Precious

30^th September 2010 (Thursday)

Today’s movie is one of the movies that really evoke high intensity of sadness, frustration and disgust. Undeniably, it does reflect the reality of our world, though it is cruel to the extent that is almost unbelievable and we refuse to even imagine. After watching this movie, I couldn’t help but asking myself whether this is one of the Doom’s Day symptoms. Humans are increasingly becoming inhuman!

The reality is in the world we are living now, some parents do abuse their children – mentally, physically or sexually; some schools don’t care about the welfare of their students, but care more for their reputation (Once students are pregnant, they kick them out of the schools.); and lastly, some people do suffer from HIV disease because of other peoples’ wrong doings. I once came across a nasty joke told from a mouth of a teacher, sneering at the HIV patients and ridiculing them for having AIDS – “Another Idiot Dying Soon”. This is totally absurd! It gives wrong perception that all women who get HIV are whores and all HIV-positive men are sex freaks.

The teaching implications that I have found in this story is as follow:

1. Care for students if they behave abnormally and score badly in class.

Students with dilemma will normally fall into one of these two groups, “depressed and quiet” or “rebellious and uncontrollable”. Both groups of students share the same quality, which is poor academic performance.

2. Counsel students to find out the factors of their negative changes.

It is a teacher’s responsibility to have concern on their students’ welfare. However, for many teachers, they either turn a blind eye on these students, or push the responsibility to counseling teachers and parents.

3. Support and help students in need.

If the students are abused, stand by their side and act fast to avoid more injuries or sadness on them. Since students will be emotionally affected, we can never neglect the affective domain in our teaching. Some sensitive issues that may evoke their anger or sadness should be avoided. For instance, if the student was sexually abused before, the issues like abuse, abortion, unwanted pregnancy, rape, etc, are best to be left behind.

Out of so many people, some unfortunate ones have to struggle in cruelty; out of so many students, some of them are these unfortunate ones. Yet, will the society cares for these unfortunate people? Will the school cares for these unfortunate students? How about the teachers? It is important to make them aware that they are being loved and respected for who they are.

~ It is a good feeling to be able to love and be loved. Give students that feeling…… ~ :)

CHALK

23rd September 2010

In reference to the title, the movie we watched today was focusing mostly on teaching. It is a mock documentary that revolves around teachers’ real life stories. In fact, it is both written and directed by teachers, with the aim to provide insights into the lives of teachers and the teachers' perspectives on the High School experience. The movie focuses on the lives of three teachers - Mr. Stroope (played by Chris Mass), Mr. Lowrey (Troy Schremmer) and Coach Webb (Janelle Schremmer), as well as an assistant principal, Mrs. Reddell (Shannon Haragan).

Mr. Stroope is an ambitious teacher who wants to win the Teacher of the Year competition. However, he had problems with being organized and systematic in handling lesson plans, as well as students who are smarter than him. Among the four characters in the story, he shows the least professionalism as teacher. He admitted that he had to do a lot of extra “back-scratching”, extra tutoring, extra caring to the students, etc, in order to win the competition. It seems as though he cares more for the competition, instead of the students and the whole education system. Furthermore, his explosion of anger in his lesson after losing the competition further verifies the statement.

Besides, the story also tells us about Mr. Lowrey – an inexperienced, introverted history teacher who is still wondering whether teaching is for him, and Coach Webb – a female gym teacher who wants people to take things seriously. She demands for the teachers to obey school rules or school system and her students to be serious in her lesson. Last but not the least, the movie tells the story of the first year assistant principal, Mrs. Reddell, who regrets leaving teaching. She had to deal with the new “power” she had and dealing with people who she feels trying to manipulate her power. Well, there goes the famous quote from Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility”.

The teaching implications that I obtained from the movie are:

1. Care and teach students sincerely.

It is a teacher’s responsibility to care for their students sincerely. Sincerity is deep down. Teachers do not need to let everyone knows or show to the public, just to win the Teacher of the Year.

2. Be a good role model.

Teachers should not be stealing, cursing, showing tantrums by shouting and throwing chairs in class.

3. Show teacher professionalism.

Control your emotion in the classroom. Never bring personal problems into the class.

4. Equip yourself with adequate knowledge.

Instead of asking students not to show they are too clever with history and big words, teachers should work harder and not blaming the students for intimidating them with their intelligence.

5. Decline offers to work in administration or even education, if you are not ready and not passionate.

It would be unfair to others and yourselves, as shown in Mrs. Reddell and Mr. Lowrey.

All in all, the movie we watched today is an interesting and enlightening movie. It begins with the statement “50% of teachers quit teaching within the first three years.” Then, it uncovers the reasons by showing us the difficulties that teachers have to cope up with in school administration, classrooms and their own personal lives.

How to Produce an Effective Argumentative Writing

21st September 2010

We were happy to see Mr. Vahid came back again to guide us, though it was only for one short tutoring session. Thanks to Mr. Vahid, we finally knew how to write our position paper.

To begin with, Mr. Vahid defined what an argumentative writing is. According to him, it is an action of “making a claim or taking a position”, “providing proof in its support”, and “accounting for the probable objection”. Before this, I never thought of including the last stage, as I perceived argumentative writing as some sort of a debate. Luckily, Mr. Vahid told us that if objections for the issue are not acknowledged, the argumentative writing we produced will be a biased argumentative writing.

After that, Mr. Vahid also taught us how to write a good argumentative writing by including a few elements, which some we never heard before, i.e. claim, data, bridge, rebuttal and qualifiers.

The whole lesson was an enjoyable one, especially when Dr. Jaya treat us with KFC at the end of the lesson. Thank you so much, Dr. Jaya and Mr. Vahid!

Finding Forrester

2nd September 2010 (Thursday)

This story narrates about a 16-year-old black American teenager, Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown), an intellectually gifted student who excels in both sports and academic. This earns him a scholarship to a highly selective private school. He befriends a reclusive writer, Mr. Forrester (Sean Connery), who was once a Pulitzer Winner and later becomes Jamal’s “tutor” to refine his natural talent for writing. However, due to his intelligence and excellence in writing, Jamal clashes with his arrogant literature teacher, Professor Robert Crawford (F. Murray Abraham), who gives him hard times by accusing him for plagiarism. Luckily, Jamal is saved by Mr. Forrester, who willing to reveal his identity in the public and clear Jamal’s name.

As boring as it might seem, this movie (like most stories) did enlighten us with some moral values and teaching implications, especially in the teaching of writing skills. Among the teaching implications that could be found in the movie are as follow:

1. Never hesitate or think too much in writing. Just write!

Jamal: Be sure to write.

Forrester: No thinking - that comes later. You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is... to write, not to think!

Note: Well, that explains why the writing of my project paper goes nowhere until today. I question and think too much.

2. Do not feel intimidated when your students are cleverer or more knowledgeable. Acknowledge their intelligence and learn from them.

Prof. Robert Crawford: Perhaps the challenge should have been directed elsewhere. "It is a melancholy truth that even...

Jamal: "great men have poor relations" Dickens.

Prof. Robert Crawford: "You will hear the beat of..."

Jamal: Kipling.

Prof. Robert Crawford: "All great truths begin..."

Jamal: Shaw.

Prof. Robert Crawford: "Man is the only animal...

Jamal: "that blushes... or needs to." That's Mark Twain.

Jamal: Come on, Professor Crawford...

Prof. Robert Crawford: [shouting] Get out!

Prof. Robert Crawford: [whispered] Get... out.

Jamal: Yeah. I'll get out.

3. Admit your mistakes and upgrade yourself, when students correct you.

Prof. Robert Crawford: [to Jamal] Perhaps your skills do reach farther than basketball.

Jamal: "Further"

Prof. Robert Crawford: What?

Claire Spence: [whispered to Jamal] Don't...

Jamal: [to Crawford] You said that my skills reached "farther" than basketball. "Farther" relates to distance, "further" is a definition of degree. You should have said "further".

Prof. Robert Crawford: Are you challenging me, Mr. Wallace?

Jamal: Not any more than you challenged Coleridge.

However, I have to admit that all these teaching implications and moral values that were mentioned above are easier said than done.