Jaime Escalante: What Makes A Good Teacher Become A Hero?

Heroes are your everyday average people. They aren’t supernaturals, or some science experiment gone wrong. They are just people, people who can't solve all the problems in the world but can sure try their best to or just do it on accident. The misconception is that to be a hero you have to be perfect or have superpowers, but honestly to be a hero is about making a difference in the world around you. For example Cesar Chavez, this man dedicated his whole life to help others and to help farmworkers get better pay, treatment, and working conditions. Also Roberto Clemente, a caring man like Chavez went out of his way to help people who were having hard times and who needed the support. Cesar Chavez and Roberto Clemente have both similarities and

“It’s not easy to be a hero. You do it because of what you believe, not because of what other people deserve.” Anyone can face a challenge or a hardship. But what makes a true hero is how the person takes on the challenge. Often, heroes show feats of ingenuity and acts of bravery. Two heroes that acted during the American Civil Rights Movement, were Martin Luther King Jr, and Rosa Parks. A hero is a person who has demonstrated behaviors to ethically receive our appreciation and respect. A hero is an ordinary person who finds the strength within themselves to persevere and undergo hardships and calamity.

“A hero does for others. He would do anything for people he loves, because he knows it would make their lives better”(191). This quote reflects on what a hero is in the book A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines. The main character Grant becomes a hero through the eyes of others, after meeting with another main character Jefferson, who was wrongly accused for a crime because the color of his skin was black. Jefferson got the punishment of being put to death by the electric chair. Grant goes to visit Jefferson in jail because Miss Emma wants Jefferson to be a man and walk to the electric chair. Grant could be considered a hero in this text because he helped Jefferson become a better person, Jefferson transformed into a man with the help of Grant for the love of his family, and Grant also teaches kids without enjoying his job though he is good at teaching.

Anyone who influences anyone else by saving or helping save his or her lives can be a hero. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. changed the lives of millions of people by bringing justice to minorities. Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest heroes, led a nonviolent revolution to free his country. Even a parent can be a hero to his or her child by leading them in the right direction. All teachers are heroes when they make it their job to teach a child anything that will help them in life. You don’t have to go to great lengths by risking your life to make a difference in someone else’s life.

A hero is not only someone with superpowers but can be anyone. It can be anyone like you or me. A hero is someone who is willing to stand up for other people. The book, A Lesson Before Dying, takes place in Louisiana and is about an innocent Black man convicted and sent to the electric chair. In the story there are real people that Ernest Gaines alludes to. Ernest Gaines makes an allusion to Joe Louis and Jackie Robinson. Beside these two, Mamie Till also stepped up and was audacious. They were all fearless and gave hope to many other people because of what they were doing. These heroes took a stand against society and changed the world for everyone.

Ricky Martin once said, “Heroes represent the best of ourselves, respecting that we are human beings. A hero can be anyone from Ghandi to your classroom teacher, anyone who can show courage when faced with a problem. A hero is someone who is willing to help others in his or her best capacity.” Almost anyone can be a hero, as long as they have the courage and the maturity to understand and respect those who they attempt to help. Despite the fact that a hero cannot save everyone, being heroic is about placing others before oneself and strive to help those who need it the most.

The most important trait all heroes must have is that their actions are for others, not for themselves, and they act selflessly. A hero recovers from their struggles determined to inspire others around them to be their best. Heroes can come in all different ages, races, genders, and personality types. There are many heroes around, even in everyday life. It could be a friend, a relative, even a coworker. In my case, it was my classmate Nick Kimble. Nicholas Kimble, also known as “No-Knees Nick,” was born at home in a kiddie pool. From a young age he was interested in Latin and would draw detailed pictures of famous Greek scenes, not unlike the renaissance artists. Naturally, he pursued Latin in his high school career, which is where I met

There are many skills and actions needed to be a considered a hero, leadership, confidence, and many other skills. One of the most important

Escalante is an interesting, dynamic character that most people seem to love. Many would characterize him as ambitious, hard working, and prideful. To most, he may come off as a stickler or rough around the edges like a blade, but he means well, overall. Mr. Escalante is a hard working man, who cares for his students a great amount. From day one he seeked the potential in his students. He knew from the get-go that their would be success in their future. He wanted them to graduate to college and flourish in life. So forth, Escalante made the decision to refuse to give up on his class. He taught them to his best efforts, pushing them forward and making them strife. All in all, he was an extremely motivated man and a well put together

As people in society, we are constantly categorizing people as heroes. But what really makes a person a hero? Do they have to rescue a damsel in distress? Do they have to have superhuman strength? No. Well not to mean at least. To me a hero is someone who makes a difference in a person's life. Someone who changed the lives of others for the better. In the book A Lesson Before Dying, a story about a wrongfully accused black man seeking redemption, Tante Lou, Grant Wiggins aunt, can be deemed as a hero or more of an unsung hero because if it were not for her, Grant would have never gone up to see Jefferson, Grant would have never been changed, and then Jefferson would have never been changed as well.

When people hear the word “Hero,” their minds instantly think of characters like spiderman and superman, people in flashy suits saving the damsel in distress. . . but do we really know the characteristics and true personality of a real hero? A true hero is someone who is admired or looked up to for the amount of courage they have or their incredible unseen achievements. In order for someone to become a hero, they need to have concern for others and they need to have the ability to inspire. Andrew Carnegie started off as a poor scottish immigrant, barely making ends meat, but his ambitious work ethic and discoveries (like the bessemer process) helped him rise from the depths of poverty, to owning one of the largest monopolies

Through out the movie you see difficulties that the students are trying to finally fit to be part of the system but they still may not be accepted because of their classes. With low achieving school, have a suspicious amount of high test scores the reliability and dependability are questioned. Conflict theory is used that the struggle in society and schools between the haves and have nots. For example, not funding for computer, not having computers, no air conditioning for summer and less opportunities for students in general. The school is portrayed as a place where students do not want to be or care about being in school. The staff don’t care about the students especially they gave up on them. There is a quote that I got from the movie, that Mr. Escalante was asking the math department for calculus

In all his walks of life he displayed courage, determination, and leadership, and above all he was a fighter. As a homeschooled boy from New York, he fought the asthma condition he was born with, fought for political positions in his state, fought in the Spanish-American war, fought for presidency, and all the while was fighting for America. No matter what opposition he faced, he never stopped fighting, and I think that is the truest form of determination. Had he not kept that determined attitude, he would not have been a colonel, governor, or a good President. If politicians today held the same zealous love for America’s wellbeing, we might be living in a much greater

During the same year, the National Educational Testing Service, surprised by the excellent performance of 18 Mexican American students attending Garfield High School (a school situated in one of Los Angeles' poorest Mexican American communities), demanded that all retake the exam. Allegations of cheating by the students were the reasoning of the testing administrators. The students eventually did re-take the exam; once again they received excellent scores.

What does make a hero a hero? Is it there looks? Alternatively, maybe is it their personality? However, the question is what are those essential qualities that make one a hero? Different people require different heroes to look up to or try to emulate. However, whoever it may be, they all possess certain qualities. My hero is my mother, for the reason that she is selfless, compassion, and courage. That kind of selflessness can often be premeditated, since concentrating on others' needs often winds up helping one accomplish one’s own goals. However, a heroic leader does so without any anticipation of a return. The display and concern show the care one has for others. This can often apparent itself in strong but gentle actions planned to increase the lives of others. Courage and bravery come to mind first when we think of heroism. However, it is difficult to achieve anything truly heroic unless one is up against overwhelming chances. As Nelson Mandela put it, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it." These minor acts of heroism rarely attract any notice. A true hero is always sympathetic, benevolent and shows a great deal of compassion and sympathy to those poorly or in agony. He or she keeps away judgements; that are oriented to the self and embraces an attitude that serves others.