Against School

I really think that what John Gatto wrote and believes about the purpose of public schools has some validity. I like that he backed up his argument with examples of successful people who went without formal public school education.  I also liked that he used examples of famous philosophers to back up his ideas.  He is obviously well educated and is familiar with the public school system since he worked in it for several decades. I do not have that kind of experience, although I am considered a public school student in High School.  However,  I am home schooled although receiving education materials from an online public school.  It is anything but boring.  My teachers are educated and encourage voicing opinions.  They look to produce thinkers and adventurers.  I cannot imagine sitting at a desk for hours every day at school.  I don't want to become an employee or a follower.  I want to be the entrepreneur who makes his own decisions and isn't worried about what he says.  Public Schools teach students that it is the 'land of the free', when in reality it is a land of fear and conformity. America used to be the most powerful continent in the world, a leader in everything.  It is no longer the leader. American students are no longer the ones in the front getting the best jobs, because they are not encouraged to be leaders anymore. I am happy to be home schooled.  I know that there is so much more to life, free of boredom and childishness.   

Reading Assignment: Paragraph and Essay Development

These sections were helpful as they pertained to the current Paper Assignment.  It is always good to start a paper with an outline to help you develop the structure of the paper or body, main points with supporting details and examples. The information on transitions between sentences and paragraph hook is important to the current assignment because it helps me to remember to make sure the paper is flowing smoothly.  Is the thesis statement clear and backed up by examples and details? Will it be in chronological order or enumeration?  The readings also provided sample paragraphs and essays to see as examples.  Who is the audience?  What message are you trying to convey?  Can the reader visualize it from the figurative language that I used?  These questions were all identified from reading the pages. The reading assignment helped me to brainstorm ideas,  and be comfortable in identifying the body structure of the paragraphs and essay that I will be using for my paper.

Omar

A Teacher Like Ms. Gruwell/Ms. Watson

I have had the privilege of having a teacher like Ms. Gruwell and Ms. Watson.  My teacher has tried to open my eyes to the possibilities and wonders of Science as Ms. Gruwell and Ms. Watson did with writing and art.  His teaching style and approach is unorthodox compared to other teachers, but he inspires me to look at Science from different perspectives, to love Science, and to believe in myself.  I can tell that he really cares about me learning and understanding what he is teaching just as Ms. Gruwell and Ms. Watson cared about their students. He goes above and beyond what is required to help me realize my potential.  I appreciate the opportunity to be a student of his.   

Lorde: "My first grade teacher was named Sister Mary of Perpetual Help, and she was a disciplinarian of the first order, right after my mother's own heart."

Me: During tenth grade, we had a science teacher we always use to call Mr. Holmes, and he was both a Chemistry and a Physical Science teacher at K-12 HS.

Rose: "Mike Rose is anything but average: he has published poetry, scholarly research, a textbook, and two widely praised books on education in America."

Me: Mr. Holmes is anything but average: He is a Brilliant chemistry teacher, an amazing scientist, a science encyclopedia, and the biggest and craziest football fan that exists today, all wrapped up in one.

Lorde: My father leaves his psychic print upon me, silent, intense, and unforgiving.

Me: Mr. Holmes always leaves his psychic print upon his students, motivational, inspirational, and unforgettable.  

Omar

Two Schools

Wellesley High School in Massachusetts and Woodrow Wilson High School in California were very different schools.  First of all, Wellesley High School was a preparatory school for young girls whose parents were affluent enough to pay for the private school located in a New England style atmosphere of having social standards and demanding good grades from their students.  Woodrow Wilson High School was a coed public school with students from a mix of ethnic backgrounds whose families were not financially well off.  Wellesley High School was more rigid in its curriculum and standards with the goal of preparing young girls to be valuable members of society.  Woodrow Wilson High School was not as specific in standards and did not see the potential of the students to be valuable members of society and their goal was just getting them to pass and graduate from high school. 

Omar

Is Ms. Gruwell a Good Teacher?

After watching the movie Freedom Writers, I can conclude that Ms. Gruwell is in fact a very good teacher. She was willing to go to any length and do anything to help her students succeed. For example, she got several other jobs other than the teaching job just so that she could buy new books for her students from her own pockets. She tried different approaches to break down the barriers so that her students would learn such as taking them to the Museum of Tolerance and have a speaker come to class to discuss her own experience and how it related to the reading of Anne Frank.  She even put her students education above her marriage.  She honestly cared about her students and was willing to go above and beyond what was required of her so that her students could reach their potential.

Omar

The Teachers I Will Write About

The two teachers I have chosen to write about for my Compare and Contrast paper are Mr. Holmes (my HS Science teacher), and my math teacher Ustadh.

Omar

Compare and Contrast Ms Gruwell/Ms. Watson

Ms. Gruwell and Ms. Watson are different in that they teach different subjects (one is English and the other is Art History), and their approach to teaching is different.  Although both try to open their students eyes to their own potential by introducing curriculum that is different, Ms. Watson leaves teaching at her school when she is forced to stick with the curriculum given to her.  Both teachers encourage their students to be more, but while Ms. Gruwell encourages her students to attend college and complete their high school education, Ms. Watson tries to encourage her students (all girls) to not just seek out just marriage, but to strive for a college education and more.  Both teachers do have to deal with adversity from within the upper management of school, but Ms. Gruwell also has to deal with the everyday violence she is surrounded by.  

Omar

Compare and Contrast Mr. Macfarlane/Ms. Gruwell

There are similarities and differences between Mr. Macfarlane and Ms. Gruwell.  Both teachers taught underprivileged students.  Other people saw both groups of students as un-teachable, but both teachers saw the potential of their students.  Both teachers also taught English. They introduced new and exciting authors/writing for their students to be exposed to.  Ms. Gruwell introduced them to the writing of Anne Frank and Mr. Macfarlane introduced his students to Nietzsche and Frost.  They both went above and beyond what was expected of them to break through the barriers to reach them and get them excited about learning.  Both teachers were well educated and chose to teach underprivileged high school students.  They ignited their student's interest in reading and writing. They both encouraged their students to go beyond high school, to go to college.  However, Mr. Macfarlane was more interested in expanding their knowledge, while Ms. Gruwell also did but taught them also about tolerance.  She also had to deal with constant violence around her, while Mr. Macfarlane did not.

Omar

Freedom Writers Reflection

I thought the movie was inspiring.  The teacher, Erin Gruwell,  starts teaching English at a High School in Long Beach, California.  The students and faculty resent her efforts to change their lives.  She sees their potential and doesn't give up.  She tries new approaches to help them change the way they think of those who are not part of their gangs.  She introduces writing from Anne Frank and takes them to a museum.  She teaches them about tolerance.  She risks her marriage and gets other jobs to provide books for her students.  She breaks through the barriers put in front of her so that she can help them achieve their potential and succeed. She was an amazing teacher.  

Omar

Audre Lorde's Essay

Audre Lorde had a lot of teachers that she acknowledged in her writing.  Most of those who inspired, taught, or influenced her were women. Her Mother was one of the first teachers in her life.  She described her Mother as “a very powerful woman.”(pg. 15, Zami)  She taught her about her approach to perceiving reality.  Lorde wrote, “It was so often her approach to the world; to change reality.  If you can’t change reality, change your perception of it.” That is how her Mother dealt with things like when white people spit at her children because they were black. She interpreted it as them not spitting at her children, but how the wind moved the spit by accident to hit her children. The second woman who taught her was the local librarian, Mrs. Augusta Baker.  She taught her to love reading.  Lorde states, “By the time she had finished that one, I was sold on reading for the rest of my life.” (pg. 23, Zami) She took the time to read her two stories, which changed her life.  The third person who taught her was Sister Mary at Catholic School.  She taught her about discrimination.  She separated students into Brownies and Fairies. Audre Lorde worked hard in school to be part of the Fairies.    

 

Omar

What I believe makes a good teacher

After reading “What Makes A Good Teacher”, by M.F. Hassett, I have gained some new insights on what I believe makes a good teacher.  The first quality that I think that a teacher should have is the ability to adapt to both the students and parents individual needs. Not all students have the same temperament.  Teachers must be able to adapt their teaching style to optimize the learning experience of different students. The second quality that a good teacher should possess is the being able to enjoy both their work and their students. They have to really want to make a difference and like what they do.  They will find ways and teaching approaches that will make students more interested in what they are trying to teach. The third and final quality is that all teachers should have is the ability to be reflective and emotionally responsive to their classroom practices, materials, methods, and students. This leads to improvement in the way teachers teach students and provides a positive connection between teacher, student and parent.  Good communication and responding to feedback is important so that both the parent and the teacher are working towards the same goal of providing a positive learning environment that optimizes the learning experience of the student.

Omar