Captain America, Batman, Thor, Iron Man, and a teacher, to some people these names all bring to mind the same word—hero. However, one must be careful when comparing teachers to heroes, especially when considering how the media portrays teachers. While media can give off the impression that teachers are the heroes and saviors of the world, as Ayers says in chapter 1 of the book To Teach: the journey, in comics, a teacher’s job is not to save a child, but to teach them.
When people watch movies such as The Ron Clark Story, they form an image in their head of a teacher willing to do anything and everything for his/her students. In this movie the viewers witness numerous cases of how much effort Mr. Clark puts into the education of his students.
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Clark’s determination to know all the students individually. This is shown at the beginning of the film when Mr. Clark went around to all the students’ homes to meet the students and their parents. While many teachers enjoy meeting their students and parents before class starts, not many teachers are able and willing to run from home to home in order to achieve this. When the film shows Mr. Clark going to each student’s home, it puts the image into the viewers’ heads that every teacher should go from house to house to visit students. These home visits are not possible for most teachers, and that is why a great majority of schools have an open house before classes …show more content…
Clark’s beliefs regarding his role in the classroom. Mr. Clark states that he wants the class to feel like a family that will support each other and lead to successes. This attitude implies that Mr. Clark wishes for his students to see him as a friend that can be trusted; nonetheless, Mr. Clark understands that his real role is to be a teacher first, friend to the students second. This is shown when his class disrespects him, and even though he has told his students that he is their friend, when they were not listening to him Mr. Clark laid down the law and told them there would be punishments if the acting out didn’t stop. This is one of the most realistic events I noticed in the movie, because while many teachers wish to be on friendly terms with their students, most teachers recognize that they are a teacher
Clark’s first solution was to call an all-school get together, assembling all the druggies and troublemakers in front of an audience, and expel them all at once. He then starts to stalk the school hallways, authorizing his own particular rule of dread. Throughout the movie Clark makes both wrong and right decisions. He is a truly grieved man since his wife left him in the past. As the motion picture advances, Clark experiences an identity change; developing, and beginning to figure out how to be sentimental toward others. Nevertheless, Clark’s stubborn and outrageous personality still cleans up Eastside High.
Wallis, Claudia. “How to Make Great Teachers.” Time Online. 13 Feb. 2008. Web. 16 March 2011.
The ill-heartedness of “lemon dances” is shown to light in the documentary when speaking of how tenure protects low-performance teachers, even when they’re aware of their misconduct, stating “they know it, the other teachers know it, the school knows it, but the union contract says you can’t fire them” (43:44). Guggenheim explains how inadequate teachers are given a benefit in the teacher union contract, which ultimately affects students’ performance in school. As shocking as “lemon dances” are, “rubber rooms” in New York also become an unsettling factor that the viewer watches unfold in Waiting for “Superman”. Guggenheim includes footage from several of these reassignment centers, quoting that the teachers “collect their full salaries and accumulate benefits for spending seven hours a day reading and playing cards” (45:13). Guggenheim includes these controversial topics in order to create a shock or trauma with his audience. This provokes an intense tone that surprises viewers and forms a want for change. These two malpractices affect students’ progress and show the not-so-beneficial side of
The movie Teach was a brilliant, emotional movie that I was in no way expecting. It is a year-in-the-life kind of documentary about teachers and what they go through. It is a movie I can see myself going back to watch time and time again to remind myself just why on Earth I have decided to put myself through the stress of an education major. Teach gave us insight on four teachers who had to learn to adapt and change to meet the needs of their students and still build the relationship they needed to have. None of the teachers were perfect, but then again, there is no such thing as a perfect teacher. “The teacher is the one who gets the most out of the lessons, and the true teacher is the learner.” Elbert Hubbard. The most important thing about
“If you would just get up and teach them instead of handing them a packet. There’s kids in here that don’t learn like that. They need to learn face to face. I’m telling you what you need to do. You can’t expect a kid to change if all you do is just tell ‘em.” Texas student, Jeff Bliss, decided to take a stand against the lack of teaching going on in his class (Broderick).
Recently, students of Olympian High School have stumbled upon the question, "What is a hero?" In the school's 2013 Young Minds Essay Contest, students are expected to consider universal concerns and ideas. Many times when people think of a hero, they think of Superman, Batman, and many other Marvel characters who display unattainable superpowers. However, heroes are prevalent throughout the world. A hero can be anyone who has the desire to help others, brave in dangerous situations, and does not look at exterior gain from helping others.
For one, this shows that Clark is coming into the position with a plan of action which directly correlates to his core beliefs. This is similar to what Blankstein had in mind with his second axiom of a courageous leader: create organizational meaning (pg. 36). In addition, Clark calls out specific teachers in this instance so it seems as if he is playing to the strengths of particular people in the room. He does not bring in others from outside of the district but rather uses the people within his existing staff to make changes to the culture of the building. By setting high expectations, having a clear vision, showing proof of a plan of action, and making use of available resources, as a staff member I would have to admire what is being said by Clark even if the delivery is definitely less than
Logan, Joe. "Educators Evaluate Joe Clark's Methods." Philly.com. The Inquirer, 17 Mar. 1989. Web. 6 Mar. 2014. .
As the episode begins Smallville is in the middle of a heat wave. All the students and faculty are covered in sweat. As the students were waiting for their biology class to start, out walks a young teacher, Ms. Adkins, who happens to be wearing a really revealing dress. As the movie on animal reproduction is playing Clark can’t seem to stop staring at her. Demonstrating Whitlark’s idea of “.. Golden Age superheroes sublimated everyday desires for sexual reproduction.. (108)”. When Clark makes a valid attempt to ignore his unconscious thoughts of Ms. Adkins he accidentally sets the classroom on fire with his newly discovered heat ray. As everyone is evacuating, he saves Ms. Adkins life and puts out the fire. This allows the audience to view the responsible and troubling sides of Clark Kent. The responsible part of Clark tried to ignore his suppressed thoughts of Ms. Adkins however his troubling side b...
There were a couple of interesting points that struck me while watching the movie. I especially liked the line at the start of the movie – “Discipline is not the enemy of enthusiasm”. This line is very true. It doesn’t mean that when discipline is established in school, the students lose the eagerness to learn. In fact, I believe that discipline goes hand in hand with the enthusiasm to learn. But the skill I would like to focus on is Mr. Clark’s decision making.
Looking back from this past year to my earlier school days, one of the teachers that boldly stands out in my memory is Mrs. Miner. No one else has named me as her daughter, Joanie Miller. While at Grace Academy, art class at the end of the day with Mrs. Frisk still makes my sides ache from giggling. During the days when there were no art classes, Mr. Peterson’s enthusiasm for hockey brightened the gymnasium, as he and my father practiced rapid-fire slapshots on some unsuspecting ninth grader. But, through all the memories, I was trying to think of one characteristic of teachers that has shown through the many years. I thought about their dedication, patience and guidance but decided that these wouldn’t do.
I hear the sound of my alarm clock at 6:30am. Time to get up! I wish
For some reason or another certain students are drawn to particular teachers while other students are more fond of others. In my life I have studied under three memorable teachers. Teachers with which I was able to connect, to laugh, to share my misgivings. While I may have been close with each of these teachers, it is very clear, in retrospect, that each was very unique, and represented an entirely different class of teacher.
Teachers hold a very sensitive role in the modern civilized society. Regarded as social engineers, teachers possess immense knowledge on various issues that affect our daily lives as a community of human beings. Though in many countries including the developed ones, teachers are poorly remunerated they make invaluable contributions to their communities, to society and to the world at large, engaging in yeoman services with selfless love and dedication that could only be considered priceless. This paper serves to explore some of the social contributions that teachers make to the modern civilized society.
I believe that teaching is the most important profession in the world. How else can we continue to develop in such a technical world, or in any other way, for that matter? Without the transfer of knowledge to young minds, we will stagnate and wither as a world. Teaching is hope for better, more successful futures. Learning is hope for becoming better individuals, for gaining intelligence, and for implementing practical experiences in our future. Since we always tell our children that they should plan for their futures and work to realize those goals, the teaching profession should “practice what it preaches” by helping young people to reach those goals. Teaching reading during the past five years has been rewarding beyond my imagination. I have watched non-readers become readers, I have watched scores and student confidence improve, and I have been part of that change. What a reward!