Escalate vs. Keating

I believe that Jamie Escalate from the movie "Stand and Deliver" and John Keating from the movie "Dead Poets Society" are extremely different.

Jamie Escalante demanded discipline from his students at Garfield High.  He spent a large amount of time ordering his students around, usually by raising his voice.  He used ridicule and threats as a scare tactic to put his students into submission.  I think this is because the students lived under tough circumstances and he knew that this was the only way to get through to them.  He also took the time to speak to parents to try to convince them to follow his lead in what he thought would be the best for his students.  He controlled his class.  He had each student sign a contract to make his expectations clear.  He made sure each student and parent signed it so that he could hold his students to them.

John Keating had a different approach.  It was opposite.  He exercised his dominance in a  more indirect way.  He lead his students in exercises to open their minds because he wanted them to think for themselves.  His ways could be considered unorthodox in comparison to the teachings of the other professors at Welton Academy.  He wasn't so much wanting his students to follow his lead, but to have each individual follow where their own mind would have them go. Keating wanted his students to think for themselves.  He didn't approach the students or their parents outside the classroom.  He didn't confront them.  The students usually sought Keating out instead.

The ways that they are similar are that the both want what is best for their students.  They both used humor in their own way to grab the attention of the kids to make an impression.  I think both teachers and their students were underdogs.  You could not help but root for all of them while watching the movies.

Even thought both teachers showed personalities that were from opposite ends of the spectrum, I think the were both good teachers.  They were effective in their own way and you could see that from the results they brought out of their students.  They each had to utilize different approaches to match the environments in which their students were accustomed.