Mr. Keating's 'Four Pillars'

One truth, Mr. Keating teaches the boys, is how to think for themselves, and to be their own individual. In one scene, in the Schoolyard, he shows the boys how they act the same. It was the way they were taught to be, but someone who wants to step out of line and change their lives. Mr. Keating explains how this is conformity. Mr. Keating wants them to express their creative ways, and to for themselves. Mr. Keating wants the boys to "beat of their own drum (Dead Poets Society)."(Dead Poets Society). Mr. Keating then teaches the boys to walk however they want. He then tells the boys they don’t have to follow what they don’t believe

White sets the tone for the piece by informing the audience of his “increasing admiration for the teacher in the country school.” This simple beginning statement puts a positive image of country schools into the readers’ minds without too harshly pushing his opinion upon them, which could in turn, result in alienation of the audience. By using this technique, White is able to begin to persuade readers without them even realizing

At Hazelwood High School, they do things differently than at my school. At Hazelwood, most of the people worry about themselves and nobody else. Most of the school doesn’t get good grades and the school does not do anything about it. One day in English class Andy walked out when they were reading Macbeth because it was too emotional for Andy to handle. His friends were concerned and told the school counselor. They said, “But… but… it seems like… like… he needs help or somethin’.” Then the counselor said, “Well, I probably shouldn’t tell you boys this, but he is getting some outside counseling… So you boys can relax and be assured that he is getting whatever help he needs”(100). At Harrisburg High School, if someone had an issue like that, the counselors and teachers would be concerned, even if the person was getting outside help. Another thing about education that is different than mine is the school. In Ronda’s English homework, she wrote, “Our school building must have been built about a million years ago, because it was brown and tall and raggedy-looking, but it fit right in with the rest of the day”(16). At my high school, we are very fortunate to have a very new building to learn inside of. At Hazelwood High, they were not fortunate enough to have a new high school be built. Culture and education are very important pieces of people’s

For three generations of boys, Mr.Hundert in the short story “The Palace Thief” by Ethan Canin has molded his students into the leaders of tomorrow. Mr.Hundert is candid about the Senators and other successful men that he has produced from his classroom at St.Benedict’s school. Being as certain as he was about his ability to create future leaders, when Mr.Hundert’s belief is challenged by Senator Bell, he surely goes against his moral compass in order to prove that Senator Bell is wrong. Mr.Hundert is aware that he is making a mistake however, he proceeds to augment Sedgewick Bell’s grades so that Sedgewick Bell would be able to participate in a prestigious school competition. At first, Mr. Hundert does this furtively, however when Sedgewick Bell cheats during the competition, Mr.Hundert’s initial actions of changing Sedgewick’s grade begin to to spin out of control. Called into question by the Bell’s, Mr.Hundert simultaneously ruins his reputation as an honest man, yet also proves his ability to not merely teach his students, but rather mold them, repeating his own mistakes of allowing himself to be used by others.

The Walton Academy is located in rural Vermont. The style of its main buildings is imitation-Gothic. The all-male institution is deliberately cut off from the economic and social life of contemporary America. The typical age of its beginning students is sixteen; for most of the adolescents the experience of Walton’s rural solitude is somewhat trying. Some call the place "Helton.” They all groan under the academic work load and many of them feel oppressed by a system that hands out demerits for the slightest infractions of discipline.

In the second part of the Celebrated Horace Trilogy, Horace’s School, Theodore R. Sizer emphasizes education’s role in Franklin High and how Franklin High’s “civic education” is not of unique quality, for it restricts Franklin High’s students from breaking out of their comfort zone. That comfort zone is being satisfied with the education given and not feeding off of the school’s education to push the limit on success if a limit is even present. A caution that Horace Smith, a veteran English teacher at Franklin High, is trying to disperse through the Board of Education and Franklin High’s community; a caution that becomes evident when Smith critiques the curriculum of Franklin High. In Franklin High, there are “Exhibitions-a portfolio collected

“I won’t learn from you” is a classic and powerful group of essays written by Herbert Kohl. The first three chapters “I won’t learn from you”, “The tattooed man”, and “Excellence, Equality, and Equity” all explore ideas that students are more in charge of their learning than most individuals believe. With these theories, students and teachers can help improve each other in every way. Kohl writes a variety of humorous stories, lessons on teaching, and inspirations to be a teacher to any child, regardless of their race, gender, religion or abilities. He addresses serious issues in the public school system, such as reforming to the demands of the school district, adapting the curriculum, and the many pressures as an educator. Kohl helps the

Ever since its inception, human civilization has been run by a pecking order; a small group of elitists on the top of the chain of command dictate the social norms for the remaining individuals on the antithetical end of the spectrum. Individuals with traits outside these norms are ostracized and looked down upon by the hierarchy. Cathy Davidson’s, Project Classroom Makeover, promotes the use of customization in the education system to accommodate every students’ learning habits over the current use of standardization and curriculum based teachings. On the other hand, Karen Ho’s, Biographies of Hegemony, is about how one’s environment is engineered by institutions, which in turn establish hierarchies who set standards for society. However, Son by Andrew Solomon describes how horizontal identities, traits influenced by peer groups that separate individuals from their families, are seen as abnormalities and those with such identities are on the bottom of the said hierarchy. Based on Davidson’s, Solomon’s, and Ho’s works, individualism does into question because society forces individuals to conform to the standardized norm in which they are not allowed to have unique identities.

Midlothian High School remains extremely well-known across the country for its intelligent, caring, and dedicated faculty and teachers. As a former student, I can affirm this claim. From History to French to Mathematics, my teachers made my learning experience feel important and worth-while. Despite this, among all these great faculty members, the English Department shines bright because of one teacher and leader that stands out above the rest. Mrs. Sharon Austin, my junior year John Tyler Community College composition teacher has impacted my life in extraordinary ways. Because of her influence in my personal education and growth as a student, I admire her greatly as a leader in the world.

Jack was always the family football star, but he was also the family member with the most heart issues; as early on as 16. It was rumored that Jack had a heart murmur, which would end his football career. William, knowing the importance of his brother’s favorite sport, agreed to take the physical for Jack when he was 15. No one knew the Moroski boys by face that weren’t on campus staff, and the doctor running the physicals was a traveling physician. Without question, William was written in as “Moroski, Jack” and Jack lead his team to the victory that took the state championship in the name of the Bears. But baseball wasn’t the only thing William dedicated himself to. Not surprisingly, he also took his schoolwork very seriously. Not as seriously, however, as Ms. Cleo Woods, his 11th grade English Teacher. She was the “ My way or the Highway” Type, the highway being staying after school until the work was done as Ms. Wood instructed. Many people have a least favorite subject, whether it be due to confusion or a slew of poor administrator relationships, and thanks to Ms. Wood, English is now defined as Bill’s least favorite subject, even as he rounds his 87th birthday.

In the fall of 2014, I embarked on the start of my ephemeral high school experience. Reminiscing back onto my first day of school, I can recall the exact moment as if it was yesterday. The adrenaline spewing out of my veins as if I had just consumed a large amount of caffeine, the anxiety boiling in my nerves not knowing who my teachers were or where my classes were. But most of all, I recall the coalescing of my fellow classmates’ personalities and the censure everyone had towards each other. It was in this moment that I had realized that Northwest Christian High School was not a banal Christian environment. In fact, Northwest Christian High School was the antithesis of a banal Christian environment.

While sitting in a new class with new students and a new teacher, my mind swarmed with anticipation for the new school year. To which, my first ever African-American teacher entered the room with a bellowing loud sneeze. John Doe appeared, and while he was a tall and athletic, he also was very inspiring to be around. For when one sat in his class, there was never a dull moment; from all the soccer tricks, he was a professional soccer player at one point, to the brute memorization of everybody’s birthday, encouraged student to learn more than what was in a textbook.

The chapter opens with a case—Robert F. Kennedy High School—depicting the many problems facing David King, the new principal of a deeply troubled urban high school. A school that opened with high hopes only a few years ago now finds itself mired in conflict and dissatisfaction. King’s first meeting with his new administrative staff produces a blow-up in which a male housemaster physically threatens the chair of the English department. By the end of the case, the situation feels overwhelming. Is there hope? The authors follow

Owing to the fact that school culture was quite difficult for Cameron, he basically dug himself deeper and deeper with a hole that he could never get out of. He never managed to try new things, for the time he was alive and well, since his many of the high schoolers thought of him as an unpopular lowlife. Culture at many secondary schools across the globe and Cameron’s school serves very much as a Feudalist social structure, as unpopular students cannot break out of their social bubble. As with being very antisocial and awkward, Cameron is very unsure and decides to not converse with his dream girlfriend, Stacy which could’ve made him happy in the long run. The pressures that students and even teachers put on Cameron and definitely also many real-world students is unbearable, however acceptance of who you are, is slowly trending towards the positive.

Neil Perry was not the only one to face challenges at “Hellton.” the majority of the boys did. The students at Welton Academy were under immense pressure that was placed upon them by their parents, the staff, and/or both. After attending a few of Mr. Keating’s classes, the boys began to show their true colors. Neil Perry became the leader and enforced all of Mr. Keating’s teachings, Todd Anderson was able to break out of his shell, Knox Overstreet unveiled his hopeless romantic persona, and Charlie Dalton was fearless in exploring poetry. Emerson once said, “We but half express ourselves, and are ashamed of the divine idea which each of us represented” (Self - Reliance). Here, Emerson is portraying the fear and dawdle the boys showed when asked to dispatched their dutiful ways and do things they actually enjoy. One of the many principles of Transcendentalism is the pledge to “make your own way” and the boys eventually grow ill of always knuckling under, so they shed their skin in order for their true selves to emerge.