Third Essay; Third Person

The main point of my narrative essay is to have readers grasp onto the idea that quitting is not an option.  I went onto talk about my educational experience and why it had an importance.  A lot of readers probably can't understand the importance of learning how to play the guitar or any instrument in that matter.  Teaching yourself how to play isn't as easy it seems.  You have to learn patience which is something I have trouble maintaining.  I want readers to grasp on to the idea that although it's difficult and easier to give up, pushing yourself is worth it in the end.  When I was younger, I always seemed to give up a lot more than I do now.  I was a perfectionist and if I was the best on my team or the best in my class, I would become frustrated with myself and just give up.  But I learned something through the guitar.. There's no such thing as perfect.  Once I first started really getting into playing, I would give up at just the smallest mistake.  I've grown from who I once was to who I am today.  I challenge myself in everyday things no matter how small the challenge is.  It's amazing how one life lesson can change your whole aspect on how you go about things.  I'm not saying you have to push yourself until you reach your goal, all I'm saying is try.  Try your best in all that you do and you'll be taken back at the results you receive just by putting in a little more effort.

Paper #3- Draft One

What was the experience you had and why was that at least as important as "in school experience?"
The experience I had was teaching myself how to play the guitar.  From there I learned to challenge myself which I have now carried over into my everyday life.

Who is your audience?
Teachers and fellow classmates.

Why should the audience care about this?
The audience can take from my experience and put challenging themselves into their own practices.  In the beginning, I hated challenging myself.  I would often give up easily in things that became difficult to me. Others that challenge themselves become better as a whole.  They can take on many difficulties in life and know that trying their best was enough instead of just giving up from the start.

What will be gained or lost from this experience?
Good self esteem helps gain confidence and make's one's self feel accomplished.

Reasons audience should agree?
Reason #1: Because self esteem is gained.
Reason #2: Because you learn to work hard and not give up as easily.
Reason #3: Because you get a feeling of accomplishment from pushing yourself until you reach your goal.

Reasons audience might not agree?
Reason #1: No, because they don't want to end up failing.
Reason #2: No, because it's too difficult and challenging.
Reason #3: No, because they don't want to put the time nor effort.


Reasons for their objections:
Reason #1: You learn from your mistakes.
Reason #2: I've never believed in the saying, "Practice makes perfect" but you can learn to become better with the more practice you get.
Reason #3: The more time you put into your challenging task, the more you will receive out of it.

Works Cited

Aboukhadiejeh, Feross. “How I learned to Program Computers.”  How I learned to Program Computers.

13 Sep. 2013.  Web. 28 May 2014.

Romero, Joshua J.  “How I Learned to Live Google- Free.”  How I Learned to Live Google- Free.  6
            June 2011.  Web.  28 May 2014

Dead Poet’s Society.  Dir. Peter Weir.  Perf.  John Keating, Robin Williams .  Touchstone, 1989.                     DVD.

Freedom Writers.  Dir. Richard LaGravenese.  Perf. Erin Gruwell, Hilary Swank.  Paramount, 2007.                 DVD.

Hutson, Cate.  “How I Learned to Love Traveling Solo.”  How I Learned to Love Traveling Solo.  12

Sep. 2013.  Web.  28 May 2014.

The Good in Teachers- Final Draft Paper #2

The Good in Teachers

            Not everyone is fortunate enough to have teachers that come into their students’ lives and have some sort of impact on them.  Luckily for me, I was one of those fortunate students and had two teachers in particular who impacted my life.  Two of the best teachers I could’ve had, Mrs. Jenkins and Coach KJ will forever hold a place in my heart.  Both of them were always there for me no matter what the circumstance was, as well as challenging me to push myself into becoming an outstanding student.  There was a difference between the two though.  Mrs. Jenkins seemed to have a more easy going side to her to where as Coach KJ wasn't afraid to raise her voice to get her point across. 

            I've never been one to talk about my feelings or show any signs of emotion whatsoever.  Both Mrs. Jenkins and Coach KJ had the same thoughts on how I should vent out all my feelings.  In the fourth grade Mrs. Jenkins had made us write a lot, it seemed outrageous in a way that fourth graders would write as much as we did.  I didn't have the greatest child hood growing up and both teachers helped me through those times in my life.  Mrs. Jenkins would have me express my feelings through poetry and surprisingly, it worked.  It didn't get rid of all my problems, but it was nice to just let it all out.  In high school, my relationship with my step dad went from an emotional roller coaster to a downward spiral.  Even though I never had KJ as my real teacher, she was a great coach and helped me in any way she could.  One day during lunch, I went into her room to tell her about how awful my weekend was and had I just couldn't wait till the day came for me to move out.  She then went onto tell me to write a letter to my mom regarding my feelings.  I never gave it to her but putting all my thoughts and frustrations took my pain away for a short amount of time.  I loved how no matter what, Mrs. Jenkins and Coach KJ were always there for me.  What made it even better is that KJ understood what I was going through and could relate in a small way.  They were both listeners as well as advice givers.

            When I was younger, I was the kind of child that would give up when things started to become difficult and frustrating.  But that changed shortly after being in Mrs. Jenkins classroom and then when it all seemed to fade away, KJ came in and reminded me that it’s not healthy to give up.  Writing was never really something that interested me, until Mrs. Jenkins changed my thoughts on it.  She would give the class prompts and then once we were done we would individually go meet with her.  Mrs. Jenkins would make corrections in my essays which made me feel I wasn't the great writer I wanted to be.  She would see me getting frustrated and then went onto tell me how I had a gift and my writing was unique especially for my age.  Although I didn't have KJ as a teacher, I would go to her before practice to get help with my math homework.  Before I could even begin to ask for help Coach KJ would say “Did you try the problem first?”  Her next follow up question would be, “Let me see your work to see how you tried solving the problem.”  It would work the same way in practice and during games/meets.  She would push me until I felt I couldn't go no more.  KJ made me not only a better student but a better athlete.  Both teachers had me push myself in more ways than I could ever imagine myself doing.  I was faced with all kinds of obstacles growing up and am still going through some.  It is because of them that I have the ability to challenge myself.

            Mrs. Jenkins was more of an easy going teacher.  She would hardly ever get mad or raise her voice even.  She would handle problems in a calm soothing way.  There were quite a few misbehaved students and it was amazing how well Mrs. Jenkins would handle them when they misbehaved.  Coach KJ on the other hand wasn't as easy going.  She had a bit of a short temper at times and you did not want to get on her bad side when she was having a bad day.  During practice if you talked while she was talking to all of us, she would yell and then make you run the trails or do stadiums for punishment.  On top of her being my coach, she was also who I was a student aide for.  If her students would talk while she was giving a lesson, she would give them this look and they would instantly know to shut up.  The look was pretty much their warning then after, they would be isolated on their own.  Both had different ways of handling problems, but still good teachers.

            Even though they have their similarities and differences, they make amazing teachers.  Both of them will always be special people to me.  They went over and beyond to help shape me into who I am today.  I couldn't be more blessed with having teachers like them come into my life.  Mrs. Jenkins was so great with all her students that my brother has her as a teacher this year.  I still even keep in contact with Coach KJ, after moving all the way across the country.  Mrs. Jenkins and KJ both weren't just considered teachers to me.  They were considered role models and people I look up to.  It’s partially because of them that I’ve even considered becoming a school teacher.  I can’t thank them enough till this day for influencing my life.  They are the kinds of teachers more students need.

Rough Draft of Paper #2

The Good in Teachers

            I’m not one who likes to bash on teachers a lot.  Not saying I’ve had the best success with all my teachers but I try to find the good in all of them.  My reason behind that is because my grandmother is a school teacher and I know all the stress she goes through.  Before moving to Washington, I would go in three to four times out of the week to help my grandma in her classroom.  Although I enjoyed helping out and seeing the kids understand when I would go around helping each one individually, I saw the stress that came along.  Being a teacher isn’t easy.  As a matter of fact it’s a lot of hard work which a lot of people don’t see.  I actually had two amazing teachers, one who made me even consider becoming a teacher myself when I got older. 

          For starters, I was somewhat of an unruly child growing up shortly after my parents divorced.  A few years had gone by and my mom was remarried and had a baby on the way.  I was in fourth grade when I met one of my all time favorite teachers, probably the best I’ve had.  I had a lot of mixed emotions about my step dad and that I would no longer be the only child.  Nine years of my life had gone by where I was the spoiled one and now that spotlight was about to be taken away.  Selfish I know, but it’s the truth.  Mrs. Jenkins helped me work through my emotions, through poetry.  Ever since I was little I would always love making my own homemade birthday and Mother’s Day cards.  Mrs. Jenkins helped me expand that horizon even more and put my emotions on paper.  We wrote a lot in fourth grade surprisingly, A LOT.  At first I wasn’t too keen on the idea and dreaded it but as time went on, my fourth grade teacher went onto show other fourth grade teachers as well as fifth, that I had a gift in my writing.  Something different, something unique that was like no other.  I then took feedback that other teachers were telling me and wrote my little heart out.  My poems would be about just anything that had gone on in my mind, along with pictures of course. 

            Back in Florida, we would have to take a test each year called the FCAT.  It would determine whether you would move up a grade or not.  I hated the FCAT.  I thought if you’re making the grades, then that should determine whether you pass or not, not the stupid test.  Mrs. Jenkins was prepping my classmates and I for the FCAT writing which is why we would write so much in class.  The first couple essays I had wrote she would always find things to correct and I would find myself getting frustrated not only at her, but myself.  I wanted to be perfect.  I wanted to be the best writer there was regardless if I was only in fourth grade.  Mrs. Jenkins would see the frustration and call me over quietly after talking with the other students about their papers individually.  She’d always say, “Syd, you have a gift.  Now either use that gift and make it even better, or dwell in your mistakes and not change them.”  I don’t know why but she had this way of calming me down and making me want to become even better of a writer.  She made me feel good of myself, she made me feel proud.  A lot of teachers don’t go out of their way to do that for their students.  Mrs. Jenkins, well she’s a great example of a role model if you ask me.  She never gives up on her students and I love that about her.

            Next, would be my girl’s weightlifting and flag football coach.  I never had her as a teacher but I thought of her as one.  Coach KJ was something else.  She would have you so mad sometimes, then the others she would have you laughing up a storm.  The kind of teacher you have a love hate relationship with.  A lot of students would talk crap about KJ because she was “too hard” on her students when in reality, she was only trying to help her students become even better than they were.  Now, not to say she didn’t have students that didn’t love her because she did, you just wanted to be careful on how you acted around her.  Having her as a coach and being a student aide for her, we learned a lot about each other.  Before practice and sometimes even during lunch, I would go to her class and before I could even ask for help, she would say “Did you try first?”  Then if you said yes she would say “Let me see your work and where you tried.”  We sure as hell knew how to push each other’s buttons but at the end of the day, I was so grateful to have her as a coach and friend.  She pushed me both on and off the field.  She pushed all of her students and athletes because she saw something different in us all.  She’d rather have her hate you for busting your ass making you try, then to have you like her just because she’s cool and fun.  Whenever I think of KJ I always think of the saying, work hard play hard.  She challenged me but she also made it fun.  Not only that, but coach was always there whenever you needed her. 

            Throughout my life I never had a strong relationship with my step dad.  We would get in at least one fight once a day and once was lucky.  That bad relationship with my step dad caused my mom and my relationship to go in a downward spiral, which sucked because my mom and I use to be so close.  I could go to KJ whenever I was having a bad day and she’d talk me through it.  I remember one Monday afternoon my junior year things had gotten really bad in my house that previous weekend so I had gone to KJ’s room to talk to her about it briefly.  She told me “Why don’t you write her a letter?”  All I could do was laugh and in my head I thought it was the dumbest idea.  She said, “No really, you don’t even have to give it to her.  Just write your feelings down to get it all out.”  KJ was right, but it only helped the pain go away for so long.  That’s not what matters though.  What matters is she was there for me.  She talked me through my pain.

            I’ve had a lot of teachers, both good and bad.  Mrs. Jenkins and Coach KJ though.  They’ll always hold a special place in my heart.  They weren’t just teachers but role models and I will forever be thankful for them and how they’ve had a part in shaping me in who I am today.  

Part Two Notes

Mr. Keating in my opinion is a good teacher.  He made a difference in his students lives and not a whole lot of teachers have that impact.  He pushed his students to become even better.  He wanted them all to make a difference, to not fear the world but change it.  Keating led the boys out of class on their first day and told them all to "seize the day."  Mr. Keating made a tremendous difference in a certain group of boys lives.  He made Todd face his fear in reading aloud and doesn't fear expressing himself.  Neil no longer feared his father and pursued acting.  Knox went after a girl he "loved" when in reality she had a boy friend but that didn't stop him.  Keating had the boys live their lives boldly.  He didn't mean any harm, he was just doing what he thought was right and wanted to add a little fun in his style of teaching.  This made Keating different from all the other teachers.  All Keating was trying to do was let his students know you don't need to fear life and live as if you were a robot.  Everyone is their own person and that's all he was trying to express.  Ripping a whole chapter out of the book may have not been the best approach but there's not one teacher out there who is perfect.  His style of teaching may have seemed a bit odd and outrageous at times but in my opinion, I commend him for being different.  Mr. Keating was no where near a bad teacher, he was just trying to get through the boys and capture their attention differently than how other teachers go on to teach.

Similar Teachers In My Lifetime?

I have had a few teachers similar to both Mrs. Gruwell and Mr. Keating.  They were the teachers who actually made me look forward to going to class and not deciding to just skip out on it.  I'll never forget my fourth grade teacher.  You see I wasn't the best writer in elementary school and I kind of hated it, until Mrs. Jenkins.  She made me look at writing in a whole new way.  I grew to love it and found myself dying to just write whether it be narratives, book reports, summaries, or even poetry.  Mrs. Jenkins made me feel I could express myself through my writing which is very similar to both teachers in the movie.  Mrs. Gruwell would have her students write in journals, well she called them diaries and Mr. Keating had he boys recite their poetry aloud to the class.  It was because of Mrs. Jenkins that my writing is the way it is and continues to grow as I become older.  Another great example of a good teacher would be one of the coaches I had in high school, Coach KJ.  I never had her as a teacher but would go to her class during lunch and sometimes before practice.  I was a student aid for KJ my senior year and loved it.  I was able to watch how she was with her students and she never carried on with her lesson until everyone, I mean EVERYONE understood.  In the beginning, Coach and I would always butt heads.  I'm thankful for her though and all I have learned from her as both a teacher and coach.  She taught me to challenge myself and to never give up.  She always had me wanting to do more for myself.  Both Gruwell and Keating did that for their students.  There would be plenty of times that occurred when the students at Wilson High wanted to give up but Erin wouldn't let them.  This isn't a great example, but Knox, one of Keating's students had a thing for a girl who had already had a boyfriend.  At first he was hesitant on calling her but then he thought to himself on Mr. Keating's advice to "seize the day."  We may not all be fortunate enough to have had teachers that changed us, but when you do get a teacher that doesn't give up on you, be sure to take note and never take advantage because in the end.. You're only hurting yourself.

Compare and Contrast on Gruwell and Keating

Both schools are ran differently causing the teachers to contrast from each other.  Every teacher in somehow different in their own way.  Erin Gruwell has her own way of teaching just like Mr. Keating does which makes them similar in a way, but their styles on the other hand are quite different.  Gruwell teaches at a high school which she was not welcomed to nor having the knowledge of what she was getting herself into.  Erin didn't care though.  She looked on the positive side of things just like Keating did.  Gruwell went out and got two additional jobs on top of her teaching job she had just to get her students books she feel they deserved.  Keating didn't have to provide books for his students, hell he even had them tear out pages upon pages of their book because he didn't like it.  Keating can relate to how the boys felt because he too attended school there.  Erin couldn't very much relate and know what her students had to go through.  Keating also lived by the famous saying "Carpe Diem" which means seize the day.  Erin and Keating also have a lot of similarities between themselves.  As I mentioned before they are both positive and seek out to make their students happy and to have them feel good about themselves.  They want to have them look forward to coming to class and not be bored out of their minds.  Both teachers were very inspirational to their students and began to change their lives.  Teachers like Erin Gruwell and Mr. Keating are great examples on good teachers.

Contrasting Schools

The two schools are actually quite different.  The school in the movie Freedom Writers is more gang related with both boys and girls attending the school.  There, all the teachers have given up on them and feel they don't even deserve books that are brand new.  Teachers at Woodrow Wilson could pretty much careless on whether the students decide to show up or not.  In the movie Dead Poets Society it's a prep school for specifically all boys.  The administration and staff of the academy are much stricter in letting the boys do what they want.  Another difference in both schools is Erin Gruwell is a high school teacher to where as Mr. Keating is a teacher at a college.

Dead Poets Society Part One

The movie Dead Poets Society takes place at an all boys prep school at Welton Academy.  The teachers all seem to be very strict with the boys and don't give them much free reign to do as they please.  They all have their paths chosen for them it seems by their parents.  A new coming teacher that attended Welton when he was younger, decides to change how things are ran at the school and wants to make a difference in their lives.  Mr. Keating makes a good teacher because he sees that life should be viewed differently than how the boys have been taught.  He feels they should express themselves and feel free to live on their dreams and goals.  Keating makes a huge difference on a group of boys, especially two.  Todd is a very shy boy and likes to keep to himself.  He doesn't even feel comfortable enough to read in front of people.  His older brother was valedictorian of the academy, leaving Todd to fill big shoes.  Mr. Keating slowly makes an impact on Todd by telling him to stand up in front of the class and scream out what he believes a man in a picture looks like.  He then takes it further and covers Todd's eyes spinning him around having him block everyone out having him recite poetry.  Another student at Welton, Neil, is under the thumb of his father until Mr. Keating comes along.  Keating makes a difference in Neil's life making him feel free to live his dream of becoming an actor.  The boys all soon start to realize they shouldn't be programmed as robots.  They're human and should pursue what makes them happy.

The Good Ones

I've had many different teachers throughout the years.  Some good and some bad but I will always have two teachers/coaches that stick out to me.  They were both math teachers but I had only had one of them as my teacher and had the other as my coach and was her student aide.  Coach Alaimo was my geometry teachers as well as Weightlifting coach and was one of the best teachers.  She would be sure everyone in the class would understand the lesson before moving on.  You would actually look forward to her class because she made it fun and easy to understand.  She was nice, maybe a little too nice and sometimes students would take advantage of how nice she was but she didn't let others both her.  She was great at her job as well as a coach.  Alaimo would come over to everyone's desk during classwork and have a one on one talk with all of us to check on how we're doing.  Coach KJ was a little bit different on the other hand.  She wouldn't take crap from no one on and off the field.  I never had her as a math teacher but I remember friends that did before I started flag football and she was quite the intimidating one at first.  Both my junior and senior year before practice and sometimes during lunch, I would go to her class and before I could even finish asking her for help she would say, "Did you try it on your own first?"  KJ would challenge me and I liked that about her.  I liked her teaching ways, it was different but a good different.  She was different in her behavior and not as easy going.  If students were talking while she was doing her lesson or even before or after practice while she was talking, you best be ready to get yelled at.  Both we're great teachers and coaches and I will forever remember them.

Part Two Notes

Erin Gruwell continues to earn her role as what a great teacher is.  She managed to push her students the more and more as time went on.  Making them feel as if they could reach any goal they imagined as long as they set their minds to it.  Gruwell was in shock at how the other teachers felt towards her students and how much they were doubting them, pretty much flat out calling them stupid.  That's when Erin took matters into her own hands and went out and bought books for them.  As they went onto learn more about the Holocaust and read The Diary of Anne Frank, the kids found themselves becoming invested in the book.  It had hit close to home for them, especially for one of the students named Ava.  Gruwell was there for her students and let them know that.  Whenever they were having a rough time, she would be there to listen and let them vent out whatever they needed to.  A lot of them didn't even want to go home because their lives seemed to be better at school where they actually learned and were cared for.  They didn't have to be scared there.  Gruwell went up against the teachers being up against her.  They were jealous that she was actually helping them learn, that they were actually showing up to her class.  One student even left the honors program to join Gruwell's class.  The students were all a family and felt comfortable with each other.  It was because of Gruwell that she changed lives.  Some of the students were the first in their family to graduate high school and go onto college.