A Talk To Teacher Chapter Summary

In James Baldwin’s “Autobiographical Notes” you can tell that in his life he has experienced many things whether it be good or bad. Being born in Harlem, New York in 1924 you’d expect him to go through a lot from the time he was brought into the world; especially being black in those times. He is often found to be rather pessimistic at times and would go on to talk about the things he doesn’t like in the world. James Baldwin, in his notes goes on to list a number of things he doesn’t like, “I do not like bohemia, or bohemians, I do not like people whose principal aim is pleasure, and I do not like people who are earnest about anything. I don't like people who like me because I'm a Negro; neither do I like people who find in the same accident grounds for contempt.” As a pessimist it’s

In school now, many teachers are willing to give answers to students who did not even attempt to solve the presented problem. This idea of spoon-feeding answers allows students to succeed without fully understanding the material, and when they are tested on the information, they will have a harder time scoring well because they did not learn on their own. Therefore, Emerson’s idea of independent education would allow students to challenge themselves to produce answers individually, without the help of a teacher right away, and this would make sure they have a more solid understanding of the curriculum. Emerson writes, “But this function of opening and feeding the human mind is not to be fulfilled by any mechanical or military method,” (Emerson, 191). This quote explains how immediately providing students with the correct answers is almost unnatural and the least suitable way of retaining information. Besides forcing answers upon students who are not given the time to formulate it themselves, our school district also imposes a strict curriculum.

James Baldwin was a prominent African American writer, social critic, and racial justice advocate in the 1960’s and 70’s. In his 1963 Talk to Teachers he aimed to persuade an audience of teachers that education must exist to challenge systems and structures of power and that when it does not, it only serves to reinforce them and amplify their injustice. He specifically focuses on racial hierarchies and white supremacy in the United States. He achieves his persuasive purpose through the strategic use of first, second, and third person pronouns and the use of evocative language, and emphasizes the actionability of his message with anaphora.

In James Baldwin’s “Talk to Teachers”, he discusses the ways in which education is taught and practiced in schools. Contrary to this, Baldwin has other beliefs and feels that education should be regulated in other ways. Baldwin states, “the purpose of education...is to examine society and try to change it and to fight it, at no matter what risk.” During my personal school experience, I’ve noticed that the education system values discipline rather than my education. I agree with Baldwin and believe that schools should prioritize an unbiased education to the students so that we can think for ourselves and to stand up for what's right.

Gerald Graff is a professor of English and education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Graff, in his essay, emphasizes the importance for instructors to teach and increase enjoyable courses that students shall truly understand. Graff assures that all kids have hidden intellectualism trying to emerge from within, and as a teacher he feels partly accountable to help those kids develop their competencies in educational work. The essence of Graff’s argument is for students to know that intellectualism lurks within them all, and they need to implement their potential at school. Furthermore, he enriches the essay based totally on his own life experiences, along with his hidden intellectualism, while he attended school during the anti-intellectualism

In “The Poet of Our Dreams: The Real Meaning of Education,” David James discusses defining an educated person. He strongly believes that no one has the same definition due to individual differences in religion, ethnicity, gender, nationality, geography, culture, and many more factors. James identified many issues that often surface in education today including: should sex education be infused into the curriculum, are values appropriate in an academic environment, and if technology should take precedence over books. These problems he believes are due to lack of consensus and preference will always win out. No matter what the case is, we as individuals are given the responsibility to define our own lives and have different strengths and weaknesses,

1) What is the Emancipation Proclamation? When is Baldwin’s letter written and what is the significance of the timing of his letter (specifically: what is the situation of African Americans at the time Baldwin wrote the letter?)

Today, education enables us to enlarge our knowledge and open doors for opportunities to the path of having a good future. In the five readings, each written by a different author, there was a lesson learned and something to take away from each one. Reading through the passages by Mann, Moore, Malcolm X, Gatto, Rose, and Anyon, each author contributed his or her point of view on general public education. This topic can be very argumentative depending on the quality of education people receive. Education today is the single most important mean for individuals to achieve their personal goals in the workforce.

In the book, The Conscious Reader, there are many stories by many different authors. All these stories are different but at the same time they are alike. They all in some way deal with education. Whether it is using education, gaining education, or giving education, they all have their way to show that education is important.

The authors Mike Rose, Gerald Graff, and Charles Murray are all scholars in education. Each one of them brings concrete facts about education in America. They all believe that education is very diverse and that it can come from anywhere not just school. For example Mike Rose writer of the text “Blue Collar Brilliance” explains how intelligence is used more in labor jobs than normal jobs. He believes that intelligence is overlooked. For example he talks about how when he was in his mothers store he would observe and analyze the things around him. He then started to realize the amount of work that waiters do such as communicate with customers, write down orders, and memorize who ordered what. He believes that intelligence doesn't just come from school and that it can be from anywhere. Furthermore Gerald Graff a professor In education argues that what teachers teach to students in schools limit students intellectualism as he gives personal experiences such as topics that were interesting to him he seemed very knowledgeable and therefore his hidden intellectualism was shown. In addition Charles Murray an American Political Scientists writer of “Are too Many People Going To College” talks about how more people should be going to college. He believes that basic education should be taught early on in elementary and middle school. He also mentions that people who don't pursue higher education doesn't mean there intelligence are any less than the ones getting post secondary

The average age of the delegates was 42 and some of the most important delegates such as Alexander Hamilton, Edmund Randolph, Gouverneur Morris and James Madison were in their thirties. Many of the delegates graduated from college. In fact over half of them graduated from college 9 of them bring from Princeton and six from British Universities. Even more significant information was their political experience. In fact 8 signed the Declaration of Independence, 25 served in the continental Congress, 15 helped draft the new State Constitutions between 1776 and 1780, and 40 served in the Confederation Congress between 1783 and 1787.

In James Baldwin’s article “A Talk to Teachers” he utilizes paradox, tone, and anecdote to persuade the audience that an educational system where students are taught the true meaning of American history and identity must be established in order to create a society where people of all races contribute their ideals to society.

Yet even with these realizations that delve into the deeper meaning of education, modern education is still calling for simple measurable outcomes and continues to be geared towards specific employment ideas. This model of education is blatantly inadequate though. Many students today will end up holding jobs not yet invented in fields not yet discovered, so the teaching of answers to today’s questions is utterly useless. Albert Einstein once said, “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” and this statement reigns true throughout time. To continue academic success, the education system needs to impart a mastery of one’s own mind that allows students to not only answer current questions but also to pose questions that will shape the future world.

It is the duty of the educator to prepare students to live lives of quality and purpose. Intellectually, a life of quality involves being reasonable, adept, and thoughtful, and enables people to be good citizens of their community. Skills that will prepare students to live such a life include the ability to reason carefully, to think agilely, and to reflect deeply. These skills are attained best when students evaluate how others express their thinking and precisely what thinking is expressed. The students themselves attempt to express substantive ideas in clear and convincing ways. The teacher is foremost a model of that which is taught, which obligates the teacher to live that life of quality and purpose. As a model, the teacher is therefore able to act as a guide for others, serving occasionally as a source of knowledge but mostly as one who points the way for fellow explorers.

Education is a very important part of society. I feel that it should teach children how to function in a society, and learn the basics they will need to expand on for the rest of their life. I feel that it is used to teach moral, and ethical standards of living. The schools are used to help the children learn to function in life, and achieve the goals of their choosing. Education is important because without it I firmly believe that society would be a very savage institution. With the things that we teach in today’s schools we give the power to know the basics such as reading, writing, and math but we also give them the ability to function in a society. As a teacher I hope to set my student of fire. I want to see them come alive with a desire to want everything that is out there for them. I want to be able to make a difference in just one person’s life. If I can do this I would feel I have done what I am supposed to do. I want my students to know the world is theirs to take and do with it whatever they may choose.