Essay #2 - Final Draft

What exactly makes a good teacher? Their ability to cram knowledge into kids skulls? Or is it judged by how nice they can be? To some, it is determined by how professional of a relationship teachers keep with their students, and how much the teacher is willing to share about themselves to their class, as seen by Ms Watson (from Mona Lisa Smile) and my old French teacher, Mme Haveman.

The major thing Ms Watson and Mme Haveman have in common is that they are both very strict teachers. Neither of them takes any nonsense from their students, which is surprising considering they were both new teachers to their schools. Being a new teacher at a high school can be a pretty terrifying thing, so Ms Watson did let her girls get to her on her first day of Art History when they purposefully tried to make her drop her own class. But, she soon gained her footing by scrapping the syllabus, surprising her girls with what then was considered ‘grotesque art’, and aimed to teach her girls about more than just paintings and their artists. Mme Haveman never seemed to let her students get to her, no matter how mean they were to her. She always kept a straight face and told everyone to do what they were told, even when her students where outright being mean to her face. Haveman never let that bother her (or at least show her students that it bothered her) because she knew she was a good teacher. Petty words would not keep her down.

Another thing both teachers had in common was that they were both very dedicated to their work and beliefs. Ms Watson was dedicated to the progression of women and trying to change the way they think about their futures.  Ms Watson was so dedicated that when the Headmistress of her school wanted to approve every single lesson Watson was going to teach in the upcoming year, she left. Being restricted like that, restricted in trying to show girls that marriage is not their only option, was not what she wanted. Watson also was so devoted to her students that when she found out Joan would be giving up law school; she fought for Joan to attend. Even though Watson lost that fight, it still shows that she wanted so badly to see her girls strive for the same things she did – the advancement of women being equal to men. Mme Haveman was very dedicated in teaching her students the French language and culture. Mme Haveman was so committed to the French culture that her students would watch the French news, movies, and cartoons (with no subtitles, can you imagine?) and discuss them with her and the other students. Haveman was also very devoted to her students learning the course material. She would offer extra tutoring to those who felt they needed it; offer test make-ups to those who had a horrible grade; try and get kids truly excited about the country of France, the language, and the delicious food that comes from there. Haveman wanted everyone to be excited about learning, and she was very good at doing that.

One small difference that both teachers had was that while Mme Haveman was very kind to her students, Ms Watson was extremely passionate about her line of work and her beliefs. Mme Haveman did her best to connect with her students, offering tutoring and test make-ups while most of the other teachers at her school did not do that. She also would not stand for bullying taking place in her classroom (or in the rest of the school), and she really did care about the well-being of her students. Ms Watson, though she was kind, she was more passionate about teaching women that they can be more than just a housewife, that they can be married and work and have a family - they can have it all, if they put their mind to it. Watson was passionate about art and the meaning behind a painting, and she wanted her girls to be just as passionate. She was keen on keeping herself from becoming the model housewife that her school had set up for their students, which was why she decided not to marry her Hollywood boyfriend. Mme Haveman was passionate about her line of work, but she just didn't show it so outright like Ms Watson did. It was only when you talked to her alone that you saw how much she loved what she was doing.

Perhaps the biggest difference between Ms Watson and Mme Haveman is that Mme Haveman never let her personal life get in the way of her teaching, and she also never spoke much of her personal life to her students. In the movie, Mona Lisa Smile, it is shown that Ms Watson let her personal life get the best of her when she burst into the Italian classroom in a rage. She also let her emotions get out of hand when she found out about Joan declining law school. Even though she was very passionate about wanting what she thought was best for Joan, Watson let her emotions cloud her judgment in what would be the right course of action for talking to Joan about her decision. Mme Haveman never let her emotions carry her away like that. The only time she got even slightly personal on her part was when she was one-on-one with a trusted student, and even then her talk of ‘sometime adults sell their houses because they just can’t afford them’, wasn’t directed at herself.

Though Ms Watson and Mme Haveman are both very different in how they express their personal life around their students, they are very similar in how kind and dedicated they are to teaching and to their beliefs. There is no doubt that they are both very good teachers. A good teacher should always have that quality - the desire to want to teach to their students.

Rough Draft Essay #2

What exactly makes a good teacher? Their ability to cram knowledge into kids skulls? Or is it judged by how nice they can be? To some, it is determined by how professional of a relationship teachers keep with their students, and how much the teacher is willing to share about themselves to their class, as seen by Ms Watson (from Mona Lisa Smile) and my old French teacher, Mme Haveman.

The major thing Ms Watson and Mme Haveman have in common is that they are both very strict teachers. Neither of them take any nonsense from their students, which is surprising considering they were both new teachers to their schools. Ms Watson did let her girls get to her on her first day of Art History, but she soon gained her footing by scrapping the syllabus and aimed to teach her girls about more than just art. Mme Haveman never seemed to let her students get to her, no matter how mean they were to her. She always kept a straight face and told everyone to do what they were told.

Another thing both teachers had in common was that they were both very dedicated. Ms Watson was dedicated to the progression of women and trying to change the way they think about their futures. Mme Haveman was very dedicated in teaching her students the French language and culture. Ms Watson was so dedicated that when the Headmistress of her school wanted to approve every single lesson Watson was going to teach in the upcoming year, she left. Being restricted like that, restricted in trying to show girls that marriage isn't their only option, was not what she wanted. Mme Haveman was so dedicated to the French culture that her students would watch the French news, movies, and cartoons (with no subtitles!) and discuss them with her.

One small difference that both teachers had was that while Mme Haveman was very kind to her students, Ms Watson was extremely passionate about her line of work. Mme Haveman did her best to connect with her students, offering tutoring and test make-ups while most of the other teachers at her school didn't do that. Ms Watson was also passionate about teaching women that they can be more than just a housewife, that they can be married and work and have a family - they can have it all, if they put their mind to it. Mme Haveman was passionate about her line of work, but she just didn't show it like Ms Watson did.

Perhaps the biggest difference between Ms Watson and Mme Haveman is that Mme Haveman never let her personal life get in the way of her teaching, and she also never spoke much of her personal life to her students. In the movie, Mona Lisa Smile, it is shown that Ms Watson let her personal life get the best of her when she burst into the Italian classroom in a rage. Mme Haveman never let her emotions carry her away like that

Though Ms Watson and Mme Haveman are both very different in how they express their personal life around their students, they are very similar in how kind and dedicated they are to teaching. There is no doubt that they are both very good teachers. A good teacher should always have that quality - the desire to want to teach to their students.

Drafting WS

Role: ability to connect with students

Teacher 1: Ms Watson

Teacher 2: Mme Haveman
Ms WatsonA: Dedicated
  1. Joan and Yale
  2. helping Bettie find an apartment after divorce
  3. not wanting fiance to sleep in same bed because it would disturb landlord

B: Strict
  1. does not let girls get to her after 1st day
  2. 50's advertisments as art
  3. threatens Bettie with an F

C: Passionate
  1. Van Gogh painting boxes
  2. leaving because of teaching restrictions
  3. marble art in the warehouse

Mme Haveman
D: Dedicated
  1. test make-ups
  2. offer tutoring
  3. pen pals.

E: Kind
  1. Class parties
  2. bullying
  3. offer extra classes

F: Strict
  1. expects kindness to subs
  2. expects students to only speak in French
  3. no goofing around

Conclusion
Though Ms Watson and Mme Haveman are both very different in how much they express their personal life around their students, they are very similar in how kind and dedicated they are to teaching. A good teacher should always have that quality - the desire to want to teach to their students.

Beginning of Essay #2

What exactly makes a good teacher? Their ability to cram knowledge into kids skulls? Or is it judged by how nice they can be? To some, it is determined by a teachers ability to be able to connect with their students, in and out of the classroom, as seen by Ms Watson (from Mona Lisa Smile) and my old French teacher, Mme Haveman.

As seen in the film, Mona Lisa Smile, Ms Watson does her best to connect with her students while also trying to teach them something more than art. Even though Ms Watson is strict and takes no nonsense from the girls, she does show that she really cares about them on a personal level. She wants to see her girls, especially Joan, become something more than just a housewife that the school prepares them to be. Even after Betty wrote those terrible articles about Ms Watson and Ms Armstrong, Watson was still there for her when she decided to divorce her new husband. Like Mme Haveman, Ms Watson wants to see her girls grow up into happy, healthy women.

Compare/Contrast Ideas for Essay 2

Though many people would want to take the easy way out and just compare/contrast Ms Watson with Mr Escalante, I have chosen to compare/contrast Ms Watson with my beloved French teacher, Mme Haveman. If you had read my first essay, it wouldn't come as a surprise to you that I chose her and that I think very highly of her.

The reason I chose Mme Haveman to compare with Ms Watson is because Ms Watson reminds me very much of Mme Haveman. They are both dedicated to their work and strive to make a difference in a students life. They both also want to connect with their students, to become someone their kids can trust and feel comfortable with.

There are differences between them, but I will go into detail about that in my actual essay.

Mona Lisa Smile VS Stand And Deliver

Presentation of Schools:
The schools are presented very differently. Mr Escalante's school was presented as a low-income school where mostly minority trouble-makers attend. Ms Watson's school is a n all-girls school, which is very different from Mr Escalante. The rules are also stricter and the teachers put more of an effort into caring about the girls.

Even though Ms Watson is teaching at a more prestigious school, she is just as scared as Mr Escalante to start teaching. They both were just as unsure of their actions and wanted to make a good impression on their students. The fear is shown better in Mona Lisa Smile, though, especially during her first class.

Different/Similar:
The students at Ms Watson's school are very similar to the kids at Mr Escalante's school. It doesn't matter how much money your daddy makes or what kind of car your mom drives to the store, kids will always act the same in their teenage years. They always go looking for trouble and the next exciting thing.

Both teachers had ideas and teaching styles that the schools they worked for didn't approve of. Ms Watson wants to teach her girls about modern art and the progression of women, but the conservative school she works for doesn't agree with those things. Mr Escalante wanted to give his class of trouble-makers a second chance at having a better life, but the other staff didn't think those kids would actually want to learn.

They are different in how they show their love for their students. Mr Escalante pretends that the personal lives of his students are of no concern to him, even though he actually really does care about them succeeding and living a better life. Ms Watson openly shows her girls that she loves and cares for them, even after they were so mean to her.

I Just Wanna Be Average, Mr Escalante

Mr Escalante and Mr MacFarland are similar in their teaching styles. They both care deeply about their students and will go to great lengths to see them succeed. While Escalante provided extra classes to teach his students calculus, MacFarland reached out to Mike Rose and helped him get into a good collage.

Escalante and MacFarland show their care very differently though. MacFarland directly reached out to Rose and his friends and did what he could to educate them and enrich their minds. Escalante, however, presented himself as not caring about his students personal lives, that he was only there to teach them math.

 Though both teachers taught their students in great ways, they went about it in very different manners. Both were able to change the lives of their students.

Stand and Deliver

The movie starts in a great way - showing the viewer the neighborhood that Esclante is in. Even though it is a low-income area, it's not presented as a ghetto or dangerous.

As the movie goes on, the viewer can see that Esclante is not cut out for this job. He wanted to teach kids how to use computers, but is stuck with a low-level math class instead. The class is full of kids who aren't given second chances due to their track record or race. It's sad, but Esclante does his best to try and teach them anyway. (his finger-multiplication thing is freaking genius!)

The way the kids are presented is actually pretty tame compared to how high school kids can really be. Sure, Angel is considered a troublemaker, but the viewer can see that he really does want to learn. In fact, all of the kids are like that. Compared to my experiences with high school kids, these kids are pretty tame. In real life, they were probably hell, but in the movie they are just normal kids.

Teaching is also seen as a poor mans job. Some people don't understand why Esclante left his work to go teach. The girls father at the restaurant doesn't think school is all that important in the real world.

When the kids try to revolt, it reminded me of something that happened in my 8th grade year. My class hated my teacher (she was pretty mean to us, especially this one kid, Sawyer), so Sawyer convinced most of the class to purposefully show up late to her class on the last day of school. Of course, my teacher was pissed and called the principal down and threatened to give us Saturday school. Let's just say I never participated in a school-related revolt ever again.

Another thing I noticed about the movie is that all the kids come from broken backgrounds. Sick family, working parents, unsupportive parents - you name it. The thing that makes Esclante so likable is that even though he says that he doesn't care about their personal lives, he actually does. To these kids, Esclante is the adult figure that they all need.

The AP test was very relatable for me. I know how nerve-wracking it is to wait months for your scores, your heart beating so hard in your chest as you open the envelope, the relief that washes over you when you see that you passed - I know all those feelings. So it made me really sad that those kids were obviously being discriminated against because the test people found out they were Latino. Esclante was right - if the kids had been white, no one would have thought twice about the scores they got.

The movie overall was very good, but I felt that it didn't really go that deep into the story. I only remember one of the kids names (Angel), and I just wish that I could have gotten to know the other kids better. It was a good movie about Esclante's teacher career though.

Jaime Escalante (summary)

Born on December 31, 1930 in Bolivia. Came to America in the 1960's to seek a better life. Took a teaching job in 1974 at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. This school was considered "run down" and was known for violence and drugs. The math class he was assigned to were the kids who were deemed "unteachable." He did his best to teach them anyway.

In 1984, his largest class took an advanced Calculus test. Because of the students backgrounds and race, many of their tests were considered "invalid" because the company believed they cheated. Escalante protested and a few months later, the students took the test again and passed, proving that they didn't cheat.

After Garfield High School, Escalante went on to teach at another high school in Sacremento, but did not find the same level of success. In 1998, he retired from teaching. In March of 2010, Escalante died after a long struggle with cancer.

Many consider Escalante one of the best teachers in history. A book called Jaime Escalante: The Best Teacher in America was published in 1988. A movie called Stand and Deliver, starring Edward James Olmos, was also made about him.

A Good Teacher Is...

To me, a good teacher is someone who teaches you their subject (math, english, french, etc), and does a good job at it. I have had many teachers who were very smart people, but just didn't know how to teach. For example, my math teacher in 11th grade of high school. Probably the smartest man I have ever met - couldn't teach to save his life. It was frustrating.

Not only should teachers actually be able to teach, they should be kind to their students too. Again, I have had many mean teachers (like Mrs Hannah, who wouldn't teach me how to divide in 4th grade). Teachers should be understanding and lend you a hand when you need one. They shouldn't judge you on appearances or whatever is on file in the principal's office. They should get to know you, not what is on your record.

Audre(y) Lorde

(i am so sorry this is late i was sick and i'm doing my best to catch up D:)

Audre Lorde, in her early years of school, had many different teachers. The first one, though it may not be obvious, is Mrs. Baker. Mrs. Baker is the whole reason Audre wanted to learn to read. Audre describes Mrs. Baker as a very quiet person with a voice that gave no "damnation for my noise." Mrs. Baker gave Audre the drive to want to learn to read and write, which her mother was very happy about.

The second, more obvious teacher would be Audre's kindergarden teacher (who I will refer to as Mrs. K). At first, it seems that Mrs K will be strict, but nice, but the reader soon finds out that this is not true. Mrs K called Audre fat straight to her face, which is very traumatizing for a girl at such a young age. Audre also already knew how to write the alphabet with a pencil, but Mrs K didn't like that. Mrs K wanted Audre to learn slowly with the other kids in class. Mrs K ended up trying to get Audre in trouble with her mother, but Audre's mother just took her straight to Catholic school to be put into 1st grade.

The third obvious teacher would be Sister Mary. This is Audre's first encounter of harsh racism, as seen with the "Fairies" and "Brownies", with the Brownies being the 'bad' side of the room. Even though the reader doesn't see Sister Mary teaching Audre anything academically important, she remembers the racism.

The last 'teacher' is her classmate, Alvin. Though it is not as obvious, Alvin was Audre's first experience in loss. They were just beginning to become friends, teaching each other numbers and words, when he died of TB. Even though Audre only learned three numbers from him (8, 10, and 20), he was able to teach her something meaningful - the importance of friends.