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.