Rough Draft: The Role of a Mentor

           What makes a person successful? There are numerous factors that lead to success, including formal education. Teachers play a very big role in this part of students' lives. Depending on their relationship in the classroom, it could positively or negatively impact the students' path to success. There are a number of roles that a teacher can be however, the role of a mentor is the most important. Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson were great models that played the crucial role of mentor in their students' lives.

            In the movie, Stand and Deliver, Mr. Escalante was a newly hired math teacher at Garfield High School. The school lacked funding, authority, security and control. As a result, students were rebellious and had no respect for authority whatsoever. In one scene, the students rigged the bell timing, which caused the bell to ring earlier than the usual time. In another scene, two boys walked in Mr. Escalante's class late. The way the boys walked in class and their tone toward Mr. Escalate was disrespectful. Due to the situation at Garfield High School, the faculty, community and even the students had very low expectations. When Mr. Escalante arrived at Garfield High School, he noticed that his students lacked the motivation and determination needed to success. However throughout the movie, Mr. Escalante plays the role of a mentor and slowly changed  each one of his students' lives.

            On the other side of the spectrum, in Mona Lisa Smile, the movie centers an art history teacher named Ms. Watson at Wellesley College, a very prestigious and luxurious school compared to Garfield High School. Wellesley was an all-girls school filled with women from highly wealthy and well-respected families. The Wellesley college and community was surrounded by strict rules and traditions. The purpose of women attending Wellesley was to prepare them for marriage, children and family. Ms. Watson was an independent woman who represented individualism and choice, which was frowned upon. Any change in rules or tradition was deemed unacceptable. For example, a nurse at Wellesley handed out contraceptives to the students. One of the students reported this incident in the school paper and, as a result, the school board decided to fire the nurse. As a mentor, Ms. Watson challenged the authority and changed the lives of her students.

            One of the characteristics that enabled Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson to become good mentors is their determination. Starting with Mr. Escalante, he showed his determination of many occasions. The faculty and parent's expectations of Mr. Escalante's students were low. Out of everyone in the movie, Mr. Escalante was the only one who believed in his students and, for this reason, he was determined to demonstrate the capabilities of his students by teaching them calculus. To help prepare his students for the advanced placement calculus exam, he held late and early classes, as well as summer classes. The faculty was against the summer program because most of the classrooms were reserved for remedial classes. As a result, Mr. Escalante held his summer classes in a room similar to a locker room, with no air-conditioning and limited space. To show the degree of Mr. Escalante's determination, he offered class during break, offered out-of-school tutoring and taught English at night for free. During this time, his wife claimed that he was not home enough to teach his own son math. By mentally and physically draining his own body, he suffered from a heart attack. After a few days in the hospital, Mr. Escalante checked himself out of the hospital and continued to prepare his students for the exam.

            Ms. Watson's determination also made her a positive example as a mentor. During her first day of class, she was completely shut down by her students. Ms. Watson's formal education was looked down upon because she previously went to a state university. Her students memorized the syllabus and quoted the textbook word-for-word, when Ms. Watson attempted to explain various artworks. However, she did not let this phase her. Instead, she became determined to gain control back in her classroom to teach art history. The next day, she created a whole new syllabus and stunned her entire class. During this process, she gained authority back in her own classroom and showed that wealth, social rank and marriage obligations did not have positive effects on their grades. There were no special treatment for any of the students in Ms. Watson's class. The women were furious with Ms. Watson however, after every class, they slowly started respecting her.

            Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson shared a second characteristic that made them both positive examples for fulfilling the role of mentor. This characteristic is their ability to teach beyond a classroom setting and into real-life situations. Mr. Escalante not only taught calculus, but he taught real-life lessons as well. In the beginning of Stand and Deliver, the faculty and parents did not have much expectations from their students. Mr. Escalante believed in his students and pushed them beyond anyone's expected limitations. Not only did Mr. Escalante shown his determination, but he passed it on to his students. He taught his students to believe in themselves and strive for success, despite what anyone else thought. He also taught them to push themselves beyond their limitations. One has to push one's self to better themselves. Lastly, he taught his students to be independent. There was one scene where one of the girls were asking their mother to sign a permission form for the calculus class. The mother quoted, "Men don't like women who are smart." The daughter replies, "I don't want to depend on a man for the rest of my life." Mr. Escalante changed the lives of his students by giving them motivation, emphasizing their determination, encouraging their self-confidence, embracing their independence and challenging their limitations.

            Ms. Watson was an independent woman who wanted to make a difference in the world. The purpose of Wellesley was to prepare women to become housewives to accommodate their husband and future children. She wanted to show her students that there was more to life than marriage, kids and a family. One of her students, Joan, wanted to go to law school however, she thought it to be distant dream. Ms. Watson encouraged her to apply to Yale and become a lawyer while having a family. Joan got accepted to Yale however, declined the offer because she wanted to become housewife instead. Wellesley is a very elegant school surrounded by traditions and rules. In the college and community, there is a right way to everything. A right way to teach, a right way to think, a right way of art and etc. Ms. Watson taught the women to free their mind from the strict rules and traditions and think for themselves. The faculty was not fond of Ms. Watson's teaching style and questioned her educational plan. As the movie progressed, Ms. Watson was accused of "challenging the roles the women were born to do" (Mona Lisa Smile) by one of her students. Ms. Watson had no intention of disrupting the "role of women," she just simply wanted to show her students that they had choices. Towards the end, Ms. Watson was invited to teach another year at Wellesley under strict conditions. However, she declined the offer the decided to go elsewhere because she did not want to conform to Wellesley's traditions. At the very end, Ms. Watson's students looked at Ms. Watson as a good role model and mentor.

            Teachers play a very crucial role in their students' lives. They assist in playing the important part of guiding their students to success. There are number of roles available for teachers to choose, however mentor is the most important role. Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson are great examples of teachers that played this important role. Both teachers were placed in very difficult positions with extreme conditions however, both had the characteristics of a mentor that won the respect of their students. Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson both possessed the determination to make difference in their students' lives. In addition to teaching the subject they were assigned to teach, they taught lessons that had real life applications. Through their hard work of fulfilling the role of mentor, both instructors successfully made a positive impact on their students' lives.  

WS: How does section 47 & 48 pertain to the assignment?

Section 47 and 48 is about chronological order and classification. This pertains to our essay in a number of ways. It pertains to our assignment because order is very important when writing our essay. If things were not in a certain order, the audience could lose interest or get confused and frustrated. Details do not have to be chronological order however, I chose to write in chronological order because it is easy and effective. Classification also pertains to our current essay because we need to classify our information in a way that is not confusing. We group similar pieces of information together and present it to the audience in a clear and concise way. If we did not list things in a certain order or classify and present our information and details in a certain way, it will be very easy to lose track of the main focus of the paper. The target audience could get frustrated, confused and eventually lose interest in reading our essays. To write a successful compare and contrast paper, we have to take note of the order and classification of our details and information.

WS: How does section 45 & 46 pertain to the assignment?

Section 45 and 46 is about defining terms explaining process for essays. This pertains to our current assignment in different ways. The second assignment is about comparing and contrasting two teachers. We must be able to define roles because it is our goal to define the importance of a teacher's role in students' lives. For this paper, we have to be able to inform the reader of the role we think is most important and support our thesis by providing evidence and examples. We have to keep our audience in mind when writing this essay because we have to be able to explain the two teachers without confusion. Process essays are about explaining the audience the instructions of doing a particular thing. For this essay, we are not explaining instructions for how to do something. However it pertains to our assignment because the process of how to write an effective process essay is the same process we use to write our essay. The things we have to keep in mind is the same such as target audience, order, thesis and etc. We have to make sure our essay makes sense to an audience outside of our class. That entails defining and explaining certain situations from movies and such. By keeping this in mind, we will be able to write an effective compare and contrast essay for this assignment.

What are the roles Boyce and Large advocate?

In the two articles, Jerry Large and Barry Boyce both emphasize the importance of being emotionally supportive of children's thoughts and feelings. Parents being sensitive to children's feelings helps build character and, in turn, these children become successful in the future. The role both writers advocate is the role of supporter. Jerry Large mentions, "If more parents hug and kiss and coo in those first years, we'd have a lot more happy and successful children" (Large - 2). He believes that if parents hug their children and kiss their wounds up to a certain point, the children can develop grit. Grit is one characteristics in successful people. Barry Boyce believes that children that receive "optimal nurturing conditions" will develop social and emotional skills needed in life. Boyce quotes Mark Greenberg in this article, “Kindness, caring, empathy, being able to de-center from your own point of view and listen deeply to others—these are values that should be cultivated in our classrooms" (Boyce -). Parents and teachers must take on the role of supporter to promote positive qualities like empathy and strong friendships. Both articles strongly emphasize the importance of the supporter in children's lives. With this role, children can learn in a supportive, stress-free environment and become successful.

Drafting Exercises: Third Organizational Format

I. Introduction

What makes a person successful? There are numerous factors that leads to succession, including formal education. Teachers play a very big role in students' lives. Depending on their relationship in the classroom, it could positively or negatively impact the students' path to succession.There are a number roles that a teacher can be, however the role of a mentor is the most important. Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson  were great examples of teachers that played this crucial role in their student's lives.

II. Body

Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson both shared the determination needed to become good examples of mentors. Mr. Escalante was a good example for a mentor because of his determination. In the movie, Stand and Deliver, he showed his determination on many occasions. The faculty and parent's expectations of Mr. Escalante's students were low. They assumed that they knew the limitations. Mr. Escalante believed in his students and, for this reason, he was determined to prove to everyone that his students are capable of achieving success. To help prepare his students for the calculus exam, Mr. Escalante held late and early classes, as well as summer classes. The faculty was against the summer program because most of the classrooms are occupied by remedial classes. During the summer, Mr. Escalante held his summer classes in a room similar to a locker room. There was no air-conditioning and space was limited. He even held classes during breaks. To show the degree of his determination, during the movie, his determination lead him to negatively impact his health and family. His wife claimed that he was not home enough to teach his own son math. Combining the late night classes he taught for free for the community and lessons at school in the morning resulted in a heart attack.

Ms. Watson's determination was also made her a positive example as a mentor. During her first day of class, she was completely shut down by her students. Ms. Watson's formal education was looked down upon because she previously went to a state university. Her students memorized the syllabus and quoted the textbook word-for-word, when Ms. Watson attempted to explain the different slides. However, she did not let this phase her. Instead, she became determined to gain control back in her classroom and teach art history. The next day, she created a whole new syllabus and stunned her entire class. During this process, she gained authority back in her classroom and showed that wealth, social rank and marriage obligations had no positive effects on their grades and received no special treatment.

Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watsonn shared a second characteristic that made them both positive examples for fulfilling the role of mentor. This shared characteristic is their ability to teach beyond a classroom setting and into real-life situations. Mr. Escalante not only taught calculus, but he taught real-life lessons as well. In the beginning of Stand and Deliver, the faculty and parents did not have high expectations from the students. Mr. Escalante belived in his students and pushed them beyond anyone's expected limitations. The real life lesson he taught was determination. He taught his students to believe in themselves and strive for success, despite what anyone else thinks. Not only did he teach his students to strive for success, but he also taught them how to push themselves beyond their own limitations. One has to push one's self to better themselves. Lastly, he taught his students to be independent. There was one scene one of the girls were asking their mother to sign the permission form for the calculus class. The mother quoted, "Men don't like women who are smart." And the daughter replies, "I don't want to depend on a man for the rest of my life." 

Ms. Watson was an independent woman who wanted to make a difference. She wanted to show her students that there is more to life than marriage, kids and a family. Wellesley was supposed to prepare the women to become housewives o accommodate their husband and future children. She advises Joan to go to Yale while having a family and husband. Wellesley is a very pretigious school surrounded by traditions and strict rules. In the college and community, there is a right way to do everything. A right way to teach, a right way to think, a right way of art, etc. Ms. Watson taught the women to think for themselves, beyond the strict rules and traditions. Towards the end, Ms. Watson was invited to teach another year at Wellesley under strict conditions. However, she declined the offer and decided to go elsewhere. With this action, she showed her students that she was an independent woman who refused to conform to Wellesley's rules.

III. Conclusion

Teachers play a very crucial role in their students' lives. They assist in playing the important part of guiding their students to success. There are a number of roles available for teachers to choose, however mentor is the most important role. Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson are great examples of teachers that played this important role. Both teachers were placed in very difficult positions with opposite environments. Although they were in different environments and surroundings, both teachers had the characteristics of a mentor that won the respect of their students. Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson both possessed the determination to make a difference in their students' lives. In addition to teaching the subject they were assigned to teach, they taught more than that. They taught their students important real-life lessons such as being independent and self-confident. In the beginning, both teachers were shut down by their students however, as mentors, they successfully fulfilled their role and made a positive impact on their students' lives.   

Drafting Exercises: Point by Point Format

I. Introduction

Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson are two different teachers placed in difficult positions. The positions they were both assigned were on opposite sides of the extremes that challenged their teaching abilities. The roles both instructors played were mentors. Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson are great examples of mentors because of their determination and teachings beyond classroom setting and into real-life situations.

II. Body

A. Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson both shared the determination needed to become mentors.
     A. Mr. Escalante was a good example for a mentor because of this determination. In the movie, Stand and Deliver, he showed his determination on many occasions. The faculty and parent's expectations of Mr. Escalante's students were low. They assumed that they knew the limitations. Mr. Escalante believed in his students and, for this reason, he was determined to prove to everyone that his students are capable of achieving success. To help prepare his students for the calculus exam, Mr. Escalante held late and early classes, as well as summer classes. The faculty was against the summer program because most of the classrooms are occupied by remedial classes. During the summer, Mr. Escalante held his summer classes in a room similar to a locker room. There was no air-conditioning and space was limited. He even held classes during breaks. To show the degree of his determination, during the movie, his determination lead him to negatively impact his health and family. His wife claimed that he was not home enough to teach his own son math. Combining the late night classes he taught for free for the community and lessons at school in the morning resulted in a heart attack.

     B. Ms. Watson's determination was also made her a positive example as a mentor. During her first day of class, she was completely shut down by her students. Ms. Watson's formal education was looked down upon because she previously went to a state university. Her students memorized the syllabus and quoted the textbook word-for-word, when Ms. Watson attempted to explain the different slides. However, she did not let this phase her. Instead, she became determined to gain control back in her classroom and teach art history. The next day, she created a whole new syllabus and stunned her entire class. During this process, she gained authority back in her classroom and showed that wealth, social rank and marriage obligations had no positive effects on their grades and received no special treatment.

B. Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watsonn shared a second characteristic that made them both positive examples for fulfilling the role of mentor. This shared characteristic is their ability to teach beyond a classroom setting and into real-life situations. 

     A. Mr. Escalante not only taught calculus, but he taught real-life lessons as well. In the beginning of Stand and Deliver, the faculty and parents did not have high expectations from the students. Mr. Escalante belived in his students and pushed them beyond anyone's expected limitations. The real life lesson he taught was determination. He taught his students to believe in themselves and strive for success, despite what anyone else thinks. Not only did he teach his students to strive for success, but he also taught them how to push themselves beyond their own limitations. One has to push one's self to better themselves. Lastly, he taught his students to be independent. There was one scene one of the girls were asking their mother to sign the permission form for the calculus class. The mother quoted, "Men don't like women who are smart." And the daughter replies, "I don't want to depend on a man for the rest of my life."

     B. Ms. Watson was an independent woman who wanted to make a difference. She wanted to show her students that there is more to life than marriage, kids and a family. Wellesley was supposed to prepare the women to become housewives o accommodate their husband and future children. She advises Joan to go to Yale while having a family and husband. Wellesley is a very pretigious school surrounded by traditions and strict rules. In the college and community, there is a right way to do everything. A right way to teach, a right way to think, a right way of art, etc. Ms. Watson taught the women to think for themselves, beyond the strict rules and traditions. Towards the end, Ms. Watson was invited to teach another year at Wellesley under strict conditions. However, she declined the offer and decided to go elsewhere. With this action, she showed her students that she was an independent woman who refused to conform to Wellesley's rules.

III. Conclusion

Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson were in very different situations; however, in these different situations, they proved to be good examples as mentors because of their determination and their teachings beyond classroom setting. Both teachers were in placed in situations that were on opposite sides of the spectrum. Mr. Escalante was placed in a dysfunctional school with rebellious students, while Ms. Watson was placed in a prestigious school with strict traditions and rules. However, in both scenarios, both instructors proved to be excellent examples of playing the role of a mentor. Firstly, both had the determination to make a difference in the classroom and the student's lives. Lastly, both taught lessons beyond the classroom setting. They included lessons for real-life applications. Therefore, with these characteristics, Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson were excellent mentors. 

Drafting Exercises: Blocking Format

I. Introduction

Role: Mentor
Teacher 1: Mr. Escalante (Positive example)
Teacher 2: Ms. Watson (Positive example)
Both teachers are positive examples of the role.

II. Body

A. Mr. Escalante's determination is a characteristic that makes him a positive example as a mentor.
     1. During the movie, Stand and Deliver, Mr. Escalante truly believed in his students. The faculty and parent's expectations of Mr. Escalante's students were low. They assumed that they knew the limitations of Mr. Escalante's students and based their expectations accordingly. For this reason, none of the faculty challenged the students. However, Mr. Escalante believed in his students and knew that their limitations were far beyond anyone's expectations. He was determined to show everyone, the faculty and parents, that his students are capable of studying a hard class like calculus.
     2. To help prepare his students for the exam, Mr. Escalante held late and early classes, as well as summer classes. The faculty was against the summer program because most of the classrooms are occupied by remedial classes. During the summer, Mr. Escalante held his summer classes in a room similar to a locker room. There was no air-conditioning and space was limited. He even held classes during breaks. To show the degree of his determination, during the movie, his determination lead him to negatively impact his health and family. His wife claimed that he was not home enough to teach his own son math. Combining the late night classes he taught for free for the community and lessons at school in the morning resulted in a heart attack.
     3. After the students took the calculus exam, there were doubts among the faculty and community. The students were accused of cheating during the exam because of their scores. As a good mentor, Mr. Escalante defended his students and convinced them to retake the exam. He displayed his determination by pushing his students to study the book for the exam in a day's time.

B. Mr. Escalante's involvement in his student's educational life but also in their personal lives makes him a positive example as a mentor.
     1. Mr. Escalante held early and late classes, summer classes and tutoring outside of class to prepare his students for the calculus exam.
     2.  Mr. Escalante knew that Angel wanted to stay in class and learn, despite his affiliations with the gang. To help accommodate Angel's learning, Mr. Escalante gave him 3 textbooks to put in 3 different locations to conceal the fact that Angel is going to class willingly. Mr. Escalante knew of Angels' mother's health and tried his best to help Angel the best he could.
     3. During the movie, there was a scene when Mr. Escalante spoke to Ana's father about Ana's future. His father wanted Ana to quit school and help in the family business. However, Mr. Escalante told him Ana's dream of going to college and medical school. Ana's father was furious and found Mr. Escalante's tone rude. However, Ana's father decided to leave Ana in school so she could further her educational career beyond anyone else in her family.

C. Mr. Escalante not only taught calculus, but he taught real-life lessons which makes him a good example as a mentor.
     1. In the beginning of the movie, the faculty and parents did not have high expectations from the students. Mr. Escalante believed in his students and pushed them beyond their expected limitations. The real life lesson he taught the students in this context was, determination. He taught his students how to strive for success, despite what anyone else thinks.
     2. Not only did he teach his students to strive for success, but he also taught them how to push themselves beyond their own limitations. One has to push one's self to better themselves.
     3. He also taught his students to be independent. There was one scene where one of the girls were asking their mother to sign the permission form for calculus classes. The mother quoted, "Men don't like women who are smart." And the girl replies, "I don't want to depend on a man for the rest of my life."

D. Ms. Watson's determination makes her a good mentor.
     1. On the first day of class, she was shut down by the women in her class. They memorized the textbook and tried to intimidate Ms. Watson. However, Ms. Watson did not let this phase her. Instead, she became determined to teach her class. The next day, she created a whole new syllabus and stunned the class.
     2. Ms. Watson was not only determined to teach art history, but she was also determined to show her students that she had the authority in the classroom. Social rank and wealth had no positive effect on their grades.
     3.  Ms. Watson noticed the strict atmosphere that surrounds the community and school. She was determined to show her students that there is more to life than kids, husband and a family.

E. Ms. Watson challenges the role the women were "born to do" and shows alternate options for women.
     1. Ms. Watson shows the girls that there is more to life than marriage, kids and a family. In this college, women were prepared to become housewives to accommodate their husband and future children. She advises Joan to go to Yale while having a husband and family.
     2. Wellesley College is a very prestigious school surrounded by traditions and strict rules. In the college and community, there is a right way to do everything. A right way to teach, a right way to think, a right way of art, etc. Ms. Watson teaches the women to think for themselves, beyond the strict rules and traditions.
     3. Towards the end, Ms. Watson was invited to teach another year at Wellesley under strict conditions. However, she declined the offer and decided to go elsewhere. With this action, she showed her students that she was an independent woman who refused to conform to Wellesley's rules.

III. Conclusion:

Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson were in very different situations; however, in these different situations, they proved to be good examples as mentors because of their determination and their teachings beyond classroom setting. Both teachers were in placed in situations that were on opposite sides of the spectrum. Mr. Escalante was placed in a dysfunctional school with rebellious students, while Ms. Watson was placed in
 a prestigious school with strict traditions and rules. However, in both scenarios, both instructors proved to be excellent examples of playing the role of a mentor. Firstly, both had the determination to make a difference in the classroom and the student's lives. Secondly, both taught lessons beyond the classroom setting. They included lessons for real-life applications. With these characteristics, Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson were excellent mentors.

Beginning Rough Draft: Two Teachers

For my paper, I chose Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson as the two teachers. The focus of my paper is going to be how both teachers played the role of mentors. Mentors are people who understand and listens to people. They support others in where they need the most. I believe one of the characteristics that makes both Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson is determination. Both teachers were in difficult positions however, both were determined to help their students the best they could. Mr. Escalante showed his determination by pushing his students to take calculus and get college credit. Ms. Watson showed her determination by changing the syllabus and continued to teach art history. They also both advised students when they could. Mr. Escalante helped convince Ana's father to keep her in school. Ms. Watson convinced Joan to apply to Yale Law School. Finally, both teachers taught more than their assigned subjects. They taught lessons that were applicable to real-life like being independent and self-confident.

Define the roles

Mr. Escalante played many roles in the movie. He was a mentor, ally, friend and therapist. He was placed in a very difficult position with rebellious students and a lacking institution. The students did not care for this authoritative position and had no motivation whatsoever. As an ally, Mr. Escalante slowly engaged with his students and learned how to teach to them. As a mentor, he pushed them past their expected limitations. The faculty, parents and even their own selves did not expect themselves to be able to pass the exam for college credit. Along the way, there were doubts and uncertainty within the students, however as a friend, Mr. Escalante helped them through their obstacles to keep them going for the exam. As a therapist, Mr. Escalante noticed that the parents is one obstacle that is hard to navigate through. However, he got involved in his student's personal life and convinced the parents that their children have the ability to further their educational career. On the other side, Mr. Escalante's students were very hard to rude to him in the beginning, however they slowly gained respect for him and motivated themselves to learn. Thanks to Mr. Escalante's contribution and dedication to his student's lives, his students successfully passed the calculus test.

Ms. Watson played similar roles as Mr. Escalante. From what we saw from the movie, she was a mentor, ally and friend. Ms. Watson accepted her role as an art history instructor in a very prestigious school. The community and college was under the control of traditions and strict rules placed by the wealthy families and faculty. Because of this, the college and students were stuck in the mindset of "the right way of doing this." This mindset did not call for creative thinking whatsoever. As a mentor, Ms. Watson decided to break this chain and began teaching her students that art is subjective. There is no right way of art, it is simply abstract. She may not have been seen as an ally in the beginning, however she started opening the eyes of students by making them decide for themselves. As a friend, she motivated one of her students to pursue law and get married. Because of the roles Ms. Watson played, the faculty questioned her teaching style.

Jack MacFarland played similar roles as Ms. Watson and Mr. Escalante. He was a mentor, ally and friend. He was placed in vocational education, where students lacked motivation for learning and furthering their career. As a mentor, he organized a structured curriculum and a number of mixed material. He held reading quizzes ever so often and had his students read interesting books. Not only did he teach about literature but a combination of some history and other subjects to allow his students to absorb the lesson more efficiently. As an ally and friend, Mr. MacFarland helped Rose through his hardest time, which was his father's death. He helped Rose get into college to further his academic career.

Sister MPH played a much different role compared to the other three instructors. She played as a strict disciplinarian and perhaps a mentor as well. Rewards and punishments were a big part of her curriculum. She allowed her "good" students to read aloud to the class and sit in the front. Her "bad" students were placed in the back and did not get opportunities to read out loud. She also accused Lorde of having her parents help with the assignment and reported it to her parents. Luckily, the problem was resolved with Lorde's father insisting that Lorde did her own assignment. In a way, Sister MPH could have played the role as a mentor because the reward-punishment curriculum she had motivated Lorde to do better in her studies. Before, Lorde was not able to distinguish numbers but she had to learn them, if she wished to be classified as a "good" student. 

Was Mr. Escalante similar to Mr. MacFarland? How or how not?

Yes, both Mr. Escalante and Mr. MacFarland were similar in a number of ways. Starting with the situations and environment both teachers were in. Both teachers were placed in a room with students that did not care for education and authority. Mr. Escalante was placed in a school that lacked resources and funding. As a result, authority was not re-enforced in the institution. Students became very rebellious and lacked the motivation to progress further in their educational careers. Mr. MacFarland was in a very similar situation as this. He was placed in vocational education, where students lacked motivation and inspiration. However, these situations did not phase or discourage both teachers. Both instructors managed to motivate and gain the respect of their students. Mr. Escalante started having quizzes at the beginning of class and pushing his students to their limits. Mr. MacFarland began assigning many books and held reading quizzes ever so often. Both instructors pushed their students with academics in a structured manner. As a result, students began responding to their teachers and started respecting them. Both instructors started not only engaging in their student's academic life but personal life as well. Mr. Escalante helped convince parents that their children have the potential to further their academic careers. Mr. MacFarland helped Rose during his father's death and helped him get into college. Both instructors were placed in different environments with difficult circumstances, however both managed to adapt and tend to their student's needs.  

Reactions to Mona Lisa Smile

At first, I was pretty surprised by the beginning when they held a ceremony before the school year started. Right when I saw that part, I figured that Wellesley was going to be a prestigious institution. What surprised me the most were the strict tradition and rules that surrounded the school and community. Everyone was used to the order of how things were. No one wanted to embrace modern culture. There was an expectation on everyone around. Women were expected to get married, have children and take care of their family. A women who is married and was a lawyer seemed out of the question. However, Katherine Watson did not think this to be true. She was an independent woman who believed in modern culture. She taught art history at Wellesley college and was expected to teach the basics. However instead, Katherine taught the students how to think for themselves. Art is one of those abstract subjects that require insight and perspective. One cannot think art is art based on technique or skill. Art has different meanings and takes different forms to different people. One person might find Da Vinci's Mona Lisa to be a work of art, while a mother might find her child's finger painting picture as art. Everyone has their own opinion on art, therefore, there is no right way of art. It is purely subjective. The women in Katherine's class were born and raised from respected and wealthy families. They were taught that there is a right way to everything in life. "There is a right way of thinking... a right way of living... a right way of art" (Mona Lisa Smile). Katherine represents modern culture in this plot. She shows her students that art is subjective. There is no right way of art. For this reason, the school board questions Katherine's teaching style. To me, Katherine is a good teacher because she reaches out and tries to understand her students. She teaches concepts that are important in real life and uses examples outside of textbook text. Most importantly, she shows them that there is more to life than just marriage, children and people's expectations. Every person is capable of making their own decisions. And I believe Katherine Watson is the perfect candidate to guide her students to modern culture.     

How are the two schools different? Similar?

The two schools are very different from each other. Starting with the lack of funding and resources in Garfield High School. Mr. Escalante was first hired to teach computer science, however because of the lack of funding, computers were not provided to the school. For this reason, Mr. Escalante began his journey as a math teacher. The second difference is the lack of authority present in this school. The faculty does not enforce any security detail or proper punishment on the students. As a result, the students in the school became rebellious and have no respect for authority whatsoever. In one scene, the students rigged the bell timing, resulting in the bell ringing earlier than the usual time. In another scene, two boys walked in late in class. The way the boys walked in class and their tone when they talked to the teacher was disrespectful. Lastly, the level of expectation from Garfield High School is quite low. Because of the school's reputation and current situation, the students have low expectations even for themselves. When Mr. Escalante introduced the idea of teaching calculus, the faculty did not agree because they believe it would shatter the only self-confidence they have. On the other side of the spectrum, Wellesley College is a very prestigious school with plenty of resources. Katherine Watson accepted a position as an art history professor. The women at Wellesley College are smart and have high expectations. They were born and raised in wealthy, respected and elegant families. The Wellesley College and community is surrounded by traditions and strict rules.The women are expected to get married and start families. A women that chooses to do otherwise is looked down upon. With all of the traditions and rules that surround Wellesley College, modern culture is not embraced. Any change is deemed unacceptable and the faculty will do everything they can to make things go back to the way it was. For example, a nurse at Wellesley handed out contraceptives to the students. One of the students reported this incident in the school paper. As a result, the nurse was reviewed by the board and was fired.

Although these two schools are very different from each other, they also have something in common. Both schools have people like Mr. Escalante and Katherine Watson to help the students through different obstacles. At first, in both cases, students showed resistance to the new teachers. Mr. Escalante's first day was a mix of students rigging the bell timing and student's disrespectful attitude. Katherine Watson's first day was a combination of student's arrogance and intimidation. However, both teachers adapted to the classroom atmosphere and managed to engage with the students. Both teachers taught them things, outside of a textbook. To help their students understand how concepts work in the real world, they brought them outside of school walls and showed them the world. Eventually, both sets of students began to understand their lessons and teachers. In both cases, the faculty have doubts about their teaching style. In Mr. Escalante's case, they questioned the student's capability for learning calculus. In Katherine Watson's case, they questioned her teaching method of allowing her students to think for themselves. These are two very different schools with different sets of rules, authority and environment. However, with the two good teachers trying to make a difference, these schools have more in common than one would think.    

Mona Lisa Smile

The school seemed very orderly, strict and conservative. The new art history teacher, Katherine Watson, was nervous upon entering the classroom on her first day. "Be careful in there, the girls can sense fear" a professor mentioned, passing by. On her first day, the all her students intimidated her by memorizing the text. They verbally dictated the descriptions of each slide presented to them. Afterwards, they intentionally left to independent study. Katherine Watson did not let this phase her. She came up with another set of slides the next day and stunned the students. The students were filled with puzzled and confused looks. This amused Katherine Watson because this enabled her to fulfill her role as a teacher. She continued to challenge her students and began to understand them individually. The community and school is surrounded by rules and tradition. There is a "right way of thinking" or a "right way of art." Art, however, is one of those abstract subjects that require creativity and perspective. The concept of "there is no right way of art" is what Katherine Watson is trying to teach. This concept started causing some suspicion among the faculty.  The people believe that there is a right and wrong answer to every question. They avoid change. They want things to stay in order. The issue with contraceptives being distributed by the nurse resulted in the nurse getting fired. Women are expected to get married and have kids. However, Katherine Watson opened another gate.  She views the alternative lives women can choose to take like having a job and waiting to get married. One student chose to accuse Ms. Watson of challenging the "role the girls were born to do" (Mona Lisa Smile). Throughout the movie, the women are expected to be happy with marriage. However, there are a number of affairs and lies going around. The Wellesley College decided to welcome Ms. Watson back for another year, however she declined the offer. She did not want to change and conform. She came to Wellesley to make a difference and she did. She showed the girls the world through a different perspective.   

In Class Writing: What do you think makes a good teacher?

Teaching is a mutual relationship between a teacher and a student. If one side does not understand the other, the relationship becomes disrupted. A good teacher is someone who can makes an effort to form the mutualistic relationship. This entails understanding the situation or circumstance and engaging in the lessons and students. A great example of this relationship is the movie Stand and Deliver. In the beginning, the newly appointed math teacher, Mr. Escalante, had problems with handling his students because the students were rebellious and had no respect for authority. For instance, in the beginning of the movie, students rigged the bell timing which caused the bell to ring sooner than the anticipated time. Another example was in the scene when the two boys arrived late in class. They both had no intention in learning and were disrespectful by talking back in an aggressive one. Mr. Escalante adapted into this extreme environment, where the students ran free, the faculty had no control and the school lacked supply and funding, and understood his students. He taught basic math and used real world applications to his students. He had interactive and fun lessons which got his students' attention. This growing, mutualistic relationship slowly transformed into a family. He believed in his students and pushed them year after year. He got involved with their families to help further their career towards college education. Although the faculty had doubts about the limitations of these students' abilities, the students and Mr. Escalante's mutual relationship overcame the issues that unfolded during the movie.

According to Brown, "Great teachers have strong relationships with students' families and engage in meaningful ways with the larger community" (Brown - pg 2). In the movie, Stand and Deliver, Mr. Escalante got involved with Ana's family. Ana's dream were to get a college education and continue on to medical school. However, her father wished for her to work in the restaurant along with her mother and siblings. Mr. Escalante tried his best to convince Ana's father otherwise. Although Ana's father found Mr. Escalante disrespectful, he let his daughter continue going to school. Mr. Escalante shows his engagement with the community by teaching night classes for free. To show the extent of his dedication, Mr. Escalante had a heart attack from his stressful schedule. Another one of Brown's criteria mentions that good teachers need to "force their way into the public discourse to advocate for their students and their profession" (Brown - pg 2). Mr. Escalante demonstrates this in the scene where he mentions that he will teach calculus to his students. The school faculty had doubts about the student's ability to pass the exam for college credit. However, Mr. Escalante believed in his students. To prepare his students, he had longer class periods and held summer school sessions. 

"Creativity is as important as literacy. And we should treat them with the same status," Robinson mentions in his lecture. He believes that in every country, the priority in education is the same. Math, science and English always took priority and is being strongly reinforced in our current educational system. Subjects like art, music and drama should just be as important as math and science. However, because of our current educational system, children grow out of their creative aspect. Creativity is needed for the future. It is creativity that allows original ideas to formulate. Young children are not afraid of being wrong. It is this exact attitude that is needed for create original ideas. One must not be afraid of being wrong. However, in our society, mistakes and being wrong are the worse things you can do in life. Robinson believes that a good teacher allows a child to be creative. A good teacher would encourage creativity and teach that being wrong is not always a bad thing. 

Dr. Robinson believes that a good teacher encourages student's creativity. Dr. Escalante emphasized math on many different levels. However, it is not the kind of creativity Robinson was referring to. Another one of Robinson's criteria that makes a good teacher is to teach students not to be afraid of being wrong. In a couple of scenes in the movie, Mr. Escalante was not happy whenever students made mistakes during their lesson. However, the situation was complex in this case. The students and Mr. Escalante were both pressured by the calculus exam and the faculty's expectations. They only had a short amount of time to study for the exam and they power-studied through the book. The students spent long days and nights of studying and studying, afraid to betray the expectations of the faculty and Mr. Escalante. In this case, it is hard to rate Mr. Escalante based on Robinson's criteria for what makes a good teacher. The reason being, Mr. Escalante is not an art, music or theatre teacher. He is a math teacher hired to teach computer science. However, there are different aspects in math where creativity is needed. Whether this creativity is the same as the one Robinson was referring to is debatable. In subjects like math, there is only one answer. There may be many different ways one can approach a math equation, however there is only one answer that is correct. During this time, the students and Mr. Escalante were both under pressure. This is a factor that could contribute to student's fear of making mistakes. Therefore, I believe it is truly difficult to rate Mr. Escalante based on Robinson's criteria.