The Changes of Behavior and Attitudes of the Class in To Sir With Love

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"With detailed reference to any 3 incidents in the book, show how Mr Braithwaite changes the behaviour and attitudes of the class."

When Mr Braithwaite first encounters his class they are an unruly group of people who never manage to keep a teacher for long. They were mostly unkempt and scruffy and weren't very well educated as Mr Braithwaite found out on his first day,

" Twenty-six of the class were girls, and many of their faces bore traces of make-up inexpertly or hurriedly re-moved, giving to their youth a slightly tawdry, jaded look… The boys were scruffier, coarser, dirtier… the same wary sullenness" (PG 49 para.2)

"Palmer sat down, looking at me questioningly. His reading was shockingly bad. Benjamin's effort was not much better, nor was that of Sapiano, Wells or Drake."(PG 51 para.1)

Mr Braithwaite failed to make much of an impression on his class when he first arrived. In their weekly review all that was mentioned was a new 'blackie' teacher. Mr Braithwaite realised that his class went through phases with him. The first one being the silent treatment, where his pupils did everything that was asked of them, but without enthusiasm or interest. The second phase was the 'noisy' treatment, where lessons would be interrupted and there was general unruliness.

The first incident in the book, which changed the behaviour and attitudes of the class, was in the noisy treatment phase, when one breaktime, Mr Braithwaite discovered a sanitary napkin burning in the fireplace of the classroom. The room was smoky and there was a huddle of people around the fire laughing and joking. Mr Braithwaite was disgusted by this and ordered the boys out of the room so he could speak to the girls. He told them his feel...

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...ively shutting us away from each other." (PG 164 para.2) Nobody wanted to take the flowers because Seales was 'coloured'. To Mr Braithwaite none of his teaching, talking, example, patience and worry mattered. They were nothing. He was bitterly disappointed.

On the day of the funeral Mr Braithwaite arrived at the street where Seales lived. He stopped, stunned. There standing on the pavement in a group was his class, they had come, nearly all of them. Mr Braithwaite's faith in them was restored; maybe he really had made an impression after all.

" ' I, that is we, want to tell you how very grateful we are for all you have done for us, all of us… We know it could not have been too easy for you, what with one thing and another… but you kept going. We think we are much better children for having had you as out teacher.'" (PG 183 para.4, Moira Joseph).

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