the same language as his students as well as understands their ways of living. Ms. Watson did not have that advantage and as well as moving from across the country she was thrust into a new way of life. It is very interesting to see how they use those differences and advantages to become great teachers.

                The greatest teachers in anyone’s life are the ones that create a profound impact. They teach with all the patience of a parent and all the knowledge of an accomplished learner. Both Ms. Watson and Mr. Escalante show their patience continuously through their movies. They show how being involved and dedicated creates students that return those favors. The criteria that Dan Brown outlines and the creativity that Sir Ken Robinson mentions are both met by each of the teachers.  . A good teacher is a teacher that involves themselves in not only teaching a student a subject but also helps them acquire the tools they need to become successful in life. Each teacher did just that with their students and it is very obvious how successful they were at teaching. Throughout any student’s life, they can only hope to be so lucky as the classes of Mr. Jaime Escalante and Ms. Catherine Watson.

 

 

 

Works Cited

Brown, Dan. “What Makes A Great Teacher” http://wj.la/TEqyRv79397.html. 8-31-2012.

Robinson, Sir Ken. “Sir Ken Robinson Explores Creative Revolution” US Fed News Service, Including US State News, Washington DC. 9-17-2007.

Mona Lisa Smile. Revolution Studios. 3-4-2003

Stand and Deliver. Warner Bros. 4-11-1988