Lean on Me

26th August 2010 (Thursday)


“An arrogant and unorthodox teacher returns as principal to the idyllic high school from which he had earlier been fired to find it a den of drug abuse, gang violence, and urban despair. Eventually his successful but unorthodox methods lead to a clash with city officials that threatens to undo all his efforts. Based on a true story. Written by Keith Loh ”

Extracted from IMDb.com: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097722/plotsummary

Whoa! I must say this is a noisy movie. And what is this place? A school? Sorry to say, it looks more like a hell to me. I don’t think anyone will want to live in there, let alone study there. Yet, despite all those yelling and cursing, this is one of the most interesting movies I have ever seen! All those shouting words make us frown and laugh at the same time.

What would you do if you were asked to turn this type of school within a year? Drastic action has to be taken. And here comes, Principal Joe Clark (played by Morgan Freeman) with his harsh but effective strategies that intimidated almost everyone.

Unlike other movies, this movie talks more about school management, instead of classroom management. Some implications in education that can be found in the movie are stated as below:

1. In discipline, deal with the problem students first.

Since problem students influence and affect other students, either we discipline them or throw them out. Then, others will follow.

Here comes Principal Joe Clark’s famous principle, “Take No Prisoners.”

Joe Clark: I want all of you to take a good look at these people on the risers behind me. These people have been here roughly five years, and done absolutely nothing. These people are drug dealers and drug users. They have taken up space. They have disrupted this school. They have harassed your teachers. And they have intimidated you. Well, times are about to change. You will not be bothered in Joe Clark's school. These people are incorrigible. And since none of them could graduate anyway...

[to those onstage]

Joe Clark: ... you are all expurgated. You are dismissed! You are out of here, forever. I wish you well! Mr. Wright...

2. Discipline First, Teaching Later

Joe Clark: This is an institution of learning, ladies and gentlemen. If you can't control it, how can you teach? Discipline is not the enemy of enthusiasm!

3. Show students their responsibility.

Joe Clark: They said this school was dead, like the cemetery it's built on. But we call our Eastside teams "Ghosts", don't we? And what are ghosts? Ghosts are spirits that rise from the dead. I want you to be my ghosts. You are going to lead our resurrection, by defying the expectation that all of us are doomed to failure. My motto is simple: If you do not succeed in life, I don't want you to blame your parents. I don't want you to blame the White Man. I want you to blame yourselves. The responsibility is yours!

All in all, the movie tells us the importance of managing discipline issues in school and classroom, for it is the main determinant that affects the effectiveness of teaching.

First Meeting of Project Paper

23th August 2010

Today was the first meeting with our supervisor, Pn. Juridah Mohd. Rashid, to discuss about the project paper that was assigned to us. We had to prepare a proposal with thesis statement on what we are going to work on in the project paper based on a literary theory and explain our purpose or reasons of working on the selected aspect. I was quite nervous actually. Not knowing whether my proposal will be approved or not.

Basically, I intended to analyse more about Dorothy Parker’s works as I like her wittiness, humour and sarcasms in her writings. Though my proposal was not approved yet, the idea of analyzing Dorothy Parker’s works was approved with a light change on the choice of literary theory.

Well, guess I have to start working on it. Wish me luck!

Akeelah and the Bee

19th August 2010 (Thursday)

This is one enjoyable movie that worth watching again and again. Basically, “Akeelah and the Bee” narrates about an 11-year-old girl who excels in her spelling, which leads her to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The whole story reflects how her courage, confidence and hard work win her the competition. Besides, the movie also explores issues of education in the black community.

Through the movie, I got a few teaching implications which are listed as below:

1. Always motivate your students with inspiring quotes, stories or even talk.

Akeelah: [quoting Marianne Williamson]

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

Dr. Larabee: Does that mean anything to you?

Akeelah: I don't know.

Dr. Larabee: It's written in plain English. What does it mean?

Akeelah: That I'm not supposed to be afraid?

Dr. Larabee: Afraid of what?

Akeelah: Afraid of... me?

2. Help students to believe in themselves.

3. Push students to reach their potentials

Note: Though I don’t really agree upon Mr. Welch’s intention in forcing students to win competition for school fund. He somehow did help Akeelah to realize her dreams and refine her potential.

Mr. Welch: So whoever wins the school bee today, gets to represent Crenshaw at the district bee next month.

Akeelah: Why would anybody want to represent a school where they can't even put doors on the toilet stalls?

Mr. Welch: Akeelah, if we can't show students can perform were not going to have money for books let alone bathroom doors. Now I want you to do the bee today, okay?

Akeelah: So everyone can call me a freak and a brainiac? No I ain't down for no spelling bee.

Mr. Welch: Well, maybe you'd be down for spending the rest of the semester in detention for all your absences?

4. Find students’ learning style and adapt it to the lesson

For example, Akeelah can spell better by skipping rope.

5. Understand students behaviour more through Their Parents and Peers

For instance, Akeelah rejects the spelling bee contest, feeling that her friends will laugh at her for being a nerd. Besides, her mother does not approve her for participating in any competition but put total concentration on her study. Another example would be Dylan. More often than not, he feels stressed and depressed because of his domineering father, who gives high expectation to his son and forces his son to work hard to be the champion.

Many students these days are like Dylan. They had to cope with parents’ expectations and are forced to study or go for tuition. How would teachers deal with them?

The Story of a Remarkable Teacher – Ron Clark

12th August 2010 (Thursday)


Movie, like picture, tells a thousand words. Today, another inspiring movie had been shown. It is based on the real-life story of a dedicated teacher, Ron Clark, who moves from a small town to New York City, to teach and inspire disadvantaged students in Harlem. Guess what? The title of the movie is as simple as “The Ron Clark Story”, starring Matthew Perry as Ron Clark.

What is he famous for? According to Wikipedia.com, Ron Clark is known for “his ability to raise test scores by using unique methods that incorporate innovation, creativity and 55 classroom rules”. After watching the movie, I couldn’t help but admire the outstanding teacher who not only managed to discipline the uncontrollable children, but also raised test scores of the weakest students in the school. He could train his students from everyone’s depicted “losers” to high scorers. In fact, they could score higher than any other classes, even the honour class. That is really amazing and unbelievable. But the major question is “How did he do that?”.


From the movie, Ron Clark uses many rules to discipline and teach his students about good values. If he were to teach the educators and future educators, I believe there will be some rules or guidelines too.


After watching the movie, the messages or “rules” that I got from Ron Clark about educating students are as follow:

1. Teach your students to respect and love each other like a family.

It is sort of similar to the idea of Curran’s Community Language Learning , where students form a community in the classroom. Helping each other when in need.

2. Treat your students as your family. Never leave your students, even though they ask you to go to hell.

3. Make an effort to understand your students’ background, behavior and learning styles. It will help a long way to produce an effective teaching and learning process between the teacher and the students.

The first thing Ron Clark did before teaching his students was to understand their backgrounds by visiting their families. Next, he explores their interests, e.g. plays Double Dutch with his students. Last but not the least, he adapts his teaching method with his students’ style and interest, e.g. uses poker cards to teach mathematics to his students.

4. Believe in your students, and they will show you the unbelievable. It’s all about self-fulfilling effect. Here comes the cliché, “If you believe you can fly, you can fly.”

Principal Turner: These kids are at the bottom of the barrel.

Ron Clark: Don't talk about them like that.

Principal Turner: Now all I'm asking is for your students to pass.

Ron Clark: Oh every one of my students will pass.

Principal Turner: They can become someone else's problem.

Ron Clark: The problem isn't the kids. It's not even what they can achieve. The problem is what you expect them to achieve. You are setting the bar here. Why? Set it up here! They can make it.

Principal Turner: This community judges us by scores. Government funding judges us by scores. People who give me scores, they get my respect.

Ron Clark: Okay good. In May, they'll all test at grade level

All in all, Ron Clark is an outstanding teacher who is highly devoted to his job and his students. Hmm….. If only I can learn from him.

Matthew Perry and Ron Clark

Fables and Comics For Teaching

5th August 2010 (Thursday)

Today, we had a group work activity to create fables and present them through comics. It was a fun and interesting activity, as we felt ourselves going back to our childhood days, when most of us would be preoccupied with our colour pencils and drawing.

The teaching implications that are found in this activity are fables and comics can be useful to produce attractive teaching materials. As we were taught in EDU 3209: Literature in English Teaching Materials, an effective, engaging teaching material must be attractive, authentic and has novelty. Next, since most fables end with moral of the stories, teachers can use them to teach moral values. In addition, fables can also be used to teach universal themes in literature classroom, i.e. good versus evil, the power of love, greediness, etc.

Using fables and comics in language classroom is one strategy that worth considering.

Arranged Marriage or Love Marriage?

3rd August 2010 (Tuesday)

“50 to 60 percent of all love marriages in the world end in divorce within the first 2 years. However, only 5 percent of arranged marriages end in divorce. This is because arranged marriages are not made of hormones. They are arranged with care by parents according to compatibility of the bride and groom.”

Manisha Paul (in her article “Arranged Marriage or Love Marriage?”)

Do you agree with the above statement?

Arranged marriage or love marriage? That was the topic of the discussion we were having in the lecture today. Usually, most of us will prefer love of our choice, namely the love marriage. Yet, surprisingly, the divorce rate of love marriage is higher than arranged marriage. So, again, which is better? Arranged marriage or love marriage?

During our group discussion that consists of Priscilla, Sze Leing, Sharon and I, we decided that arranged marriage is better, though we still prefer love marriage. Confused? Well, let’s look it in this way. Between fruits and KFC, which is better for our health? You will be shcouting ‘fruits’. Yet, we prefer eating KFC. Hmm……. That’s our human nature, I guess.

First of all, let us define what arranged marriage and love marriage are. Arranged marriage is a marriage in which the marital partners are chosen by someone based on different considerations other than pre-existing mutual attraction of the partners. It is opposite with love marriage which is arranged by the individuals themselves where the couple get to know each other without introduction from a third-party. Besides being an old custom practiced by royal and aristocratic families around the world, they are still practiced in India, Japan, China, Africa and the Middle East.

In our group discussion, our discussion result was, as compared to love marriage, arranged marriage is better on three aspects: marriage stability, partner selection and family values.

Note:

Inspired by an Indian woman’s saying, Rebecca Livermore (in “The Reality of Arranged Marriages”) explained that arranged marriage is more stable because it is not based on feelings, but on commitment. As the “marriage progresses, the feelings develop”. In America, marriage is based on feelings, but when the feelings wane, so does the marriage, as there is nothing left to keep the marriage together. In other words, arranged marriages are mostly centered around building a family, adjustment between the partners and regard for the wishes of one’s family and religion. Love is believed to grow with time by living together and adjusting to each other’s personality rather than being a product of passionate attraction. Hence, with more commitment to each other and the relationship, more stable marriage is formed. According to Mark Gungor in “Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage”(2008), romance is a great "salt" to sprinkle on the hard work of sharing a life with another human, but the main ingredient of a happy marriage can never be romance.

Do you agree with that?