1. Arrive early and preferably before the first day of school because you never know what will happen.
At the beginning of the movie, the teacher (Mr. Escalante) arrives the day the students do and only right before the first bell. He arrives in class after the majority of his students and demonstrates absolutely no classroom management skills. He did not originally want to be a teacher but decided to do so later in life.
You need to be prepared.
Be prepared for the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Be prepared to go above and beyond for your students.
Be prepared to work harder than you've ever planned.
2. Dressing up and role playing can be extremely effective-- even with kids that seem hard to reach.
The first lesson that the viewer gets to see is Mr. Escalante chopping up apples and doing a short introduction to multiplying fractions and percentages. You have to be able to present the material in a way that is interesting and engaging. That is standard for what most of us have heard in our education classes. It's easy to think it and to plan to be engaging and passionate and even entertaining. How do we really know if we have succeeded? I don't have an answer. I don't know how to tell. I do think it's about how the students respond. Do the students succeed? Does it work for them? If not, try something different.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
3. Don't back down or let your students take advantage of you.
Also during his first lesson, he is approached by a student in a gang who threatens him and pushes his boundaries. While he does respond in a way that I wouldn't necessarily advise (he insults the students and has heavy sarcasm). He knew his role in the classroom. He knew his subject. He knew how to lead. In a lot of books geared toward first year teachers, a main topic is how to present your rules. I've been told often to be firm but fair and ease up over time. I, personally, don't believe in letting a secondary classroom come up with the rules. As the expert in the classroom, I believe the teacher should be the one to set up the rules and put structure in place. Students need structure to succeed.
4. Knowing your students is half the battle.
Escalante took time to know his students and to use their lives in his lessons. His math lessons included real-world application, which is one of the most important parts, in my opinion. Your students need to know that what you're teaching is valuable and can help them in the future.You may never even begin to imagine the responsibility some of your children are burdened with. Some may be the caretaker of younger siblings while parents work the night shift or not have a permanent home at all. They may have a tough home life that does not have anything to do with their socioeconomic status. Show that you are interested in their success, interested in their personal goals, and invested in their futures.
5. Push your students to achieve their potential. Do not let them settle for "easy."
Students will rise to the expectations you hold them to. Build them up. Believe in them. Tell them they can learn, they are capable, and they are worth it. Push and challenge them. Be with them every step of the way. KNOW YOUR STUDENTS ABILITIES AND PUSH THEM BEYOND WHAT THEY THINK THEY CAN DO. A student who isn't being challenged enough will act out similarly to a student who is being left behind. It is your job to provide opportunities for student success and student progress.
6. Repetition may seem elementary, but it builds confidence and forms a memory.
I love repetition as a teaching tool. I know that it's very old school, but I taught my 7th grade students the Civil War and Civil Rights amendments through repetition. I'm not saying that repetition should be your only trick, but every educator knows that students need to see the information multiple times. Other than teaching, I've also seen it as a way to get the class focused. It could be as easy as hand clapping or repeating a phrase. It could be a sound of, like a roll call. Repetition (like routine) can be calming and a valuable asset to a teacher.
7. Teaching is about "ganas"-- desire.
Teachers cannot go into the profession holding anything back. To be a success, you have to be all in. If you is not all in, then the students are not served to the best of your ability and that is unacceptable. These children are the future and you have been selected to help mold them. You are there to be a role-model, a counselor, and a guide on top of just being a teacher. As a teacher you are responsible for bringing that desire and lighting a flame for your students to carry with them into the world.
8. Motivate your students by building community.
Your students are a team. You are part of that team. You win as a team. You lose as a team. You are a leader. Accountability is something that seems to be disappearing in society. Your students are probably not at the point where they can hold themselves accountable all the time. If you teach your students to work together and hold each other accountable, you are not only creating a team but a community support system. The sense of community is my number one priority when teaching. My students need to feel safe to participate, share, make mistakes, and learn. It is going to be hard for the majority of children to have the confidence to do all of this if they do not have at least a small sense of community. And that starts with you.
9. Regardless on whether your students pass a test or not, they've learned-- if you've done your job.
If you say the phrase, "Teachers are just there to teach to the test," I can guarantee all of the educators within earshot will take offense. I do not teach just history. I teach kids. There is no test for that. I did not get into education to learn about assessments and grading. I got into education to see those "lightbulb" moments, to watch a struggling student figure out how to learn, to watch a withdrawn 'discipline problem' find her motivation and apply it to life, and to watch my students become successful after they leave my classroom. I do not care if they can recite the Bill of Rights in order, word-for-word. They ultimately need to know how to treat people, how to learn and apply new skills, and how to self-motivate. Those are the skills that transcend the classroom.
10. You are human, not a machine.
This one is hard for so many people. In the movie, Mr. Escalante is teaching his classes, teaching night classes, and taking on extra work. He ultimately succumbs to a heart attack. It's a tough realization that he had to slow down and even stop. But you can't just push a button and turn off being a teacher. You can't just turn off giving 100% to your students. That's why I think the most important characteristic in being a teacher is not just caring for your subject or students; it's about being self-aware. A self-aware teacher knows that he/she will make mistakes. A self-aware teacher knows that it is impossible to give students 100% if he/she is not feeling 100%. You have to take care of yourself. You have to attempt the 8 hours recommended for sleep. You have to eat right and stay hydrated. You have to go home and leave your papers at school (as much as possible), which may not be often, but you will need to allow yourself to take breaks.
(I had points taken off of an observation because my cooperating teacher let it slip that I was arriving early and staying late every day. My professor also had a hand in my learning this particular point. I am grateful to him for that.)
We have to remember that teaching is not a fairy-tale, like Hillary Swank would have us believe in Freedom Writers. It is going to be hard. There is going to be a learning curve.
I just know that whenever I need a little motivation, I can look up to Mr. Escalante.
But what do I know? I'm just a first-year.
Leave your thoughts and comments below!
Zilla
At the beginning of the movie, the teacher (Mr. Escalante) arrives the day the students do and only right before the first bell. He arrives in class after the majority of his students and demonstrates absolutely no classroom management skills. He did not originally want to be a teacher but decided to do so later in life.
You need to be prepared.
Be prepared for the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Be prepared to go above and beyond for your students.
Be prepared to work harder than you've ever planned.
2. Dressing up and role playing can be extremely effective-- even with kids that seem hard to reach.
The first lesson that the viewer gets to see is Mr. Escalante chopping up apples and doing a short introduction to multiplying fractions and percentages. You have to be able to present the material in a way that is interesting and engaging. That is standard for what most of us have heard in our education classes. It's easy to think it and to plan to be engaging and passionate and even entertaining. How do we really know if we have succeeded? I don't have an answer. I don't know how to tell. I do think it's about how the students respond. Do the students succeed? Does it work for them? If not, try something different.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
3. Don't back down or let your students take advantage of you.
Also during his first lesson, he is approached by a student in a gang who threatens him and pushes his boundaries. While he does respond in a way that I wouldn't necessarily advise (he insults the students and has heavy sarcasm). He knew his role in the classroom. He knew his subject. He knew how to lead. In a lot of books geared toward first year teachers, a main topic is how to present your rules. I've been told often to be firm but fair and ease up over time. I, personally, don't believe in letting a secondary classroom come up with the rules. As the expert in the classroom, I believe the teacher should be the one to set up the rules and put structure in place. Students need structure to succeed.
4. Knowing your students is half the battle.
Escalante took time to know his students and to use their lives in his lessons. His math lessons included real-world application, which is one of the most important parts, in my opinion. Your students need to know that what you're teaching is valuable and can help them in the future.You may never even begin to imagine the responsibility some of your children are burdened with. Some may be the caretaker of younger siblings while parents work the night shift or not have a permanent home at all. They may have a tough home life that does not have anything to do with their socioeconomic status. Show that you are interested in their success, interested in their personal goals, and invested in their futures.
5. Push your students to achieve their potential. Do not let them settle for "easy."
Students will rise to the expectations you hold them to. Build them up. Believe in them. Tell them they can learn, they are capable, and they are worth it. Push and challenge them. Be with them every step of the way. KNOW YOUR STUDENTS ABILITIES AND PUSH THEM BEYOND WHAT THEY THINK THEY CAN DO. A student who isn't being challenged enough will act out similarly to a student who is being left behind. It is your job to provide opportunities for student success and student progress.
6. Repetition may seem elementary, but it builds confidence and forms a memory.
I love repetition as a teaching tool. I know that it's very old school, but I taught my 7th grade students the Civil War and Civil Rights amendments through repetition. I'm not saying that repetition should be your only trick, but every educator knows that students need to see the information multiple times. Other than teaching, I've also seen it as a way to get the class focused. It could be as easy as hand clapping or repeating a phrase. It could be a sound of, like a roll call. Repetition (like routine) can be calming and a valuable asset to a teacher.
7. Teaching is about "ganas"-- desire.
Teachers cannot go into the profession holding anything back. To be a success, you have to be all in. If you is not all in, then the students are not served to the best of your ability and that is unacceptable. These children are the future and you have been selected to help mold them. You are there to be a role-model, a counselor, and a guide on top of just being a teacher. As a teacher you are responsible for bringing that desire and lighting a flame for your students to carry with them into the world.
8. Motivate your students by building community.
Your students are a team. You are part of that team. You win as a team. You lose as a team. You are a leader. Accountability is something that seems to be disappearing in society. Your students are probably not at the point where they can hold themselves accountable all the time. If you teach your students to work together and hold each other accountable, you are not only creating a team but a community support system. The sense of community is my number one priority when teaching. My students need to feel safe to participate, share, make mistakes, and learn. It is going to be hard for the majority of children to have the confidence to do all of this if they do not have at least a small sense of community. And that starts with you.
9. Regardless on whether your students pass a test or not, they've learned-- if you've done your job.
If you say the phrase, "Teachers are just there to teach to the test," I can guarantee all of the educators within earshot will take offense. I do not teach just history. I teach kids. There is no test for that. I did not get into education to learn about assessments and grading. I got into education to see those "lightbulb" moments, to watch a struggling student figure out how to learn, to watch a withdrawn 'discipline problem' find her motivation and apply it to life, and to watch my students become successful after they leave my classroom. I do not care if they can recite the Bill of Rights in order, word-for-word. They ultimately need to know how to treat people, how to learn and apply new skills, and how to self-motivate. Those are the skills that transcend the classroom.
10. You are human, not a machine.
This one is hard for so many people. In the movie, Mr. Escalante is teaching his classes, teaching night classes, and taking on extra work. He ultimately succumbs to a heart attack. It's a tough realization that he had to slow down and even stop. But you can't just push a button and turn off being a teacher. You can't just turn off giving 100% to your students. That's why I think the most important characteristic in being a teacher is not just caring for your subject or students; it's about being self-aware. A self-aware teacher knows that he/she will make mistakes. A self-aware teacher knows that it is impossible to give students 100% if he/she is not feeling 100%. You have to take care of yourself. You have to attempt the 8 hours recommended for sleep. You have to eat right and stay hydrated. You have to go home and leave your papers at school (as much as possible), which may not be often, but you will need to allow yourself to take breaks.
(I had points taken off of an observation because my cooperating teacher let it slip that I was arriving early and staying late every day. My professor also had a hand in my learning this particular point. I am grateful to him for that.)
We have to remember that teaching is not a fairy-tale, like Hillary Swank would have us believe in Freedom Writers. It is going to be hard. There is going to be a learning curve.
I just know that whenever I need a little motivation, I can look up to Mr. Escalante.
But what do I know? I'm just a first-year.
Leave your thoughts and comments below!
Zilla
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