Dedication
to Inspiration
The two teachers that we
have studied in the second unit of this class have contrasting teaching styles,
yet they desire to inspire similar lessons upon their students. Mr.
Jamie Escalante from the movie "Stand and Deliver" and Professor John
Keating from the movie "Dead Poets Society" are both dedicated
teachers. Their goal was to open the minds of their students and instill
lessons that they could use in their lives beyond the classroom. They had
a profound impact on the lives of their students.
During a class, Mr. Escalante asked his students, "Did you
know that neither the Greeks nor the Romans were capable of using the concept
of zero? It was your ancestors, the Mayans, who first contemplated the
zero. The absence of value." He goes on to tell them that they
have math in their blood. During a staff meeting at the school he says,
"Students will rise to the level of expectation." Later he
tells his students, "There will be no free rides, no excuses. You
already have two strikes against you: your name and your complexion.
Because of these two strikes, there are some people in this world who will
assume that you know less than you do. Math is the equalizer...When you
go for a job, the person giving you that job will not want to hear your
problems; ergo, neither do I. You're going to work harder here than
you've ever worked anywhere else." He tells them that the only thing
that he is asking from them is desire.
Professor Keating leads his class to the foyer of Welton Academy
and tells them to look at the pictures of some former students. He tells
them, “They're not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of
hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their
oyster. They believe they're destined for great things, just like many of you,
their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late
to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you
see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real
close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen,
you hear it? - - Carpe - - hear it? - - Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys,
make your lives extraordinary.”
Ana a meek, quiet, shy
girl announces that is her last day of calculus class. Later that day,
Mr. Escalante decides to have dinner in a little Mexican restaurant with his
wife. The brick lined interior is scattered with small tables. Few
pictures adorn the walls. You can see the kitchen staff working in the
kitchen through a small window as the sounds of cooking is masked by the Mexican
music softly playing in the background. After they finish their dinner,
the restaurant owner approaches the table and asks about the meal.
Escalante points out a discrepancy in the check. Mr. Delgado, the
restaurant owner, calls to his daughter who is dressed in a light blue ruffled
off the shoulder dress accented by white lace, and speaks to her in
Spanish. She introduces Mr. Escalante to her father as her math
teacher. Escalante uses the opportunity to tell Mr. Ramirez about the
importance of Ana going back to school. Escalante invites Ana’s father to
sit with them at their table. Without skipping a beat Escalate says, “You
should get another waitress. Ana can be the first one of your family to
graduate from high school, go to college.” Delgado points out that Ana’s
mother, sisters and brothers all work for the family business. Escalante
points out, “She can help the family more by getting an education…she should
make her own choices…Ana could go to college, come back, and teach you how to
run this place.” Ana’s father does not take the advice too kindly.
He tells Mrs. Escalante, “Your husband comes into my restaurant, eats…and
insults me!” She quietly replies, “Excuse my husband, Mr.
Delgado. He just wants what is best for Ana.” Ana returns to
class.
Neil Perry stops by Keating’s
office to have a conversation about a personal matter. He begins by
saying, “I just talked to my father. He's making me quit the play at Henley
Hall. Acting's everything to me. I- But he doesn't know! He- I can see his point;
we're not a rich family, like Charlie's. We- But he's planning the rest of my
life for me, and I- He's never asked me what I want!” Keating inquires, “Have you ever told your father what
you just told me? About your passion for acting? You ever showed him
that?” “I can't”, Perry responds. Keating asks him, “Why not?” Perry replies, “I can't talk to him this way.” Keating tells him, “Then you're acting for him, too. You're playing the
part of the dutiful son. Now, I know this sounds impossible, but you have to
talk to him. You have to show him who you are, what your heart is!” Perry says, “I know what he'll say! He'll tell me that acting's a whim
and I should forget it. They're counting on me; he'll just tell me to put it
out of my mind for my own good.” Keating says, “You are not an
indentured servant! It's not a whim for you, you prove it to him by your
conviction and your passion! You show that to him, and if he still doesn't
believe you - well, by then, you'll be out of school and can do anything you
want.” Perry informs him, “No. What about the play? The show's tomorrow
night!” Keating advises him, “Then you have to talk to him
before tomorrow night.” Desperately Perry asks, “ Isn't there an easier
way?” Keating tells him, “No.”
Mr. Escalante had his students sign a contract specifying terms
for spending extra time working for his class which included time in the
morning, after school and weekends. He wanted to make his expectations
clear and made sure that each student had their parent sign it so he could hold
his students to his rules. As each student entered the classroom,
Escalante collected the forms. Pancho did not have his paper
signed. His excuse was, “My uncle offered me a job operating a forklift
Saturdays and Sundays. I’ll be making time and a half.” “So what”,
replied Escalante. He smugly replied, “Two years in the union and I’ll be
making more than you.” Later while Escalante is driving Pancho's car, he tells him, “Kemo, I don't
wanna let you down but the money I'd be making will buy me a new Trans
Am.” Escalante tells him, “No one cruises through life, Pancho.
Wouldn't you rather be designing these things than repairing them? Can't even
do that, things got fuel injection” as he grinds the gears to the car. “Kemo, you're gonna strip my gears, man!” “Don't panic, Johnny, just watch out for the
other guy”, as he grinds the gears again. Calmly he asks, “Right or left?” When he
doesn’t get an immediate answer, he asks again, this time in desperation, “Right or left?” Pancho hurriedly yells in a panic, “GO RIGHT! GO RIGHT!” Escalante turns right, and screeches to halt in front of a dead end
sign. He tells Pancho, “All you can see is the turn, don't see the road
ahead...”
While standing on his desk Keating asks the classroom full of boys, “Why do I stand
up here? Anybody?” Dalton answers, “To feel taller!” Keating rings a
bell with his foot, “No! Thank you for playing Mr. Dalton. I stand upon
my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different
way.” He adds, “Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the
longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau
said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation." Don't be resigned
to that. Break out!” The students take turns climbing onto Keating's desk
to see a new perspective as he tells them, “Now, don't just walk off the edge
like lemmings! Look around you!”
Mr. Jamie Escalante from
the movie "Stand and Deliver" and Professor John Keating from the
movie "Dead Poets Society" were both dedicated teachers. Their
goal was to open the minds of their students and instill lessons that they
could use in their lives beyond the classroom. They produced new ways for
their students to see the world. They taught that them that they can
overcome hardships, arise from struggles and do extraordinary things to create
something better in their worlds.
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