The teachers blamed the students but they were trapped in the same strict structures of the compulsory school program as the students. He then suggests that maybe that there is not a "problem" with the schools. That they were right when they designed the school to do just what they are doing. Designed not to teach us but to keep us from ever really “growing up.” With that thought the author asks, "Do we need school?" Gatto gives us examples of well-known people who have accomplished great things in their lifetime and were not educated through the school system.
Flowers then encouraged Marguerite, “to listen carefully to what country people called mother wit.” which means a person needs more than just book smarts to be consider intelligent and to able to use that intelligence to survive in life; a person that has wits though life experiences can be more intelligent than people that just gain knowledge in only school books because the people with wits are more savvy from their social life experiences compare to people that live life educated only though book. Maya Angelou is telling this story because she wanted to teach the audience that a person with formal education by only books doesn’t equate to intelligence. She implies, that even some college professors are less intelligent and don’t have as much wit as to some country folks because, the country folks have learned important lessons in life that only life experiences can teach but books cannot teach these important life lessons, base on the passage she wrote, “That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and even more intelligent than college professors, to listen carefully to what country people called mother wit.” The story’s settings are important because it was part of U.S history, where blacks were look upon as second class citizens compare to whites. This was suggested in the passage where Marguerite complements her idol Mrs. Flowers whom is a black woman, by comparing her to a white woman,
She challenged her students to show their intelligence. She believed that they were victims of circumstance. Mike Rose found this inspiring. He goes on to say, “ If you get closer to their failure, you'll find knowledge that the assignment didn't tap, ineffective rules and strategies that have a logic of their own; you'll find clues, as well, to the complex ties between literacy an culture, to the tremendous difficulties our children face as they attempt to find their places in the American educational system.” When reading over this, I find that it is true, that if teachers took the time to find out why a student is failing, instead of just deeming them hopeless or incoherent, that they may find out that these students have much more potential than they originally thought. Not all students learn the same way, therefore, teachers need to try different ways to to teach the material.
By showing to the readers that he was once a public school teacher it helps them see him as an expert giving his own expert opinion. He stresses that the public school system is doing the youth of this generation an injustice. He does this through analyzing the goals of education, not schooling. He uses the third goal a lot which is to make each person their best that they can be. He also says the today’s school system suppresses the word genius.
Myah Clark Professor Collier English112.SMRT 2 21 November 2014 Essay #2 Public Schooling: Draining Students of their Freedom and Creativity In John Taylor Gatto’s “Against School”, he explains how he thinks public education cripples our kids and why. He starts his article out by making a point that both the students and teachers are suffering from boredom. The students also pointed out the fact that the teachers didn’t seem to know much more about what was being taught then the students themselves. On the other side of the spectrum the teachers are just as bored because they feel the students are rude and only interested in the grades. He then continues on to say that we shouldn’t blame the teachers or the students; in this case, we should blame ourselves.
A DISCUSSION DO RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS HELP A CERTAIN PEOPLE PROGRESS IN A CERTAIN COUNTRY OR DO RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS HINDER THEIR PROGRESS? I believe in a simple rule - Things r best in their original form and alterations to the natural forms are not usually good although exceptions do exist. Talking about residential schools, I will be honest in saying I have never really liked the idea. The residential schools rather kill a person’s originality and curb the natural talent developed through free thought and spirit. Having been schooled in a day school, I felt a balance of exposure to family and school life.
Pizan so obviously from the start of her writing, introduces how women should behave (from the perspective of a princess), so that her actions shall be beneficial to her and her husband. By talking about the finances, which is radical, Pizan degrades women in all other aspects. Degrading is used in the sense that she does not promote equality in any other way other than the financial aspect. These women could be considered early feminists if they looked for equality in other things as well not just a specific
Although Alexis can’t actually live on hope and fear, the use of the words helps the readers imagine the terrible situation of living an uncertain life at the mercy of others. The readers might not know what it feels like to receive irregular paychecks or government surplus food, but they most likely know and have experienced hope and fear. 2. In what ways does the description of Sherman Alexie’s father play against stereotypes of Native Americans? * Alexie’s father was “one of the few Indians who went to Catholic school on purpose.” A stereotype had developed that all Indian children were stupid
In the article, “Why Johnny Can't Fail”, Jerry Jesness admits he has played a part in the “floating standard”, but he does not agree with it. The floating standard lets students proceed to the next grade level even if they are not fully prepared. Jesness claims the floating standard is easier to give into rather than to set high standards that some students may not meet because having it in place not only keeps students happy, but also keeps the parents content. When Jesness first began teaching he failed students, but learned that giving students the grades they deserved was not the norm. He soon “fell into line” after the principal of the school called a meeting with him and the parents of the students he was failing.
Sherman Alexia in the fictional story, “Indian Education” explains that native American life on the reservation is not what people believe it to be. Alexie supports his claim by describing life on the reservation, going to school in a farm town, and deliberately choosing certain words to paint a picture for the reader. The author writes in a tone of irony and frustration for an audience that may stereotype Native Americans on false assumptions. Although the story is fictional, it is based on facts, as the Alexie experience these things firsthand growing up. Because of this, the reader can take how the author describes the reservation as fact.