Beginning 1st draft/paper #3

Heather Mews

English 101

Professor: Begert

5/31/2014

                                                       Embracing a Pain Rehabilitation Program

                It is estimated that nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide – suffer from some form of chronic pain.

Chances are – you know somebody that is going through this - or you may be suffering yourself. Most  

people - try to hide their physical pain - due to the shame of losing their independence – often times  isolating the ones that are closest to them. Pain is likely to be recognized in the form of anger, anxiety, and most of all depression. Chronic pain not only affects the person suffering from it, but it affects our loved ones as well. The most common practice for treatment of pain - are prescribed opioids – or medications such as, methadone, oxycodone, etc., because they are fast, and relatively cheap - however the long term affects that these medications might have on you, and your loved ones just aren’t worth it. This is where the introduction of pain rehabilitation comes in. Although some might be reserved about a pain program – consider doing a little research before
you form an opinion.  You may just decide it is worth a shot.

                A pain rehabilitation program generally tends to be made up on the principles of both traditional, and nontraditional forms of education. You will spend a certain amount of time in a classroom setting – which is where they will teach you about the biology of pain, and how it affects you, mentally, and physically. They will also teach you about the effects that different forms of treatment can have on you – this will help to aide in the decisions you make regarding your treatment - in the future. You might feel that you already have enough information on pain, and you just don’t want to waste your time in a classroom learning a bunch of psycho babble – however you will acquire a great deal of knowledge pertaining to the types of medications that are out there, and their long term effects. According to an article about patient facts on painmed.org [nearly half a million emergency room visits occurred - due to the misuse of pain medications in 2009]. You will learn about pain, and depression - how they almost always link together, and the effects it can have on your loved ones. Believe it or not – your loved ones can be just as torn as you are, because they don’t understand where the anger, and depression might be coming from – leading them to feel guilty. Along with daily sessions in the classroom - you will also be expected to participate in several other more hands on learning activities – designed specifically to meet your needs, and your goals.

                In these hands on sessions, you will be assigned a physical therapist, who will design an exercise regimen that you will perform daily. They will adjust it as you progress toward your goal, and will oversee your progress to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly – so you don’t further injure yourself. They will also see to it that the program is meeting your expectations – working right alongside of you throughout the whole process. Unfortunately most are misinformed, and believe that you are just given the tasks, and then tossed aside - although it may be the case in some situations – odds are that you will either really bond with your therapist, or you will want them to leave you alone, because they are up your tail nonstop.  The same goes along with occupational therapy. It is likely- that you will perform a series of tasks that you would normally do in your everyday routine. The therapist will assess your postures, movements, etc. – possibly videotaping you, so they can study your movements closely, and design a program to help you perform these tasks easily, and in a manner that will be less painful – or less likely to make your injury worse. They can also help you come up with alternative ways to play the sports that you love, or the hobbies that you enjoy. You might be surprised at how important it is that you continue to do things that are considered entertainment, but it is actually a huge part of keeping your mental well being healthy. When you do things you enjoy – you are more likely to feel satisfied, and less likely to become depressed –which in turn amplifies your pain – as the receptors in your brain for pain, and depression are very similar, and feed off of each other.  Along with your physical therapy, and occupational therapy – you will also be introduced to several different forms of meditation, and stretching techniques that will provide you with a variety of options for natural pain reduction – some of them might include, Tai Chi, breathing exercises, yoga, etc. – stretching helps to keep your body mobile – which actually will reduce your pain.

 

Works Cited

Rose, Mike. "I just wanna be average. Lives on the Boundary: A Moving Account of the Struggles and Achievements of America's Educationally Under prepared. New York: MacMillan, 1989. Web. 24 Dec. 2010.

X, Malcom "Learning to Read. The Autobiography of Malcom X. New York: Random House Inc., 1964. Web. 30 May 2014

Dead Poets Society. Dir. Peter Weir. Perf. Robin Williams. Touchstone Pictures, 1989. DVD.

Freedom Writers. Dir. Richard LaGravenese. Perf. Hilary Swank, Scott Glen, Imelda Staunton, Patrick Dempsey. Paramount Pictures, 2007. DVD

Aboukhadiejeh, Feross. "How I learned to Program Computers." Feross.org., 13 Sept. 2011. Web. 30 May 2014.

Beginning Argument Exercise - Paper #3

1) What was the experience I had with the pain rehabilitation program, and why was it at-least as important as an in school experience?
    The experience a person will have when they go through a pain rehabilitation program can be a real eye opener. There is so much to be learned in a good program. The most important thing to keep in mind - is not to form an opinion about these programs before you are will to give them a shot, or at the very least do your research - so that you go into it with proper knowledge. Be prepared to learn as much - if not more then you will in a traditional classroom setting.

2) Who is the audience that I need to persuade?
    The audience will my peers, students at the college, others that have been injured, or suffer from pain, and my teachers.

3) Why should they care about this? What are their beliefs about education?
   Pain rehabilitation is something that can improve a persons well being. It teach you how to change your perception on pain - as well as how much you can actually tolerate, and alternative methods for doing things in everyday life - so it can be more fulfilling. Their beliefs might be that pain rehabilitation is just another waste of their time, and more money that has to be thrown away.

3) What will their children, or society in general gain or lose?
    They will gain a better understanding of a pain rehabilitation program, and how to keep an open mind about alternative programs before going through evasive treatments.

4)  Reasons they should agree? "because" statements?
    1) Keeping an open mind is important in everyday life. Learn before passing judgement - then form an opinion upon having enough information. They teach you an abundance of information - as well as physical alternatives.
    2) This program could very well be the key to a more fulfilling life. You learn how to manage your emotions, related to pain. Meditating, thought process, etc.
    3)  You will not get benefit the same in a traditional classroom setting. Pain rehabilitation teaches you several physical and mental alternatives, and you will perform these methods for several weeks with the support of the staff. This program helps to reshape your way of moving, and your way of thinking about your disability- in turn leaving you with a more positive outlook on life.

5) Reasons they might not agree? Possible objections they might raise?
     1) They might feel that it is a waste of their time because they are being required to go.
     2) They may feel the cost could out weight the benefit.
     3) They may feel that drugs ( which most pain patients are addicted when going in to the program) are the only form of relief, so they will be afraid to detox. Plus it is a lot harder to go through the program rather then to pop a pill - so if they are lazy they may reject it all together.

6) Answers to their objections? "My idea is superior because":
   1) At first it might feel like it is taking to much of their valuable time, but the amount of time they will waste trying to rehab from surgeries and other treatments - far out weights the time they will spend in the rehabilitation program.
   2) The amount of money they will spend on all of the other treatments that may not work will be far more then going through the program. It would be best to try the program first, to possibly save them thousands of dollars in the future.
   3) Drugs might be something that will help mask the pain, but they do not help you to live a more productive life, and they actually cause numerous other health problems. The pain rehab program teaches you - not only how to manage your pain, but how to live a more enjoyable life - which is hard to do if you are hopped up on medications.

 7) Statistics, facts, examples of similar problems, solutions, or situations - that will support the argument.
 

   
   
   

Details and examples

   Underlining detail words: I used to long for some Hearst Free Milk Fund Milk, in one of those cute little bottles with their red and white tops, but my mother never allowed me to have any, because she said it was charity, which was bad and demeaning, and besides the milk was warm and it might make me sick.

   Audre Lorde Sentence: I know it must have been early spring or fall, because without the protection of a heavy coat, I can still feel the stinging soreness in the flesh of my upper arm.

 

   My sentence: I always knew when Christmas was approaching, because the warm scents of cinnamon and pine would consume the air - almost as if I could taste them.

   Mike Rose Sentence: I hadn't been there two months when one of his brisk, face - turning slaps had my glasses sliding down the aisle. 

   My sentence: I knew something wasn't right when a sharp knee buckling pain - had me quickly dropping to the floor.

Revised point for paper #3 Thesis - 3rd person

  The main point: The main point of my education narrative was, you can get through anything if you keep an open mind and put in the effort to try to change. At first I was very skeptical about the rehabilitation program They were sending me to so I didn't think it would do me any good. Once I gave it a shot, It helped me in a big way.

Revised main point: The main point of the education narrative was to explain that a person can get through anything if they are willing to keep an open mind, and put in the effort to try to change. At first people might be very skeptical about a pain rehabilitation program that they are being required to attend - however it is best to at least keep an open mind, and give it a shot. The end results might surprise you.

   Grand scheme: A person is more likely to gain something very valuable,  if they are willing to keep an open mind, and put in the effort to try to change.

   Grand scheme revised: Many people are very skeptical about pain rehabilitation, and resist attending, unless they're required to. The end result could surprise them however.

Beginning final draft paper #2/Final draft

        Teachers are said to play one of the most important roles in a child's life - aside from their parents. The impact a teacher can have on a student was demonstrated in many ways throughout the movies "Freedom Writers and Dead Poet Society."  Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell were both good teachers. They were both compassionate and genuinely cared for their students. They both came up with very creative methods to gain the students interest, and they both went beyond the classroom to support their students.       Although they were both good teachers, neither of them seemed to have regard for the schools current structures; this could have lead to struggles beyond high school, and in a more typical classroom setting.

        The compassion both teachers had for their students was apparent on several occasions throughout the movies. Mr. Keating - an English teacher in the movie Dead Poet Society attended the all boys preparatory school himself when he was a boy, and he could relate to the boys. He was aware that students weren't typically aloud to make their own life choices, and he wanted to make it clear from the beginning, that they should  learn to think for themselves - be free thinkers.

He wanted them to believe that passion, romance, and love are what we live for. This implicated that their happiness was important to him. Ms. Gruwell also showed compassion for her students throughout the movie Freedom writers. One of the many kind things she did for her students, was when she took on a second job to purchase materials. She purchased journals for each of her students, and then encouraged them to write anything they would like to her. She told students that the journals could be placed in a cupboard that would stay locked , and that nobody else would be able to read them. She opened the cupboard that she had told them to put the journals in, and found that they all had written something. She did not leave the classroom that day, until she had read every one of the students journals. Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell were not only compassionate and caring teachers, but they were also very creative. This proved to be an important role for both teachers in helping to get through to their students.

        The students found Mr. Keating to be at the very least an interesting fellow - suggesting that he was a bit weird or possibly even crazy, after he came into the classroom whistling and cracking jokes about Shakespeare. He also had the students partake in tearing pages out of their textbooks -telling them that J. Evans Prichard was excrement. The students were so bewildered by Mr. Keating that they decided to look him up as a former student at the school. The students found him in an old yearbook, and asked him about the Dead Poet Society. Once he knew he had their interest - he told them about a place he and the other students used to sneak off to and read poetry. He planted a poetry book for his students to sneak off with - and it didn't take long for them to do just that. This made them feel as though they were a part of something, and gave them courage to explore who they really wanted to be. It made since that Mr. Keating would have to use such strange methods to get through to his students, because he was teaching in a very structured and controlled environment. Unlike the preparatory school that Mr. Keating taught at - Ms. Gruwell was taking on a classroom that had no structure at all. She learned very quickly, if she was going to get through to her students - she was going to have to change her topic of study all together. She used the history of the holocaust to compare the student’s current situations in gangs. The Holocaust caught their attention, and the students wanted to learn more. She then took her students to a museum so they could learn more, and arranged a dinner with survivors of the holocaust to speak to the students. This was one of the many things Ms. Gruwell did to make her students want to learn. Both teachers had to be creative in their classrooms to get their students attention, but they did not have to go beyond the classroom to support their students as they did in both movies.

        Mr. Keating showed support for one of his students "Neil" when he came to him upset because his father wanted him to quit acting. Mr. Keating told Neil that he should tell his father how he really felt about acting - thinking that Neil's father would listen. Mr. Keating brought several of his students to support Neil's role as Puck, in A Mid Summer Nights Dream, but sadly, he realized that Neil hadn't talked to his father at all and that Neil did not have the support of his father. Neil would later go home with his father and try to tell him how he really felt about acting, but his dad told him that he was going to send him away to military school.  Neil knew his father did not care about what he wanted so he found his fathers gun, and committed suicide in his office.  Ms. Gruwell went out of her way on several occasions as well. Perhaps the most selfless act that she did was taking on a second, and then a third job to support her students, and purchase supplies -  this would eventually break up  her her marriage, because she was never home, and her husband felt that he was put on the back burner compared to her students. They took first priority in her eyes. She also offered to give Eva a ride home if she had to stay late, when she was having difficulties with her family because she told the truth in court.

       Creativity, compassion, and the willingness to go above and beyond - are only a few of the many things that made Mr. Keating and Ms Gruwell good teachers, however one must also consider all effects that their alternative methods could have on the students - good and bad. Showing students that it was okay to be defiant, or to act out at the preparatory school, by standing on their desks, or cracking a joke with students after one student received the paddle for taking on a fake phone call - which was disruptive during a serious school meeting - left one student to be expelled for his actions. Ms. Gruwell not teaching her students any traditional classroom methods - may have lead them to difficulties in a college setting- which may have hindered their abilities to succeed in a more structured or traditional classroom setting. We must consider both the positives and the Negatives of every teaching style - as it is our duty as parents and as teachers to see to it that our children will be functioning, and able bodied citizens in our society.

Paper # 2 Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell Beginning Rough draft

      Teachers are said to play one of the most important roles in a child's life - aside from their parents. The impact a teacher can have on a student was demonstrated in many ways throughout the movies "Freedom Writers and Dead Poet Society."  Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell were both good teachers. They were both compassionate, and genuinely cared for their students. They both came up with very creative methods to gain the students interest, and they both went beyond the classroom to support their students.            Although they were both good teachers, neither of them seemed to have regard for the schools current structures; this could have lead to struggles beyond high school, and in a more typical classroom setting.
      The compassion both teachers had for their students was apparent on several occasions throughout the movies. Mr. Keating - an English teacher in the movie Dead Poet Society attended the all boys preparatory school himself. He was aware that students weren't typically aloud to make their own life choices, and he wanted to make it clear from the beginning, that they should  learn to think for themselves - be free thinkers.
He wanted them to believe that passion, romance, and love are what we live for. This implicated that their happiness was important to him. Ms. Gruwell also showed compassion for her students throughout the movie Freedom writers. One of  the many kind things she did for her students, was when she took on a second job to purchase materials. She purchased journals for each of her students, and then encouraged them to write anything they would like to her. She opened the locker that she had told them they could put the journals in, and found that they all had written something. She did not leave the classroom that day until she had read every one of the students journals. Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell were not only compassionate, and caring teachers, but they were also very creative. This proved to be an important role for both teachers in helping to get through to their students.
      The students found Mr. Keating to be at the very least an interesting fellow - suggesting that he was a bit weird or possibly even crazy, after he came into the classroom whistling and cracking jokes about Shakespeare. He also had the students partake in tearing pages out of their textbooks -telling them that J. Evans Prichard was an excrement. The students were so bewildered by Mr. Keating, that they decided to look him up as a former student at the school. The students found him in an old yearbook, and asked him about the Dead Poet Society. Once he knew he had their interest - he planted a poetry book for them to sneak off with, and read in the woods. This made them feel as though they were a part of something, and gave them courage to explore who they really wanted to be. It made since that Mr. Keating would have to use such strange methods to get through to his students, because he was teaching in a very structured, and controlled environment. Unlike the preparatory school that Mr. Keating taught at - Ms. Gruwell was taking on a classroom that had no structure at all. She learned very quickly, if she was going to get through to her students - she was going to have to change her topic of study all together. She used the history of the holocaust to compare the students current situations in gangs. The Holocaust caught their attention, and the students wanted to learn more. She then took her students to a museum so they could learn more, and arranged a dinner with survivors of the holocaust to speak to the students. This was one of the many things Ms. Gruwell did to make her students want to learn. Both teachers had to be creative in their classrooms to get their students attention, but they did not have to go beyond the classroom to support their students as they did in both movies.
      Mr. Keating showed support for one of his students "Neil" when he came to him upset because his father wanted him to quit acting. Mr. Keating told Neil that he should tell his father how he really felt about acting - thinking that Neil's father would listen. Mr. Keating brought several of his students to support Neil's role as Puck, in A Mid Summer Nights Dream, but sadly , he realized that Neil hadn't talked to his father at all and that Neil did not have the support of his father. Neil would later go home with his father and try to tell him how he really felt about acting, but his dad told him that he was going to send him away to military school.  Neil knew his father did not care about what he wanted so he found his fathers gun, and committed suicide in his office.  Ms. Gruwell went out of her way on several occasions as well. Perhaps the most selfless act that she did was taking on a second, and then a third job to support her students, and purchase supplies -  this would eventually break up  her her marriage, because she was never home, and her husband felt that he was put on the back burner compared to her students. They took first priority in her eyes. She also offered to give Eva a ride home if she had to stay late, when she was having difficulties with her family because she told the truth in court.
     Creativity, compassion, and the willingness to go above and beyond - are only a few of the many things that made Mr. Keating and Ms Gruwell good teachers, however one must also consider all effects that their alternative methods could have on the students - good and bad. Showing students that it was okay to be defiant, or to act out at the preparatory school - left one student to be expelled for his actions. Ms Gruwell not teaching her students any traditional classroom methods - may have lead them to difficulties in a college setting, which may have hindered their abilities to succeed. We  must  consider both the positives and the negatives of all teaching methods, even if the teachers are perceived to be good.

Sentence correction from first paper

If they had just done this in the beginning I would have been well on the road to my recovery and saved them a lot of money on ineffective treatments, the government wastes enough money as it is.


I would have been well on the road to my recovery, and saved them a lot of money on ineffective treatments; if they had just done this in the beginning. The government wastes enough money as it is.

Drafting exercise paper #2 / Beginning theses statement

       Mr. Keating was a good teacher, however I did feel that he had no regard for the structure that the students were used to. He wanted the kids to think for themselves which is something I completely support, but it seemed as though he was steering them in a direction of defiance. Ms. Gruwell was a good teacher as well, but she left me to wonder if her methods were all together correct; I am not sure if they would be able to handle a normal structured teaching environment. Both teachers cared for their students. Both used alternative methods. So the students would enjoy learning. Both teachers helped students outside of the classroom. Both pushed students to succeed.
     
       Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell were both good teachers. They were dedicated, they cared about their students, and they were both willing to adjust their curriculum so they could involve all of their students.

G&P exercises

1. The police officer bit the dog; the cat ran away.   I used a semi colon to connect the fused sentence
2. The cat ran up the tree, so the dog ran home.    I used a coordinating conjunction.   
3. Pat drove to the store, but I went anyway.    I used a coordinating conjunction.
4. We were having fun - they wanted to have fun too.    I added a dash to connect the two.
5. Getting to work is much easier now, because I learned to drive a car.    I added to the sentence and used a comma to pause before finishing.
6. Although Jim had bought a car, we still needed money to pay for insurance.    I added to the subordinate sentence so it wouldn't stand alone.
7. Jimmy played in the sandbox, whereas we had started to play in the swimming pool. I added to the sentence so it would no longer be a subordinate sentence and I added a dash to connect the two.
8. Whether we came home or went on to the store, James was still going to be angry.   I added to the sentence.  So it wasn't a subordinate sentence and added a semicolon to join the two.
9. If I had ten dollars, we could go get ice cream.   I used a dash so I could connect a sentence.
10. Upon arriving at the bank, we found out that we were millionaires.  I used a semicolon to connect the two sentences.  

Compare and Contrast Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell

      Mr. Keating was confident. He was whistling when he walked into the classroom, which got the attention of his student. The students did think he was a little strange at first. One student called him strange.
      Ms. Gruwell was figiting alot on her first day. She kept rewriting her name on the chalkboard and she was unsure of the expression she should have on her face when the students arrived to class. The kids were aware of her lack of confidence and and challenged her confidence as well as her experience.
       Mr. Keating seemed scattered and didn't seem to have much of a structureed learning environment for the students, which is what the students were used to.
       Ms. Gruwell learned quickly that she had to teach the students in a differant way , but she made it clear that they would be learning about the holocaust. I am still not sure what Mr. Keating was teaching the students dirrectly.
       Mr. Keating seemed to have no regard for the structure of the school system, where as Ms. Keating wanted to inforce the schools integrated program, which other teachers and staff didn't show any interest in, nor did they seem to care about the students education.

      

2nd half notes on Freedom writers

You just exercised the point. Swim against the stream. A statement Mr. Keating made to a student who chose not to participate in a lesson he was teaching while marching outside. In a since it feels like he is telling the kids not to conform. Not sure if I feel that is the best way to influence the kids in a school that is all about tradition and discipline. Kids are all doing things that they might not have done before. Tossing a gift off the roof of the school, drinking and putting moves on a girl who has a boyfriend. They do have more courage and are discovering things that they enjoy rather then what others expect them to. This suggests that they are implementing what they are learning from Mr. Keating. To be free thinkers. They start doing things that are a bit destructive and finding that there are consequences. Charlie publishes an article that says they should have girls at the school then during a school gathering stages a phone call from god. He receives severe punishment but will not tell who the dead poet society is. He does not reveal them. The teacher is accused of unorthodox teaching. Mr. Keating says kids should learn the dangers of conformity. That they should think for themselves. School feels that kids should not be able to make their own decisions. Neil chooses to join theater and act in a play against his fathers wishes. His father finds out and tells him he will not make a liar out of him. He has made a lot of sacrifices and his son is not to let him down. Neil goes to Mr. Keating upset about his fathers reaction. Doesn't like that his father is planning his life for him. Mr. Keating tells him he has to talk to his father. Prove to your father your compassion and love for acting. Neil is not convinced his father will approve. Knox goes to school to confess his love to the girl he likes. He walks into her classroom and reads a poem to her. Even though she didn't say anything he was content knowing he did it. Neil tells Mr. Keating he talked to his father and he is letting him stay with acting. He could tell that Neil was not telling the truth, because he was trying to convince himself while lying. Knox takes Chris to the play. Neil does a great job acting in a mid summer nights dream, you can tell he loves what he is doing, people really enjoyed his acting. His father shows up and is angry.  Mr. Keating is clearly sad for Neil. He takes him home after the play and tells him he is sending him off to military school. He tries to tell his father what he wants but his dad tells him to for get this acting business. Neil clams up and won't tell his father how he truly feels. His dad didn't really give him a choice. Neil clearly feels he has no choice in his own happiness, and commits suicide with his dads gun. Mr. Keating and the students are heartbroken. His parents try to place the blame on Mr. Keating so the school forces students to sign a letter to have Mr. Keating fired. They arrive to a structured class. Mr. Keating comes to get his belongings and the students stand on their desks to show him support and that they didn't blame him.

Teachers Similar and Differant

        I found that both teachers cared about their students and took a nontraditional approach to teaching.
For example Ms. Gruwell was seen dancing with her students which assured her bond with them and Mr. Keating was lifted by his students after playing soccer with them during English class. Soccer is not exactly a traditional way to teach English. They both encouraged their students and both went against what the school expected of them. Mr. Keating  encouraging the kids to think for themselves, which from what I could tell was far from the way these kids were being taught.  Ms. Gruwell actually cared enough to teach her students where as the rest of the school just figured the kids would eventually drop out and no longer be the schools problem. I am however conflicted about a few things It was very apparent that Ms. Gruwell had the students best interest in mind when teaching them, but I am not so sure how I feel about Mr. Keating. It felt as though he may have  had his own agenda in mind and had no regard for the schools style of formality. He was only teaching them what he believed to be so "J Evans Prichard is an excrement" or Passion, Romance, Love, is what we live for"  and not giving them the option to learn or think otherwise. It was very apparent however that the students of both teachers formed a strong bond and vise versa.

Teachers similar to Ms. Gruwell and Mr. Keating

     Unfortunately I do not have a teacher to compare to Ms. Gruwell or Mr. Keating. I don not have much of a history in school and what little experience I did have, I do not remember due to past circumstances. This is only my first quarter at the college so I am not comfortable comparing my current teachers in such a short period of time. I will say that the one teacher I feel is the closest to both teachers at this point would be my math teacher. He jokes with the class and tries to make it fun for everyone. I can also say that it is clear to me that all of my current teachers care about their students as did Mr. Keating and Ms. Gruwell.

How the Schools differ

     In the movie Freedom writers, Woodrow Wilson was a high school in Long beach California where the objective was for kids to become integrated with each other. Instead the kids formed gangs and fought in class. Teachers did not seem to care what happened to these students calling them stupid and claiming that they will eventually just drop out.
     In the movie Dead poet society, Welton Academy was an all boys preparatory school that focused on structure and discipline, preparing students to move on to an Ivy league school. Teachers in this school were opposite of Woodrow Wilson, pushing the students very hard to achieve the highest of standards.    

Dead poet society notes part 1

Preparatory boys school considered to be the best boy school in the united states. The setting seems to be around the late nineteen fifties time frame.  Parents and teachers have high expectations of their kids. School is very structured and students are expected to follow the 4 pillars. Students don't seem to have a choice in their career paths. They are agitated by their parents control. They form a study group. Mr. Keating comes into the classroom whistling. First words are Oh captain my captain. Tells students they can call him by his name or oh captain my captain. Tells students they are food for worms. He seems a bit odd. Wants students to believe they are destined to do great things. Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary. Students felt his lesson was a bit creepy. Doesn't seem to have much regard for the school calling it hellton in front of the students. In class he has a student read a section of the book and then had all of the students rip out that section of the book. Stating that J Evans Prichard is an excrement not allowing them to decide for themselves. Only seems to want students to learn what he feels is relevant. Thinking for themselves. Says passion, romance, love is what we live for. Then states a powerful play goes on inside you and you contribute a verse. What will yours be? He wants them to look at things in a different way.  He sets the students up to tear away from the structure and become defiant, by sneaking off to the cave that his group the dead poet society used to go to. The teacher seemed to plant things into the kids heads so they would want to do things his way. Students seem a little conflicted. They know what they are doing is wrong but can not resist the temptation. The teacher plants his old book in a students room for them to read, which suggests he knew he was encouraging them to be defiant. The study group students start doing things that are against what the school and their parents would want. Students don't seem to be doing what they want to in school so it seems that the teacher is just trying to encourage them to do things that make them happy. Tells students just don't let your poems be ordinary. Students seem to really like Mr. Keating and look up to him.

Beginning draft. Paper #2

      At this point I only have one teacher. I will be using Mrs. Gruwell from the Freedom writers  and the other teacher from the next film we watch because I have no memory of my past teachers.
      Mrs. Gruwell was an outstanding teacher, she proved that she would go to great lengths for her students and at almost any cost, including taking on 2 extra jobs to purchase learning materials because she had no support from the school, and demonstrating a huge amount of dedication to her students which would eventually cost her her marriage. She really seemed to care about what the students needed and how she could get them interested in learning. She observed the students and then refused to give up on them or to allow the other staff at the school to shape her opinion of the kids. She instead came up with a solution to make the kids trust her and want to learn. Although there are many great teachers out there, I do believe it is hard to find a teacher with this much dedication and love for there students. I don't even think I would go to the lengths that she did, and I consider myself to be a pretty over compassionate person. I would say that she is rare. She refused to give up on these kids. She quickly came to realize that she had to show authority and demand respect. Once she showed the students that she would not tolerate their mis behavior, they decided to give her a listen. She planned her lessons around the students and there lives, which helped keep them engaged and made them want to learn. She was fun, yet firm, compassionate, creative, and dedicated.
       
 

2nd half notes on Freedom Writers

       Mrs. Gruwell took her students to the museum to learn about the holocaust. The kids were all very moved by what they had learned, particularly about a five year old child that died. The teacher then invited survivors of the holocaust to speak to the students over a nice dinner that she had organized through work at her second job. Speaking with the survivors taught them that they could over come anything. She made the students feel special that day, as they realized that she had done all of that for them. One student states that he can't believe that she did all of that for them.                                                                                                     A student in honors class was disrespected by her teacher because she was black and he felt she should speak on behalf of all blacks. She decided to switch classes. The staff was angry. Students arrive to class. The teacher has students do a toast to celebrate a new beginning . She is trying to teach them that they can learn, and they can change, and they should stand up for themselves. One student reads a heart felt letter to the class about his life,the students stepped forward to show him support and Mrs. Gruwell assures the students that she is there for them and that they are home.   Each students received 4 books that reminded Mrs. Gruwell  of the students . She purchased the books herself. The diary of Ann Frank seemed to have the most impact on the students. She comes home to husband who is rather cruel stating that they are her kind of kids, not learning what normal kids have learn, he is clearly frustrated and seems to feel inadequate next to her and her enthusiasm and will soon leave her.
       Students read the Diary of Ann Frank and are moved by her story. They want to raise money to meet the lady that helped hide her. They worked very hard together and built a strong bond. Eventually the day came and the students got to meet the lady that one student called his hero. She tells students that she is not a hero, anyone can turn on a small light in a dark room, they are all the heroes. (Very Moving)                                Ava does the right thing and tells the truth in court, after a struggle she goes to the teacher for support. It is clear that she has a strong bond with her students and she will do almost anything for them. Students are afraid when they find out that they can't move on with their teacher. They want to fight the administration. Her dad who didn't support her at first, now tells her that she is an amazing teacher that is special and has been blessed with burden, and that he admires her. The staff does not want to let her stay with her students, they seem to want to let them fall back into the cracks to prove that she was not a good teacher and that the students are just stupid.  She tells the students not to lean on her, they made it to their junior year.                         She has students do a final project writing a book with their journals called the freedom writers diary, so they are not forgotten. Eventually they find out that she will get to be with them through their junior and senior year. She eventually moves on to help other school systems implement similar programs.