drafting exercise: block format

Role: inspire to aspire

positive

Name of Teacher #1: Mr. MacFarland

Commanded respect: As oppose to disciplining his students, when a student acted out Jack Macfarland would challenge his students. Not a physical challenge, but a linguistic challenge that would push his unruly students to participate more effectively within the classroom. As Rose put it “Jack Macfarland, this tobacco-stained intellectual, brandished linguistic weapons of a kind I hadn’t encountered before… If nothing else, we all recognized Macfarland’s considerable intelligence and respected the hours he put into his work.”

Made good grades more rewarding: Mr. MacFarland offered a rewarding curriculum keeping his students on their toes by frequently asking questions and providing his students with busy work: multiple essays per month, and quizzes on alternate days.  As Rose says “I loved getting good grades from MacFarland.”

Showed that he cared about each student individually: During Mike Rose’s senior year Mr. MacFarland questioned him on whether he was going to college or not. When Mike was indecisive he pressured him to apply for colleges. When he was denied enrollment in major universities Mr. Macfarland pulled strings at Loyola and Rose was accepted as a probationary student.

Was passionate about his curriculum and teaching: He brought Rose and a select other students to his home. From Rose’s description, “a cramped cluttered space…books were allover: stacked, piled, tossed, and crated… well-worn and new.” Mr. Macfarland clearly had an obsession with literature, such passion could easily be inspirational.

Inspired his students to love learning: Rose was inspired to love knowledge, and acquiring new knowledge. MacFarland’s introduced his students to some literature which Rose describes as, “hardly the stuff of deep understanding.”  The literature started a fire inside Rose, and later would prove to expand Rose’s insight into the world, but more importantly he could “talk that talk” with Jack MacFarland, his greatest and most beloved mentor.

positive

Name of Teacher #2: Mr. Escalante

Commanded Respect: From the very beginning of class Jaime Escalante commanded respect from his students.“there will be no free rides, no excuses. You already have two strikes against you: your name and your complexion. Because of those two strikes, there are some people in this world who will assume that you know less than you do. *math* is the great equalizer… When you go for a job, the person giving you that job will not want to hear your problems; ergo, neither do I. You are going to work harder her than you’ve ever worked anywhere else.  And the only thing I ask of you is to have *ganas* *desire*” “If you don’t have the *ganas,* I will give it to you because I am an expert.”

Made good grades more rewarding: Mr. Escalante required students to take a timed quiz every single day at the beginning of the class. While talking to a colleague he stated that “students will rise to the level of expectation.”

Showed that he cared about his students individually: When Ana Delgado withdrew herself from Escalante’s math class, Jaime went to the Delgado’s family restaurant to personally confront Ana’s family. If the student had the desire to learn Mr. Escalante would do anything to ensure that student succeeded.

Was passionate about teaching: Mr. Escalante was so passionate about teaching that when the school staff denied his request to teach calculus as a class, Escalante added calculus as a before school activity and his students attended! He worked so hard he had a heart attack while teaching an adult education class, and to top it off he went back to work against doctors’ orders. No one could stop Jaime Escalante from doing what he was passionate for, teaching.