Essay #3 Draft

           Teachers are an integral part of the K through 12 education system, without them there would not be one. As such, you would expect there to be some pretty extensive requirements to become a teacher. After all they are influencing future generations and therefore the future of this country. However, surprisingly the requirements to become a K through 12 teacher are just a bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate. Now that’s better than no requirements at all, but again they affect apart of our future. Wouldn’t you want someone with that kind of power to be highly qualified? Therefore what needs to be added to our K through 12 education system is higher requirements and better training for teachers. The addition of these to our education system would end up solving numerous other problems.

            The higher requirements to become a teacher could be that you need at least a master’s degree and a teaching certificate. This would at least make it so that teachers would be more educated in their subject and therefore they would be able to teach the subject better. The better training for teachers could be training that is required before you start teaching. It could include learning creative and effective ways to teach classes to how to be prepared and organized for each class.

            Unfortunately in our education system we do have teachers that don’t know much about their subject, which ends up hurting the students. One of the problems that John Gatto presented in “Against School: How Public Education Cripples Our Kids, and Why” was that in our current education system kids are bored. In his article he explains that the reason the students were bored was because of the teachers. He writes, “[Students] said teachers didn’t seem to know much about their subjects and clearly weren’t interested in learning more.” So since the students were not learning anything they were bored. If the higher requirements and better training for teachers was implemented, then this problem would be fixed. Through the extra requirements the teachers would have to know more about their subject and therefore would always be able to teach the students.

Another problem with our education system is that students don’t truly learn. This problem was brought up in Paolo Freire’s chapter “The Banking Concept of Education”. He writes “The student records, memorizes, and repeats these phrases without perceiving…” Anyone who has gone through the public K through 12 education system has experienced this at least once. Often times as students we will cram and memorize as much information as we can for a specific test, but then shortly after the test we forget the majority of it. This is not true learning. As Freire wrote, by doing this we do not actually perceive the information and as a result we forget it easily. In order to fix this problem we need better and more creative ways of teaching that don’t have students just memorizing information. The implementation of the higher requirements and better training for teachers would do just that. The extra training would provide teachers with ways of teaching that would help students perceive and fully understand the material.

Another problem with our education system is that it is not engaging or challenging enough. Mike Rose discusses this problem in his article “Mike Rose’s Resolution on Education”. In this Rose writes a list of improvements that need to be made to our education system. His number one improvement is “To have more young people get an engaging and challenging education.” This is very true and very important. An engaging education is critical because we are in the day and age where there are numerous distractions, from technology to other people. So an education that is not engaging will do very little because it will not have the students’ attention. A challenging education is very similar. It is critical as well, because if the material is not challenging then the students will not be engaged and will become bored. As a result they would most likely not learn much. The way to solve this problem is to use creative methods of teaching that keep the students engaged and at the same time challenge them. If the higher requirements and better training for teachers was added to the educational system, then we could fix this problem. They would provide the teachers with more knowledge, which would allow them to make the material challenging, and arm the teachers with engaging teaching methods.

Implementing the higher requirements and better training for teachers would also solve the issue of having unqualified or unprepared people working as teachers. We saw an unqualified teacher in the video Back in Black – Education Crisis, in which Tony Danza became an English teacher. He was very unorganized and one of his students even said, “I am actually very concerned he is not qualified to be an English teacher”. Another time that we saw unprepared teachers was in the movie Chalk. In this movie Mr. Lowrey was a first year history teacher, so he had no previous teaching experience. His nervousness and lack of experience showed as he was unprepared. The better training for teachers would help teachers like Mr. Lowrey because it would provide them with useful teaching methods.

Notes from Chalk

• 50 percent of teachers quite in their first three years
• Possible movie takes place in Texas
• Starts out on the first day of school 
• Mr. Lowrey - first year history teacher
• Mrs. Reddell - Assistant principal
• Mr. Stroope - third year history
• Coach Webb - second year PE
• Mr. Lowrey is not very prepared, awkward, stumbles a lot, tries to use humor but not very successful

What makes good teaching?

What people think makes good teaching is different for everyone. What I think makes good teaching is having someone who is very passionate about the subject they are teaching, because how is a kid suppose to be excited and want to learn if the person teaching them isn't excited or passionate. Also having a teacher that is very educated in the subject makes for good teaching. I'm sure a lot of us have had experiences where we are taught one thing and that becomes what we know, but then later on we find out that it was incorrect.

Practicing Quoting

In “The Banking Concept of Education” Freire states “The student records, memorizes, and repeats these phrases without perceiving…”

bell hooks writes “By the time most students enter college classrooms, they have come to dread thinking.” (8)

Citing Sources

Freire, Paolo. “The Banking Concept of Education.” Pedagogy of the Oppressed.  New York: Herder and Herder, 1970. Print.

Hooks, bell. “Critical Thinking.” Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom. New York: Routledge, 2009. Web.

Comparison Essay Final Draft

We have all grown up learning new things from many different people. Most of us went through the K-12 education system learning from various teachers. There were exceptional teachers, such as Mr. Escalante from Stand and Deliver and Mr. Williamson, who were dedicated, enthusiastic, brilliant, and believed in their students.

            An exceptional teacher must be dedicated to their work and both Mr. Escalante and Mr. Williamson were very dedicated. Throughout Stand and Deliver we see Mr. Escalante’s dedication and in particular we see it when Mr. Escalante went back to teaching just a couple days after his heart attack (Stand and Deliver). The timing of his heart attack was poor since the students had to take the AP Calculus test in just a few weeks (Stand and Deliver). The doctors told Mr. Escalante he needed to rest for at least four weeks, but he was so dedicated and knew he needed to help his students prepare that he went back to work anyways (Stand and Deliver). Mr. Escalante continued to show his dedication when he reviewed the entire calculus course in just one day. This is probably not something he would normally have done, but his students were accused of cheating and were required to retake the AP test (Stand and Deliver). It had been awhile since the students had taken the first AP test, so they were worried they would not do well on the retake. However, because Mr. Escalante was dedicated to teaching and making sure his students succeeded he took the time to review the entire course in order to prepare them.

            Mr. Williamson was my general chemistry teacher, whose dedication was similar to Mr. Escalante, and made him an exceptional teacher. He was so dedicated that he would spend an endless amount of time outside of the classroom helping his students learn and understand what he was teaching. Mr. Williamson always made himself available at just about any time a student needed help, no matter the day. When finals came around he even gave up his Saturdays and held review sessions just so that his students would be prepared and successful. He was also so dedicated that he would take the time to find the extra little resources, such as videos and websites that helped his students understand a topic and not just memorize it.

            An exceptional teacher must also be enthusiastic about their subject. This was true of Mr. Escalante who always seemed to be enthusiastic. One of the first scenes we saw in Stand and Deliver was Mr. Escalante standing in front of the class, dressed up as a chef and chopping apples into slices (Stand and Deliver). You could see the excitement in his face and how much he loved math and wanted to make it fun for his students. Every time we saw Mr. Escalante he was always enthusiastic, he would walk into the classroom and immediately want to start teaching because he was excite to teach his students and have them learn. We even see his enthusiasm at Christmas when his own son asks him for help with a homework problem (Stand and Deliver). He is so enthusiastic about teaching that he was happy to teach his son at any time, even Christmas.

            Mr. Williamson was also very enthusiastic about chemistry. His enthusiasm was perfectly shown when we started on the topic of lasers in his class. It is a day I will never forget. Mr. Williamson came into the classroom with a smile from ear to ear and was so giddy it was funny. All of his students noticed it and before long his enthusiasm and passion spread to all of us, because after that moment we were eager and excited to learn about lasers. Mr. Williamson was very enthusiastic about laser, but that was not the only thing. He was also enthusiastic about almost anything else having to do with chemistry. This enthusiasm was what helped make him an exceptional teacher because it made class more enjoyable and made the students more enthusiastic as well. 

            Brilliance is also typically found in exceptional teachers. They have to be knowledgeable about their subject if they are going to teach it. We do not want to have students learn false information, so this is an important aspect. Mr. Escalante was certainly brilliant. In Stand and Deliver it talks about his previous job working at a computer program company, where he had to use calculus every day (Stand and Deliver). So clearly he knew a lot about calculus and was capable of teaching it to others. His brilliance is also displayed many times in the classroom when he would solve a complex problem just in his head or when he would write a complex equation just from his knowledge. It was also displayed through his creative ways of teacher his students, such as the chef scene. He cut up apples into slices in order to teach his students about fractions and how to calculate them.

            Mr. Williamson’s brilliance was apparent in several ways. He had his PhD in chemistry and had done a lot of research over his career so his knowledge of the subject was definitely high. However his brilliance in the way he taught the class was a great part of what made him an exceptional teacher. His teaching method was creative and well thought out. He used excellent demonstrations that engaged the students and made us want to understand and not just memorize what he was teaching. With our desire to understand, we had a lot of questions and Mr. Williamson’s brilliance had him answering questions without actually giving away the exact answer. This sounds rather strange at first, but it turned out to be brilliant. In answering a question asked by a student, he would guide us towards the answer, but make us have to determine it for ourselves. The brilliance in this was it made us really think about and help us further understand the subject.

Finally, an exceptional teacher has to believe in their students. Students will often time meet the expectations placed upon them. Therefore, if a teacher believes their students will be successful it is much more likely to happen than if they didn’t believe in them. In Stand and Deliver Mr. Escalante was just about the only teacher at the school who believed in the students. We saw this when Mr. Escalante suggested the school offer Calculus as a course (Stand and Deliver). All of the other teachers did not believe the students were capable of taking Calculus, but Mr. Escalante did and sure enough, they were. Another example of Mr. Escalante believing in his students was when the students were accused of cheating on the AP test (Stand and Deliver). Again, Mr. Escalante was the only one who believed in them and did not think they cheated. Mr. Williamson also believed in his students. He always pushed his students with harder and harder material, but he believed in his students and new they were capable of learning it.

            While both Mr. Escalante and Mr. Williamson were exceptional teachers because of their dedication, enthusiasm, brilliance, and belief in their students, there were differences in their time periods, students, and location. Mr. Escalante was a teacher in the 1980s who taught in a low budget school in Los Angeles, to Hispanic students that were drop out prone. Mr. Williamson, on the other hand, is a teacher in this decade who teaches at a well-funded school to students that are not likely to drop out.

Works Cited

Stand and Deliver. Dir. Ramóm Menéndez. Perf. Edward Olmos and Estelle Harris. Warner Bros., 1988. DVD.

Comparison Essay Rough Draft

We have all grown up learning new things from many different people. Most of us went through the K-12 education system learning from various teachers. There were exceptional teachers, such as Mr. Escalante from Stand and Deliver and Mr. Williamson, who were dedicated, enthusiastic, and brilliant.

            An exceptional teacher must be dedicated to their work and both Mr. Escalante and Mr. Williamson were very dedicated. Throughout Stand and Deliver we see Mr. Escalante’s dedication and in particular we see it when Mr. Escalante went back to teaching just a couple days after his heart attack (Stand and Deliver). The timing of his heart attack was poor since the students had to take the AP Calculus test in just a few weeks (Stand and Deliver). The doctors told Mr. Escalante he needed to rest for at least four weeks, but he was so dedicated and knew he needed to help his students prepare that he went back to work anyways (Stand and Deliver). Mr. Escalante continued to show his dedication when he reviewed the entire calculus course in just one day. This is probably not something he would normally have done, but his students were accused of cheating and were required to retake the AP test (Stand and Deliver). It had been awhile since the students had taken the first AP test, so they were worried they would not do well on the retake. However, because Mr. Escalante was dedicated to teaching and making sure his students succeeded he took the time to review the entire course in order to prepare them.

            Mr. Williamson was my general chemistry teacher, whose dedication was similar to Mr. Escalante, and made him an exceptional teacher. He was so dedicated that he would spend an endless amount of time outside of the classroom helping his students learn and understand. Mr. Williamson always made himself available at just about any time a student needed help, no matter the day. When finals came around he even gave up his Saturdays and held review sessions just so that his students would be prepared and successful. He was also so dedicated that he would take the time to find the extra little resources, such as videos and websites that helped his students understand a topic and not just memorize it.

            An exceptional teacher must also be enthusiastic about their subject. This was true of Mr. Escalante who always seemed to be enthusiastic. One of the first scenes we saw in Stand and Deliver was Mr. Escalante standing in front of the class, dressed up as a chef and chopping apples into slices (Stand and Deliver). You could see the excitement in his face and how much he loved math and wanted to make it fun for his students. Every time we saw Mr. Escalante he was always enthusiastic, he would walk into the classroom and immediately want to start teaching because he was excite to teach his students and have them learn. We even see his enthusiasm at Christmas when his own son asks him for help with a homework problem (Stand and Deliver). He is so enthusiastic about teaching that he was happy to teach his son at any time, even Christmas.

            Mr. Williamson was also very enthusiastic about chemistry. His enthusiasm was perfectly shown when we started on the topic of lasers in his class. It is a day I will never forget. Mr. Williamson came into the classroom with a smile from ear to ear and was so giddy it was funny. All of his students noticed it and before long his enthusiasm and passion spread to all of us, because after that moment we were eager and excited to learn about lasers. Mr. Williamson was very enthusiastic about laser, but that was not the only thing. He was also enthusiastic about almost anything else having to do with chemistry. This enthusiasm was what helped make him an exceptional teacher because it made class more enjoyable and made the students more enthusiastic as well. 

            Brilliance is also typically found in exceptional teachers. They have to be knowledgeable about their subject if they are going to teach it. We do not want to have students learn false information, so this is an important aspect. Mr. Escalante was certainly brilliant. In Stand and Deliver it talks about his previous job working at a computer program company, where he had to use calculus every day (Stand and Deliver). So clearly he knew a lot about calculus and was capable of teaching it to others. His brilliance is also displayed many times in the classroom when he would solve a complex problem just in his head or when he would write a complex equation just from his knowledge. It was also displayed through his creative ways of teacher his students, such as the chef scene. He cut up apples into slices in order to teach his students about fractions and how to calculate them.

            Mr. Williamson’s brilliance was apparent in several ways. He had his PhD in chemistry and had done a lot of research over his career so his knowledge of the subject was definitely high. However his brilliance in the way he taught the class was a great part of what made him an exceptional teacher. His teaching method was creative and well thought out. He used excellent demonstrations that engaged the students and made us want to understand and not just memorize what he was teaching. With our desire to understand, we had a lot of questions and Mr. Williamson’s brilliance had him answering questions without actually giving away the exact answer. This sounds rather strange at first, but it turned out to be brilliant. In answering a question asked by a student, he would guide us towards the answer, but make us have to determine it for ourselves. The brilliance in this was it made us really think about and help us further understand the subject.

            While both Mr. Escalante and Mr. Williamson were exceptional teachers because of their dedication, enthusiasm, and brilliance, there were differences in their time periods, students, and location. Mr. Escalante was a teacher in the 1980s who taught in a low budget school in Los Angeles, to Hispanic students that were drop out prone. Mr. Williamson, on the other hand, is a teacher in this decade who teaches at a well-funded school to students that are not likely to drop out.