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.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
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.
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.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
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.
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.
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.
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