50

John Taylor Gatto:
Believed that schools did not fully allow children to learn but instead made information being received very confusing. Programming kids even adults to memorize things would not help them because in the long run everything will be forgotten. They don't have any real application to children's real lives so it is not as helpful as most would think. Gatto compared schools to a "cell block style" environment, he said that he thought that school did not allow kids to stay interested and instead of promoting maturity it encouraged kids to act childish. Student don't really have a say in there position in society because they have just done what they were told to do their whole life. School devalues children's views and potential in life. Children for the most part only do what they are told to do, the school system promotes this idea of acceptance by others, not just teachers but making friends. We as students always look for approval and rewards. School is such a robotic thing and many might argue that it is not allowing us to explore out own intrestests and creativity instead we obey and are almost robot-like.

If you ask anyone why we go to learn you will only hear about two different answers, some believe because they feel they are getting an "education" and other want to keep there kids out of trouble. But in reality most teachers really spend a large about of there time acting as the care taker, they have no choice but to try and keep out of control teenagers in check. Gatto argues that school conforms students and makes them in the end all the same; indifferent from society, child-like and very dependent people. Why is it so hard to control students?... maybe because they are bored or even that the teachers are bored! we are forced to sit and listen to stuff that most of us are not even very interested about, while teachers are teaching stuff they are told to by higher authority. If you think about it, it is a cycle. Why is it made to seem that people can not be successful without a college education. Gatto argues and strongly believes that people can make it in the world with out a traditional education.

Paulo Freire:
He discusses the "banking meathod" of teaching, he believes teachers should insert a certain about of knowledge and have their students memorize it. This is the total opposite than what other think is an effective education. In his book Pedagogy of the Oppressed he discusses the people he feels is oppressed and their oppressors. This quote stood out to me because it explained how he felt the school system worked "teacher-of-the-students and the students-of-the-teacher cease to exist and a new term emerges: teacher-student with students-teachers." teachers are doing the teaching, and the students are the ones left memorizing what the teacher is saying and that is considered learning. While the 'teacher-student' and 'students-teachers' is a relationship where the teachers are learning from their kids, and their kids are learning from their teachers, this second method seems more effective. The relationship where the teachers and students are learning from each other is much
more effective from first hand experience. When the teacher is doing the lecturing and the students are the ones taking notes, the teachers accepting that the students have actual experiences and insights worth sharing, while the teacher that teaches to be heard treats the students as objects and prevents them from actually learning everything they could be. Freire is saying is that the teacher that is only really interested in making sure facts are embedded in the students' minds (the oppressor), however the students that are memorizing what the teachers are saying are the oppressed ones

Lisa Delpit:
while reading about her she believed that schools should provide strategies to be able to teach both the kids that have already mastered the knowledge to use what they already know to expand and learn other things. Education should be used as a resource to help children that come from homes that cannot provide a bery decient education in order for them to be prepared for the real world. She felt it very important that teachers get to know the students they are teaching on a more personal level and also explore the life they live outside of school as well. Art is very important to her and i strongly agree with this aspect of her educational plan, i also feel it is important for kids to beable to be creative. Lisa Delpit believes that the teacher should build on how their students as individuals already are, and to incorporate that into what they are being taught "teachers can create a curriculum based on strengths rather than weaknesses, then they are teaching to their student's needs." She thinks that instead of teachers just teaching by the book, teachers should understand their students and how they can help individuals learn at their own pace and in their own way.

49

I was absent for a few days while our class was in the middle of production, however the first day i was in class. Being as though i am not a natural born actress i wanted to have one of the smaller parts, i guess you could say i played an extra (just another one of the students). In one scene i walk in on the first day of class excited to see everyone and catch up after summer break, In another scene we are listening to out drug addicted teacher (however we do not know that he suffers with a problem yet) speak, he seems to be a very intelligent and have a interesting take on most of everything he talks about. In the scene not all of the students are engaged some are in their own world throwing paper balls at each other or talking in small groups. Later on in the film four students pass by his classroom after hours to discover that their teacher Jake Westwood is taking cocaine in the back of his room on his desk.

The film could be interpreted in many different ways, we were talking about what it means to be a "super-teacher" and i think the movie passes along the message that we are not as happy as we might all seem. In this movie the students would have never probably guessed the problems the Jake suffered from... but if someone needs help, help them out! At certain points in the film i assume it gets very serious and seems to have a deeper emotional meaning, all the students seem to act very sympathetic towards Westwood. The students turned out to be his strength, he realized he had to make the change to better his life and with the support of his students he did so.

Compared to the other films ours was a little different, but after a certain point there are not many more "original" stories lines. Ultimately our class film was trying to show how students taking a stand can help a teacher/mentor and provide strength for them to overcome obstacles. This was a little different because unlike most films about teachers, the students are all trouble makers and the teachers get stuck teaching kids that they have to babysit. Our film was a little different because the teacher was the taboo one who needed all the guidance and direction he could get, because he could not provide the help he needed for himself.

Our film connects to reality and our life in general as students because lots of times the teachers try and make everything better, they want to be looked up like the heroic figure. The target the kids who they know need help so that evetually the students will obay the athority figure because they were being nice and treating them like they were special. But sometimes teachers need help, its just not as obvious a thing.

HOMEWORK # 48

Anne Parker wakes up to start her first day at work, she looks through her closet but her choices very limited she decided to wear the newest grey suit out of her collection. She walks over to her vanity does her makeup and adds the sting of delicate pearls around her neck. She locks the door to her apartment walks to the subway to get to work. It is her first day teaching the 10th grade at a public school in the middle of the city, but more importantly her first day as teacher. She cant help but be nervous, she does not know what to expect. From the look of the things most would assume she looks like the average white American women, most would think she grew up in a stable household in the suburbs with a white picket fence... a brother, maybe a sister and a dog.

Walking into the school the first person she interacts with is her boss the principal who gives her a few words of advice. Anne is not sure how to take the advice given should she run with it or be scared. She is escorted to her classroom, walks in takes a few minutes to look around and get comfortable before the students come in she writes her names up on the dry erase bored... 10 minutes pass she takes one final deep breath and opens the door for her students. Chaos immediately fills the room, Anne is not sure how to handle it. students come in screaming exchanging hugs and kisses, some banging on the desks, some decide to jump on top of the tables breaking out i song. Its the first day back everyone is excited to see their friends. Anne lets the excitement continue for 5 minutes before she attempts to get the students attention. the first few attempts fail miserably, she begins to panic but she does not wanna let the kids see the fear in her eyes. Sitting in the very front of the class room are a group of students waiting to begin what the came to school for.... learn. Anne regathers her self and begins to take a different approach in stead of trying to get everyone attention and wasting time she begins to introduce herself to the few that are listening. little does everyone know she is probably able to relate to most of the students on a more personal level than most other teachers. She decides to take a different approach and let the students come to her rather than forcing them to conform when they dint want to! Anne suddenly gets a confidence boost and says to herself in her head i will get these kids respect. She begins to tell the few students sitting in the front about herself and decides to completely ignore the ones that are giving her trouble.

Weeks go by and things begin to get a little better but there are still a few students giving her trouble, she is still putting up with the students disobedience because she knows the deeper issues going on better than most might think. She begins to come into school dressing a little less conservative, Anne knows that the more relatable she is with them the more respect she will earn. she begins to open up more about her life and the struggles of have two drug addicted parents, living in foster homes, she tries to relate to their lives. she was just like one of them when she went to school and is not knew to the game. After a long day of work she goes home sits and thinks about why she really was so scared the first day on the job, she realizes that she was living her school days experience through the other kids, at first it was a little scary but she realizes she can have control over the students eventually. She does not want her students to be scared of her, her goals are to be able to create a place where they look forward to coming to everyday .

HW 46

To further investigate the idea of school and what is all really behind it, i wanted to explore the differences (pros and cons) of public school education vs. private school education in America (more specifically New York City) At first i began to browse through a book about teenagers and there rights, i can not recall the exact name of the book but didn't find it very insightful or helpful for what research i needed. A friend of mind was doing a similar topic and recommended a book called "Academy X" written by Andrew Trees. The book was based (a true story) around a private school teacher and his experiences while working, to my surprise it was more about his traumatizing experience working than what he enjoyed about teaching at an elite academy. In the book he discussed what he though of students and his colleagues. My first impression was that he would be a successful teacher who went far, he thought it was important to always be fair and showed everyone equal amounts of respect. Like the movies we have seen clips on in class it became apparent that teaching was not an easy of a job despite what everyone else might think. While reading it became apparent that public schools where nothing like private schools and have me some outlook and perspective on what to look for while researching schools in the city.
Private schools seemed to hype up there reputation but was the enormous about of tuition really worth it. It seemed to me that schools made it there number one priority to market the school to who they know would be willing to pay for their children to attend. Parents who grew up thinking status and class was the number one thing, shopped for schools like they would the newest designer brand handbag. They thought if their child attend a renowned school with the name they might be more likely to help their children land a spot in a top ivy league for college. The way the school system was described in the book seemed almost like a scene form gossip girl. If the children misbehaved or got in some sort of trouble there million and billionaire family could essentially buy them selves out of the mess they created. I was shocked to see that the according to the author of the book his boss (the principal) saw the students parents customers, they were just what was gonna make him richer and his business up and running.
Teachers seemed to also get away with much more than they should have been allowed to, in some cases teacher students relationships became controversial. I wonder if this is really any different in public schools... i doubt it. One of the student Andrew talked about had claimed to have been raped because of a copied paper. this resulted in the separation of students vs. kids sides where being taken and it became almost impossible to prove. For some reason is not schocking that teacher will get away with crimes like this. I think this could be a topic on its own for why teacher students flings are appealing. School was at one point in time a place for childeren to learn but how much do we actually retain if any... I wonder if there is a more effective way to get into teenagers minds, there does not seem to be a earge to learn maybe that is because as americans we are too lazy and spoiled... standards are not high enough, we get away with too much so we continue to push limits.