Amanda Chance
Eng 101
2nd 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
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
2nd 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
No comments:
Post a Comment