Share something about the film you watched that you hope to discuss in class. Reply to the comments that name your film so that all of the comments for each film are grouped together. Try to include something form what we have discussed so far in this course (e.g, purposes of school, individualism, opportunity, class and race, teacher and/or student agency, the limits of the art form, etc.).
Freedom Writers is about a high school that used to be known for their academic quality until they enforced voluntary integration. A new teacher, Erin Gruwell, comes to teach a freshman and sophomore English class. The film focuses on racial tension, discrimination in the school, and raises the question of what the purpose of school is. Although Gruwell succeed in helping her students, her methods were not approved by the other teachers. The head of her department, in fact, was against her for that very reason. It raised the question, is the purpose of school to help every individual succeed, or to only help those that seem more likely to succeed? Or, better yet, is the purpose of school to help everyone or follow a strict guideline no matter what? As the movie goes on, the students separate from their group identities and instead become more of themselves. In the beginning all the students separated themselves by race and cliches, later, however, they come together. The film definitely promotes being a part of a group, however, it also promotes individuality. They only become that part when they stop conforming to groups that they were forced into due to their ethnicity/race.
Jones Boyer - One aspect that I found interesting about Freedom Writers is how much it conformed to the trends that we have discussed in class regarding the role of students as portrayed in media. Individuality seemed to be an overarching theme within the movie, specifically focused on the individuality/agency placed upon the students to lift themselves up from their previous social/societal constraints. I look forward to discussing some of the negative aspects of how we view individuality, and how they relate to the film. While the film was ultimately rather feel good with the ending, I don't think the expectation of removing constraints to academic success should always lie with the students, as many of the issues plaguing schools are systemic. In reading reviews for the movie, I've also seen a few complaints leveled at the film as a white savior story in regards to Erin's role. While the story is true, I think it's important to be aware of how filmmakers frame or portray certain aspects of the story, as movies are never entirely real. While I enjoyed the film, I look forward to critical discussion on how it relates to some of these elements we've talked about in class.
I watched Freedom Writers. This movie hit all the topics discussed in the prompt above. For me, the purpose of the school was perfectly explained through this movie. The purpose of school is to build a community with our peers and learn and grow through similar and differing experiences. Individualism occurred through the students being able to write in the journals. They were able to write down whatever they wanted without the pressure of it being a certain way. It was their own original words and ideas. Class and race were key themes in this movie. By showing the division between the different races amongst the students. And the class difference between the teachers and the students.
While watching this movie, one thought I kept discussing in my brain was the line between being a supportive teacher and crossing boundaries. Where should we draw this line? At what point is the students' personal lives none of the teacher's business? How much involvement is too much or too little? I think in reality, it's probably more of a case to case kind of thing.
But clearly, in this case, Erin's involvement worked out! She pushed the students and they pushed back, gaining everyone mutual respect. I admire teachers who can accomplish so much, I can't even imagine having to fight the school system for field trips and funding. This is such a sad reality of public education. I do think she went a little too far though when she moved up grades with her students. More students deserve a great teacher like her!
Lydia Haynes- Freedom Writers is a movie from 2007 that plays the trope of troubled students and savior teacher to a tee. A once highly regarded school undergoes enforced integration and test scores fall almost at the same rate as students dropping out. This movie hits on topics such as race, class, opportunity(or the lack thereof), and teacher agency. The teacher Erin Gruwell is a new teacher to the troubled school and goes above and beyond trying to reach her students and succeeds. While Erin did do her best in the complicated situation she was in and the kids responded well, her methods were very unrealistic. She let her marriage fall apart and got two other jobs just to cater to the kids, and yes it is inspiring and good to know someone cares so much but not all kids in bad circumstances will be able to receive the same style of teaching from such a caring teacher. From what I saw it felt like she was crossing some boundaries and I am surprised her school allowed her to do half the things she did. Also, even though the movie is about school, there was no real teaching going on in her English class which I also thought was unrealistic.
Angela Mitchel Freedom Writers brought to attention the racism toward students from administration throughout the education system. In the film, there was a heavy separation of cultures at the school. The diversity among students was extremely low in the honors english class compared to the academic english class. There were many more opportunities for the Honors students and care shown to students. The honors teacher claimed that the once “A-list” school became a reform school because of the increase in diversity. He also said that the minority students do not want to learn and therefore should not be taught with effort from the instructors. This idea, although extreme, is still prevalent today. In the film, the students’ agency for a better education brought such attention to the media, they made newspaper headlines. In more recent years, students have also voiced their opinions regarding multiple aspects of the education system and are still fighting for better educational opportunities. The March for Our Lives movement has brought both media and political attention, even having an influence on the Florida gun safety laws. This student-led movement was caused directly due to the student agency used by the Stoneman Douglas High School students bringing millions of Americans together to protest. Student agency is important, so higher powers can receive direct input from students and evoke more change.
Dangerous minds really opened my eyes to see how big of an impact teachers can have on students. It was amazing to see how the teacher changed all of the students lives. The teacher connected with the students and did not give up like the others. The students were mostly from lower class homes and thought they had no chance at school. This shows individualism by the effects each persons surroundings has on them. The teacher did everything she could to show them how they are all bright people and to stay out of trouble. This film shows the systems purpose of school and the teachers purpose of school. The principal in the movie showed sometimes how the school system is practiced. When one of the students went to the principal because he was in urgent need; the principal sent him away and refused to talk to him all because he did not knock. The teacher deeply cared about all of the students. Of course today a teacher would not be allowed to be spending time outside of school with students. My favorite part of the movie was when the teacher decided to leave and the kids used the tactics that she used on them to learn. At first she gave them rewards for doing assignments. The kids then tried to give her things or promises in order for her to stay. It was a great movie that really touched my heart. -Natalie Agee
Dangerous Minds was a very uplifting story that emphasized on the power and choice teachers can make to change their students’ lives. I thought it was significant that the story was really focused on the teacher and her life and career whereas most have the main character be a student. The setting was a low income and high crime area where the students were not presented with the same opportunities other more privileged children have. It did align with Bulman Chapter 1, as the teacher ended up being the student’s hero and she was able to help them partially turn their life around and motivate them to want to graduate. However, the students were also a hero to the teacher as they helped her to find a purpose and true passion which was reveled in the final scene when they convinced her to stay and continue to be their teacher. This movie was very complex with the ongoing troubles the students face with having to balance school and making money to support their families, and the tribulation the teacher faced trying to get the students attention and motivate them to learn.
This movie is incredibly similar to a bunch of other movies I’ve seen with this same dynamic. I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would, but I think there’s a common implicit message in films like this that should be critiqued. They often use a white savior narrative to substantiate the myth that the United States is a meritocracy and individuals can combat systemic racism and poverty by working hard. I think its a bit idealistic to imply that larger societal issues can be solved solely through more equitable educational practices. I believe improving the education system is important, but I think its harmful to suggest that poor students of color are in the position they are in and are afforded limited opportunities based on their learning engagement.
Dangerous Minds told the story of a teacher who had the power and choice to change the lives of her students. It was uplifting and focused on the importance of teachers.The students were also heroes to the teacher as they helped her find her passion and purpose in life. They convinced her to stay in school despite the obstacles she faced in trying to motivate them. This movie was deep due to the various struggles the students face in school.When one of the students was in urgent need, the principal sent him away. The teacher deeply cared about the other students.The effects of the environment on the students are shown in this film. The teacher did her best to show them that all the people in the world are good people.
I agree with Jordyn. The climactic monologue by the teacher about choices and the students who were there choosing to better themselves by getting on the bus ignores many systemic issues. It also puts those students actions on a pedestal, pushing the message that if you are not improving yourself and your situation it is your fault. Other than that however, the movie was better than I thought it would be. I think it did a good job of showing how a different teaching style can be more effective and give students more agency and motivation.
Lauren Jefferson - I liked that Dangerous Minds drew attention to the fact that schools and the school system often neglect the students who need the most help. It showed that schools don't usually take students' individual needs into account, and they fail to provide support and assistance to those who need it. I also liked that in the movie, the teacher learned as much from the students as they learned from her.
While watching Lean on Me, one of the things I noticed is that some of the characters, like the Mayor and Leonna Barrett, did not care about what was best for the students while Principle Clark and many other characters in the movie set out to help the students actually learn and improve. The Mayor did want the students to pass their state exam but only so it would make him look good and while it was obvious that all of the students wanted Mr. Clark to be their principle because of how much he has helped them, Leonna Barrett still wanted him to be fired just because she didn't like him. It's pretty sad to see that those characters only wanted personal gain rather than doing what was best for the students and it makes me wonder how many people involved in school systems all over the country don't actually care about the students.
While watching lean on me there were two main points that I wanted to discuss in class. The first being Mr.Clark's teaching style, while he encourages the students to do better and does whats best for them he also continues to act in a very strict manner. I think it would be interesting to discuss wether or not others who watched this movie would consider his more defensive actions necessary or a setback. Another topic that would create an interesting discussion is the purpose of racial division in the movie. This was clear to me in the assembly scene when he asks only the white students to stand. I think the purpose of this scene was to make it clear that every student in that school was struggling, but some had a inherent societal upper-hand. Overall I enjoyed watching the movie and seeing the connections between the topics we went over in class.
While watching Lean on Me, I enjoyed that Mr. Clark was not a happy go lucky man, and he never does really change. He cleans up the school well, but his personality as a whole never truly changed. He still remains the cold man that we came to know. However, one scene I did not enjoy was that he gathered up all the druggies and problem students up on to a stage, and expelled them all at once. I felt like that was not a good method for "cleaning up the school. But in the end, it did make the school look better, but was it worth it at the cost of these student's education? Overall, this film was interesting and I liked how it wasn't completely a cliche of the principal or teacher didn't grow super soft for the students. But the students were still very thankful to him, and I think that was the best end goal.
I noticed that while watching the movie that Mr. Clark took a very individualistic approach to being a principal. He started off by expunging a bunch of students that other teachers didn't like. He then fired the chorus teacher for no reason, and embarrassed the assistant football coach multiple times in front of students. He eventually proves to the students how much he cares for them, but I feel like he never really shows the teachers how much he appreciated the hard work they did in helping the students. -Andrew
I noticed that in this movie it was almost as if the principal was discouraging individualism among the faculty and students for the sake of regaining control of the school. It started to make me think about how I picture more "prestigious" schools. I think of students and faculty in uniforms, pretty conservative appearances, and strict policies. So, it makes me believe that media associates individuality with lower classes, especially when it comes to school settings.
Stand & Deliver follows a high school math teacher in a low income school who strives to help his students succeed, despite the lack of belief these students have from other faculty members. The film deals with themes of class and racism and how discrimination affects students in the school system. The teacher continuously goes above and beyond to support these students for their own betterment because he believes in them despite how they may feel about the matter and the setbacks they face (both externally & internally). Stand & Deliver is really heart warming and drives home how important it is to have a positive outlook and how much support can do for someone.
Stand and deliver tells the story of a high school in a low income hispanic community who have extremely low grades. A new teacher sees their potential and helps them reach their goal of taking AP Calculus before they graduate. The story has elements of class division and systematic racism. The film was a very good, heartwarming watch.
I found Stand and Deliver to be an inspirational film, yet also a frustrating one. I think from my point of view in 2021, the teaching method was brutal and unnecessarily harsh. It seemed to be built upon humiliation and pushing students a bit too hard, which often times leads to stress and burn out. Perhaps this is because we have far more of an emphasis on mental health and supporting individuals and their needs in today's society than back in the 80s. It seems wrong to watch a teacher constantly neglect his students' life outside of school and make them pour everything into work because in this day and age we are more concerned about emotional effects and empathizing with others.
EMJAE BERNARDINO: Stand and Deliver, in short, is about a teacher wanting to teach math, particularly calculus, to a low income (mostly Latinx) high school where most of the kids would not apply themselves. This movie covers the lengths him and his students have to go to be able to pass the AP exam for calculus. I think that this movie ties into two topics we discussed in class; the purpose of school as well as class and race. Mr. Escalante shows that teachers can have a huge impact on their students outside of a classroom environment, and I believe that really encompasses what's school's purpose is in reality. Yes he taught them a subsection of math, but he also showed them how to keep striving for better and that quitting on yourself may be easier in the moment, but harder in the long run. Stand and Deliver also tackles class and race in a big way since this was based on a true story. It showed the structured racism/classism integrated in public schools. Since it was a low income area, all of their passing exam scores were questioned.
One thing about the movie I want to talk about is the idea of Sir, seeing the students as adults to create a consensus and understanding between them. He realized that these students would not engage with material that normally takes up the bulk of highschool (textbooks, novels). Instead he decided to teach them about real life, gave them the reality check that they'll soon be living alone as adults and decided on honesty as well. His class was an open, honest and safe space by the end of the movie. Discussions included but were not limited to love, race, aggression, and human decency. Sir truly lead by example, he treated his students as adult's and by the end of it they were doing the same for him. Anyone can reiterate content, but to enlighten your students while teaching them takes honesty, open-mindedness and consideration to each individual in your class.
I watched the movie stand and deliver which focused on a teacher who decided to make a class of low achievers into a class of high achievers. This teacher,known as Jaime Escalante, took an authoritarian approach to getting the results he wanted out of his class. Utilizing some controversial tactics (for todays standards at least) he was able to get some of his students to succeed to the point where their academic integrity was called into question. Upon a successful retake both the teacher and the students were validated without a shadow of a doubt. I noticed that despite the undisputed fact that Escalante got his class to succeed academically, he seemed to not address the students lives outside of class. He made the students self sacrifice their free time and energy even if they didn't particularly embrace math as a whole. To me this seemed to remove the individualism that the students had in relation with their teacher. He wasn't compassionate and did not listen to any external reasoning for a student missing a class. This rubbed me the wrong way as I think his students could have had better results both academically and socially if he was more understanding/ compassionate.
I had published this post on the assigned date, but forgot to add my name. And I wasn't able to comment to the post to add my name so I am reposting.
I watched Freedom Writers. This movie hit all the topics discussed in the prompt above. For me, the purpose of the school was perfectly explained through this movie. The purpose of school is to build a community with our peers and learn and grow through similar and differing experiences. Individualism occurred through the students being able to write in the journals. They were able to write down whatever they wanted without the pressure of it being a certain way. It was their own original words and ideas. Class and race were key themes in this movie. By showing the division between the different races amongst the students. And the class difference between the teachers and the students.
- I watched To Sir, With Love. I liked how Sir saw didn’t see the students as children or annoying teenagers. But rather upcoming adults. When he told his students that they seemed to be more receptive of what he wanted to teach them after he told them that’s how he would teach them. A cool topic to talk about would be teacher agency, especially teachers at public and/or underfunded schools. How much room are they given or not given (as actors within an institution that have little control) to teach students topics that they’d relate to and need to learn outside of academics. Topics that would benefit them more as people than students. Every group of children are different and a teacher/adult who is constantly around them may see other topics that the students are in greater need of learning. Sir saw that his students were ill prepared for a life milestone that was quickly approaching so he taught them basic things that they’d need once the time came. But obviously the movie is fictitious. But I’d love to discuss technical barriers and practices that prevent teachers from being able to do this in real life. If there are any. (Keyana Roberts
Angela Mitchel Freedom Writers brought to attention the racism toward students from administration throughout the education system. In the film, there was a heavy separation of cultures at the school. The diversity among students was extremely low in the honors english class compared to the academic english class. There were many more opportunities for the Honors students and care shown to students. The honors teacher claimed that the once “A-list” school became a reform school because of the increase in diversity. He also said that the minority students do not want to learn and therefore should not be taught with effort from the instructors. This idea, although extreme, is still prevalent today. In the film, the students’ agency for a better education brought such attention to the media, they made newspaper headlines. In more recent years, students have also voiced their opinions regarding multiple aspects of the education system and are still fighting for better educational opportunities. The March for Our Lives movement has brought both media and political attention, even having an influence on the Florida gun safety laws. This student-led movement was caused directly due to the student agency used by the Stoneman Douglas High School students bringing millions of Americans together to protest. Student agency is important, so higher powers can receive direct input from students and evoke more change.
Freedom Writers (2007)
ReplyDeleteFreedom Writers is about a high school that used to be known for their academic quality until they enforced voluntary integration. A new teacher, Erin Gruwell, comes to teach a freshman and sophomore English class. The film focuses on racial tension, discrimination in the school, and raises the question of what the purpose of school is. Although Gruwell succeed in helping her students, her methods were not approved by the other teachers. The head of her department, in fact, was against her for that very reason. It raised the question, is the purpose of school to help every individual succeed, or to only help those that seem more likely to succeed? Or, better yet, is the purpose of school to help everyone or follow a strict guideline no matter what? As the movie goes on, the students separate from their group identities and instead become more of themselves. In the beginning all the students separated themselves by race and cliches, later, however, they come together. The film definitely promotes being a part of a group, however, it also promotes individuality. They only become that part when they stop conforming to groups that they were forced into due to their ethnicity/race.
DeleteJones Boyer - One aspect that I found interesting about Freedom Writers is how much it conformed to the trends that we have discussed in class regarding the role of students as portrayed in media. Individuality seemed to be an overarching theme within the movie, specifically focused on the individuality/agency placed upon the students to lift themselves up from their previous social/societal constraints. I look forward to discussing some of the negative aspects of how we view individuality, and how they relate to the film. While the film was ultimately rather feel good with the ending, I don't think the expectation of removing constraints to academic success should always lie with the students, as many of the issues plaguing schools are systemic. In reading reviews for the movie, I've also seen a few complaints leveled at the film as a white savior story in regards to Erin's role. While the story is true, I think it's important to be aware of how filmmakers frame or portray certain aspects of the story, as movies are never entirely real. While I enjoyed the film, I look forward to critical discussion on how it relates to some of these elements we've talked about in class.
DeleteI watched Freedom Writers.
DeleteThis movie hit all the topics discussed in the prompt above. For me, the purpose of the school was perfectly explained through this movie. The purpose of school is to build a community with our peers and learn and grow through similar and differing experiences. Individualism occurred through the students being able to write in the journals. They were able to write down whatever they wanted without the pressure of it being a certain way. It was their own original words and ideas. Class and race were key themes in this movie. By showing the division between the different races amongst the students. And the class difference between the teachers and the students.
While watching this movie, one thought I kept discussing in my brain was the line between being a supportive teacher and crossing boundaries. Where should we draw this line? At what point is the students' personal lives none of the teacher's business? How much involvement is too much or too little? I think in reality, it's probably more of a case to case kind of thing.
DeleteBut clearly, in this case, Erin's involvement worked out! She pushed the students and they pushed back, gaining everyone mutual respect. I admire teachers who can accomplish so much, I can't even imagine having to fight the school system for field trips and funding. This is such a sad reality of public education. I do think she went a little too far though when she moved up grades with her students. More students deserve a great teacher like her!
DeleteLydia Haynes-
DeleteFreedom Writers is a movie from 2007 that plays the trope of troubled students and savior teacher to a tee. A once highly regarded school undergoes enforced integration and test scores fall almost at the same rate as students dropping out. This movie hits on topics such as race, class, opportunity(or the lack thereof), and teacher agency. The teacher Erin Gruwell is a new teacher to the troubled school and goes above and beyond trying to reach her students and succeeds. While Erin did do her best in the complicated situation she was in and the kids responded well, her methods were very unrealistic. She let her marriage fall apart and got two other jobs just to cater to the kids, and yes it is inspiring and good to know someone cares so much but not all kids in bad circumstances will be able to receive the same style of teaching from such a caring teacher. From what I saw it felt like she was crossing some boundaries and I am surprised her school allowed her to do half the things she did. Also, even though the movie is about school, there was no real teaching going on in her English class which I also thought was unrealistic.
Angela Mitchel
DeleteFreedom Writers brought to attention the racism toward students from administration throughout the education system. In the film, there was a heavy separation of cultures at the school. The diversity among students was extremely low in the honors english class compared to the academic english class. There were many more opportunities for the Honors students and care shown to students. The honors teacher claimed that the once “A-list” school became a reform school because of the increase in diversity. He also said that the minority students do not want to learn and therefore should not be taught with effort from the instructors. This idea, although extreme, is still prevalent today.
In the film, the students’ agency for a better education brought such attention to the media, they made newspaper headlines. In more recent years, students have also voiced their opinions regarding multiple aspects of the education system and are still fighting for better educational opportunities. The March for Our Lives movement has brought both media and political attention, even having an influence on the Florida gun safety laws. This student-led movement was caused directly due to the student agency used by the Stoneman Douglas High School students bringing millions of Americans together to protest. Student agency is important, so higher powers can receive direct input from students and evoke more change.
Dangerous Minds (1995)
ReplyDeleteDangerous minds really opened my eyes to see how big of an impact teachers can have on students. It was amazing to see how the teacher changed all of the students lives. The teacher connected with the students and did not give up like the others. The students were mostly from lower class homes and thought they had no chance at school. This shows individualism by the effects each persons surroundings has on them. The teacher did everything she could to show them how they are all bright people and to stay out of trouble. This film shows the systems purpose of school and the teachers purpose of school. The principal in the movie showed sometimes how the school system is practiced. When one of the students went to the principal because he was in urgent need; the principal sent him away and refused to talk to him all because he did not knock. The teacher deeply cared about all of the students. Of course today a teacher would not be allowed to be spending time outside of school with students. My favorite part of the movie was when the teacher decided to leave and the kids used the tactics that she used on them to learn. At first she gave them rewards for doing assignments. The kids then tried to give her things or promises in order for her to stay. It was a great movie that really touched my heart.
Delete-Natalie Agee
Dangerous Minds was a very uplifting story that emphasized on the power and choice teachers can make to change their students’ lives. I thought it was significant that the story was really focused on the teacher and her life and career whereas most have the main character be a student. The setting was a low income and high crime area where the students were not presented with the same opportunities other more privileged children have. It did align with Bulman Chapter 1, as the teacher ended up being the student’s hero and she was able to help them partially turn their life around and motivate them to want to graduate. However, the students were also a hero to the teacher as they helped her to find a purpose and true passion which was reveled in the final scene when they convinced her to stay and continue to be their teacher. This movie was very complex with the ongoing troubles the students face with having to balance school and making money to support their families, and the tribulation the teacher faced trying to get the students attention and motivate them to learn.
DeleteThis movie is incredibly similar to a bunch of other movies I’ve seen with this same dynamic. I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would, but I think there’s a common implicit message in films like this that should be critiqued. They often use a white savior narrative to substantiate the myth that the United States is a meritocracy and individuals can combat systemic racism and poverty by working hard. I think its a bit idealistic to imply that larger societal issues can be solved solely through more equitable educational practices. I believe improving the education system is important, but I think its harmful to suggest that poor students of color are in the position they are in and are afforded limited opportunities based on their learning engagement.
DeleteDangerous Minds told the story of a teacher who had the power and choice to change the lives of her students. It was uplifting and focused on the importance of teachers.The students were also heroes to the teacher as they helped her find her passion and purpose in life. They convinced her to stay in school despite the obstacles she faced in trying to motivate them. This movie was deep due to the various struggles the students face in school.When one of the students was in urgent need, the principal sent him away. The teacher deeply cared about the other students.The effects of the environment on the students are shown in this film. The teacher did her best to show them that all the people in the world are good people.
DeleteI agree with Jordyn. The climactic monologue by the teacher about choices and the students who were there choosing to better themselves by getting on the bus ignores many systemic issues. It also puts those students actions on a pedestal, pushing the message that if you are not improving yourself and your situation it is your fault. Other than that however, the movie was better than I thought it would be. I think it did a good job of showing how a different teaching style can be more effective and give students more agency and motivation.
Delete^Peter Samaha
DeleteLauren Jefferson - I liked that Dangerous Minds drew attention to the fact that schools and the school system often neglect the students who need the most help. It showed that schools don't usually take students' individual needs into account, and they fail to provide support and assistance to those who need it. I also liked that in the movie, the teacher learned as much from the students as they learned from her.
DeleteLean on Me (1989)
ReplyDeleteWhile watching Lean on Me, one of the things I noticed is that some of the characters, like the Mayor and Leonna Barrett, did not care about what was best for the students while Principle Clark and many other characters in the movie set out to help the students actually learn and improve. The Mayor did want the students to pass their state exam but only so it would make him look good and while it was obvious that all of the students wanted Mr. Clark to be their principle because of how much he has helped them, Leonna Barrett still wanted him to be fired just because she didn't like him. It's pretty sad to see that those characters only wanted personal gain rather than doing what was best for the students and it makes me wonder how many people involved in school systems all over the country don't actually care about the students.
DeleteWhile watching lean on me there were two main points that I wanted to discuss in class. The first being Mr.Clark's teaching style, while he encourages the students to do better and does whats best for them he also continues to act in a very strict manner. I think it would be interesting to discuss wether or not others who watched this movie would consider his more defensive actions necessary or a setback. Another topic that would create an interesting discussion is the purpose of racial division in the movie. This was clear to me in the assembly scene when he asks only the white students to stand. I think the purpose of this scene was to make it clear that every student in that school was struggling, but some had a inherent societal upper-hand. Overall I enjoyed watching the movie and seeing the connections between the topics we went over in class.
DeleteWhile watching Lean on Me, I enjoyed that Mr. Clark was not a happy go lucky man, and he never does really change. He cleans up the school well, but his personality as a whole never truly changed. He still remains the cold man that we came to know. However, one scene I did not enjoy was that he gathered up all the druggies and problem students up on to a stage, and expelled them all at once. I felt like that was not a good method for "cleaning up the school. But in the end, it did make the school look better, but was it worth it at the cost of these student's education? Overall, this film was interesting and I liked how it wasn't completely a cliche of the principal or teacher didn't grow super soft for the students. But the students were still very thankful to him, and I think that was the best end goal.
DeleteI noticed that while watching the movie that Mr. Clark took a very individualistic approach to being a principal. He started off by expunging a bunch of students that other teachers didn't like. He then fired the chorus teacher for no reason, and embarrassed the assistant football coach multiple times in front of students. He eventually proves to the students how much he cares for them, but I feel like he never really shows the teachers how much he appreciated the hard work they did in helping the students. -Andrew
DeleteI noticed that in this movie it was almost as if the principal was discouraging individualism among the faculty and students for the sake of regaining control of the school. It started to make me think about how I picture more "prestigious" schools. I think of students and faculty in uniforms, pretty conservative appearances, and strict policies. So, it makes me believe that media associates individuality with lower classes, especially when it comes to school settings.
DeleteStand and Deliver (1987)
ReplyDeleteStand & Deliver follows a high school math teacher in a low income school who strives to help his students succeed, despite the lack of belief these students have from other faculty members. The film deals with themes of class and racism and how discrimination affects students in the school system. The teacher continuously goes above and beyond to support these students for their own betterment because he believes in them despite how they may feel about the matter and the setbacks they face (both externally & internally). Stand & Deliver is really heart warming and drives home how important it is to have a positive outlook and how much support can do for someone.
DeleteStand and deliver tells the story of a high school in a low income hispanic community who have extremely low grades. A new teacher sees their potential and helps them reach their goal of taking AP Calculus before they graduate. The story has elements of class division and systematic racism. The film was a very good, heartwarming watch.
DeleteI found Stand and Deliver to be an inspirational film, yet also a frustrating one. I think from my point of view in 2021, the teaching method was brutal and unnecessarily harsh. It seemed to be built upon humiliation and pushing students a bit too hard, which often times leads to stress and burn out. Perhaps this is because we have far more of an emphasis on mental health and supporting individuals and their needs in today's society than back in the 80s. It seems wrong to watch a teacher constantly neglect his students' life outside of school and make them pour everything into work because in this day and age we are more concerned about emotional effects and empathizing with others.
DeleteEMJAE BERNARDINO: Stand and Deliver, in short, is about a teacher wanting to teach math, particularly calculus, to a low income (mostly Latinx) high school where most of the kids would not apply themselves. This movie covers the lengths him and his students have to go to be able to pass the AP exam for calculus. I think that this movie ties into two topics we discussed in class; the purpose of school as well as class and race. Mr. Escalante shows that teachers can have a huge impact on their students outside of a classroom environment, and I believe that really encompasses what's school's purpose is in reality. Yes he taught them a subsection of math, but he also showed them how to keep striving for better and that quitting on yourself may be easier in the moment, but harder in the long run. Stand and Deliver also tackles class and race in a big way since this was based on a true story. It showed the structured racism/classism integrated in public schools. Since it was a low income area, all of their passing exam scores were questioned.
DeleteTo Sir, With Love (1967)
ReplyDeleteOne thing about the movie I want to talk about is the idea of Sir, seeing the students as adults to create a consensus and understanding between them. He realized that these students would not engage with material that normally takes up the bulk of highschool (textbooks, novels). Instead he decided to teach them about real life, gave them the reality check that they'll soon be living alone as adults and decided on honesty as well. His class was an open, honest and safe space by the end of the movie. Discussions included but were not limited to love, race, aggression, and human decency. Sir truly lead by example, he treated his students as adult's and by the end of it they were doing the same for him. Anyone can reiterate content, but to enlighten your students while teaching them takes honesty, open-mindedness and consideration to each individual in your class.
ReplyDeleteI watched the movie stand and deliver which focused on a teacher who decided to make a class of low achievers into a class of high achievers. This teacher,known as Jaime Escalante, took an authoritarian approach to getting the results he wanted out of his class. Utilizing some controversial tactics (for todays standards at least) he was able to get some of his students to succeed to the point where their academic integrity was called into question. Upon a successful retake both the teacher and the students were validated without a shadow of a doubt. I noticed that despite the undisputed fact that Escalante got his class to succeed academically, he seemed to not address the students lives outside of class. He made the students self sacrifice their free time and energy even if they didn't particularly embrace math as a whole. To me this seemed to remove the individualism that the students had in relation with their teacher. He wasn't compassionate and did not listen to any external reasoning for a student missing a class. This rubbed me the wrong way as I think his students could have had better results both academically and socially if he was more understanding/ compassionate.
ReplyDeleteMatt Embretsen^
DeleteI had published this post on the assigned date, but forgot to add my name. And I wasn't able to comment to the post to add my name so I am reposting.
ReplyDeleteI watched Freedom Writers.
This movie hit all the topics discussed in the prompt above. For me, the purpose of the school was perfectly explained through this movie. The purpose of school is to build a community with our peers and learn and grow through similar and differing experiences. Individualism occurred through the students being able to write in the journals. They were able to write down whatever they wanted without the pressure of it being a certain way. It was their own original words and ideas. Class and race were key themes in this movie. By showing the division between the different races amongst the students. And the class difference between the teachers and the students.
- I watched To Sir, With Love. I liked how Sir saw didn’t see the students as children or annoying teenagers. But rather upcoming adults. When he told his students that they seemed to be more receptive of what he wanted to teach them after he told them that’s how he would teach them. A cool topic to talk about would be teacher agency, especially teachers at public and/or underfunded schools. How much room are they given or not given (as actors within an institution that have little control) to teach students topics that they’d relate to and need to learn outside of academics. Topics that would benefit them more as people than students. Every group of children are different and a teacher/adult who is constantly around them may see other topics that the students are in greater need of learning. Sir saw that his students were ill prepared for a life milestone that was quickly approaching so he taught them basic things that they’d need once the time came. But obviously the movie is fictitious. But I’d love to discuss technical barriers and practices that prevent teachers from being able to do this in real life. If there are any. (Keyana Roberts
ReplyDeleteAngela Mitchel
ReplyDeleteFreedom Writers brought to attention the racism toward students from administration throughout the education system. In the film, there was a heavy separation of cultures at the school. The diversity among students was extremely low in the honors english class compared to the academic english class. There were many more opportunities for the Honors students and care shown to students. The honors teacher claimed that the once “A-list” school became a reform school because of the increase in diversity. He also said that the minority students do not want to learn and therefore should not be taught with effort from the instructors. This idea, although extreme, is still prevalent today.
In the film, the students’ agency for a better education brought such attention to the media, they made newspaper headlines. In more recent years, students have also voiced their opinions regarding multiple aspects of the education system and are still fighting for better educational opportunities. The March for Our Lives movement has brought both media and political attention, even having an influence on the Florida gun safety laws. This student-led movement was caused directly due to the student agency used by the Stoneman Douglas High School students bringing millions of Americans together to protest. Student agency is important, so higher powers can receive direct input from students and evoke more change.