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.
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