The thing that hit home with this film
was a quote. Escalante states, “Students will rise to the level of
expectation.” The other teachers did not buy into this idea of his.
Not only because the teachers themselves had given up, but at the
time Mr. E was still new to the school. He knew what he was capable
of, what every human was capable of. We all do rise to the level of
expectation. No one wants to fail not when they have someone who
believes in them and pushes them. That is exactly what happens
throughout this film so far. Escalante continuously raises the bar
for his students. He uses all sorts of techniques to get the students
to show their true potential. Though, most of his ways were
unorthodox and by today's standards very unprofessional, he has thus
far seen great progression. At times, he has pushed the kids
incredibly close to their breaking point, they still remain
unwavering in their pursuit of knowledge.
Just the fact that all this truly happened. It is hard to put in words. Sort of, pride, in the human spirit. How it is stronger than just about everything else. It is impressive. This film is great so far.
Just the fact that all this truly happened. It is hard to put in words. Sort of, pride, in the human spirit. How it is stronger than just about everything else. It is impressive. This film is great so far.
Derek,
ReplyDeleteI definately agree with you in regards to Mr. E's unorthodox methods and how he was a necessary catalyst. His words to the administration, specifically Mrs. Molina were powerfull beyond measure. Despite his quiet demeanor in the meeting, those words screamed a battle to arms that his students answered.
I agree with you on how he uses so many different ways to teach to draw these students in. I love all the techniques he used while teaching. Real even caught my interest as well. He really has pushed them far and wants them to be successful with education.
ReplyDeleteI never really put together that Mr. E was teasting the human spirit with his pushing the students. Thats a great observation and I totaly agree. "No one wants to fail, not when they have someone who believes in them" Very well put!
ReplyDeleteGreat collaborative discussion about Mr. Escalante's teaching here! I especially like your focus on the human spirit and how students will rise to the occasion. With so much emphasis on course outcomes, curriculum that's set in stone, and standardized testing, it's become more and more difficult for K-12 teachers to provide the sorts of challenging experiences we saw in the film, which is just a shame.
ReplyDelete