Saving Grace

While reading Journal 1 of The Alternative and reflecting on the assignment giving, memories of teachers flooded through my mind. I am unabashed to admit that I believed some teachers to be poor at their job, and have more than once thought that perhaps this wasn’t the correct career path for them. One such teacher was my 7th and 8th grade science teacher, who believed public shaming to be the preferable way of teaching adolescents. When a student would answer a question wrong in class he couldn’t help but laugh as well as bring it up throughout the lesson, refusing to let the student move past their mistake. He chose to

All conscientious teachers are interested in their students’ success, believing fervently that success in the classroom can propel success in life. Student achievement becomes the teacher’s motivating force; those devoting their lives to education do so emboldened by a recognition of education’s promises and prospects.

These stereotypes of teachers inspire the general public by showing a “fairy-tale version” of what truly happens in the classroom. The movies make it look like there is always some huge triumph at the end of the day and everyone ends up learning what they need to learn. This does not always mean learning the classroom material. Breault states that in most of the movies studied the teachers are more focused on teaching life lessons as opposed to the basic knowledge that should be taught in the classroom. The article also discusses how the teaches are viewed as heroes who save the students and advocate for them outside of the classroom. The teachers in the movies are praised for never teaching with a textbook or teaching regular course curriculum. The pictures show that the real live classroom is a lot more structured than what is portrayed in

I confess a weakness for the ideals of a teacher. I know that a teacher in our country is bound to be poor. Yet to be a teacher is to me a noble ambition. I like to imagine myself watching the slowly expanding minds of young people like the petals of flowers, and helping them to receive eagerly the light of knowledge. But then I hesitate when I think of the poverty, and drudgery of a teacher’s life. It may it may be that, driven by this poverty, I may be forced to sacrifice the ideals that I cherish in order to do my duties to myself and my family. To take up duties to which one cannot be blind to the heroism that underlies a teacher’s calling. To me that is an inspiring

Lori Williams Professor Rockette-Rogers ENG 1102 5 March 2015 Flannery O’Connor’s Saving Grace Flannery O’Connor is considered one of the foremost short story writers in American literature. Known for writing violent and shocking stories, some argued that she defined a type of writing known as Southern Gothic literature. O’Connor was born March 25, 1925 in Savannah Georgia and was the only child of devout Roman Catholics. Even though she had a strong religious upbringing, she was always known to have a morbid curiosity. This curiosity proved to be her strength when she began writing. She went on to write two novels and many short stories before she succumbed to lupus at the age of thirty nine. O’Connor’s stories contained many themes that were perhaps related to events that happened in her life. In her short story “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”. The story tells of a family on the way to vacation that, due to a series of unfortunate events, meet a tragic end. Faith, grace, violence and despair are the themes that resonate throughout the story.

“Teachers are people who could not get the careers they really wanted” a misconception some people have of the teaching profession. Most teachers are people who have chosen to fill the arduous, yet rewarding role of passing social norms and information on to others. Teachers do not always have a good reputation, they are misrepresented in media and by uninformed people. One way to combat such misconceptions is for teachers to continue advocating for the utmost highest educational standards. This semester, on my journey to become an educator, I encountered three major themes that have been a persistent in factor in my school observations, in selected novels, in lecture, and in the required text for this course. Those areas are how the

On April 28 of 2016, English professor at Diablo Valley, College Laury Fischer gave a lecture called “Whiteboard Jungle: Teacher in the Movies, TV, and other Places We’ve Never Seen.” Mr. Fischer, a professor himself, acted as an advocate for real teaching. He wanted to persuade the audience on how Hollywood’s portrayal of a teacher has shaped the teaching profession. Also, compared it with his experience as a teacher for 42 years and experiences from his colleagues, emphasizing on how important is for teachers to leave a long lasting impression on their students.

Throughout the ages, we as teachers are known best for being the instrumental tools in the lives of many young adults and playing very vital and dynamic roles in the lives of some of the greatest women and men, therefore believing the power of an educator is unparalleled and to attempt to describe what we impart into the lives of others with three words is indeed nearly impossible.

School districts are confident that, “Teachers are Better Than Ever.” With the commitment and motivation that these new teachers are showing there is no doubt that they will have success in the classroom. Numerous teachers had a teacher that inspired them to become who they are today, and they look forward to students succeeding in their

“Keep a folder of every note and letter you receive from students and parents. When you are having a bad day, pull it out and remember all the people you have influenced in a positive way.” These words were shared with me by one of my cooperating teachers and described the impact a teacher can have in learning and relationships. Unmistakable Impact continues to influence the belief that we work together to become better than we are by ourselves and that we need to be honest with ourselves in order to see our strengths and improve on our areas of concern.


Strategies for Building Relationships in the Classroom The teacher is the single most significant contributor to student achievement, with an effect twice as great of that as parents, peers, entire schools, and poverty (Hanushek, 2005). In teaching, you have to believe that every single student has the ability to learn and improve and that you have the ability to make that learning happen. Recall that when students perceive their teachers as someone who cares

Teaching Philosophy Statement “Teacher’s change lives.” Most people would agree that this statement is true. A teacher has the responsibility of imparting knowledge to students, while having the opportunity to make a huge impact on each student’s life. To be

Along with planning lessons teachers also have to learn the school’s curriculum, policies and procedures. At this time, it becomes a reality that teachers are responsible for their students’ well-being and education. The reality of this responsibility may become

As children, we absorb information and learn from experiences that mold us into who we are. Many individuals impact a child’s life, but the most powerful and influential role lies in a devoted teacher, a teacher provides growth to students as a gardener would to a garden of flowers. Each child can bloom into a thriving flower so long as you water their garden with optimism, love, patience, and guidance. Throughout my educational experiences I was lucky enough to have educators who poured their knowledge and optimism into me, and now I would like to reciprocate that back to students who are in the position I was once in. Balancing life and school is hard enough for a student, but a powerful and caring teacher can steer you in the right direction. In this autobiography you will read about my educational background, experiences that influenced my decision to become a teacher, and what I believe the role of a teacher should be in a student’s life.

One TV show that has meaning to me within the show is "7th Heaven." The show is based on the lives of a preacher, his wife, and seven children. The show, "7th Heaven," started when I was in 6th grade, in 1999, and I hardly ever miss an episode. Each