Compiling past learning experiences, requesting official transcripts, completing the application process, and receiving the letter of acceptance brought great excitement and anticipation but with it anxiety. Returning to college to complete a degree in my later age is significantly more challenging than acquiring my education earlier in life; however, it is unfinished business long overdue. This is an important investment and decision that impacts my family and me. I identified with the challenges and transformation portrayed in the 1983 movie Educating Rita, Rita is a 26-year-old working class hairdresser with a longtime burning desire to improve her social status, discover herself, and empower her life options through education.
Early
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Although the quality of Rita’s academic work is unequaled to her classmates she demonstrates growing confidence through mastery experience, vicarious learning, and social persuasion. Her academic accomplishments, exposure to theater, and invitation to Prof Frank’s home create an inner conflict as she approaches a crossroads of social development and her former working class environment. She calls herself a “half-caste” describing her disconnects from a former life of drinking and singing at the pub, and not fitting in with the well cultured upper class. Rita states, “I’m unable to talk to the people I live with anymore or to the likes of them at your house.” “Developmental teachers encourage the learner to express their negative feelings and allow them some leeway in terms of behaviour [sic].” (Brundage and MacKeracher, 1981). Prof Frank demonstrates his effort to reduce stress by accommodating Rita’s expressed sense of not fitting in. Although Prof Frank supports Rita’s desire and enthusiasm to become educated, he addresses her with concern that her quest for education may compromise her uniqueness. Prof Frank states, “What does it profit a man if he gaineth the whole of literature and loseth his soul?” Rita’s gained confidence is awkward and cocky with her abrupt statement to Prof Frank, “What you can’t bear is that I’m educated now! I can do it without you.” Prof Frank’s responds to Rita’s misdirected independence, “Have you found a better song to sing? …show more content…
Determined and focused to overcome her obstacles, Rita matures into a confident and functional learner. Her assignments are comparable to her scholarly classmates. Rita gains respect of instructors and students as she actively and intellectually participates in one-on-one, group, and class discussions. Beyond the campus Rita finds friendship with an admired and cultured roommate and takes on a persona mimicking the upper class environment. Rita goes to summer school in London and returns unlike her former self, unrecognizable as the working class hairdresser. Rita seeks the company of her classmates as she engages in scholarly dialogue and appreciation for classical music and the
Katie’s teacher, Mr. Dubey, puts a very high emphasis on the students at Katie’s school about how important school is. Because Katie starts to feel bad for using David to get into Harvard, his attitude toward the topic changes and he tells that she should be self-serving and not really care what people say and to not "ruin the rest of your life just because you feel a little guilty right now"(74). All of these conflicting messages on what Katie should be like, how she should treat others an...
That book, composed by Stephen R. Covey, is “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.“
Over the past few years, people have begun to see going to college as a way to achieve the American Dream through career-readiness. People used to go to college, hoping to get a better well-rounded education. For most the well-rounded education, it usually came with the courses required for a liberal arts education. The courses would provide a level of analytical and in-depth understanding that would prepare the students for both life and whichever career path chosen. No matter the amount of money paid, parents would be willing to gi...
The book contained Ted Sizer's thoughts on a study of high schools over a five-year period; in which he used a fictional teacher named Horace to illustrate a number of instructive examples. The mission of the program is "to create and sustain equitable, intellectually
In conclusion, Jobs used the first two habits, be proactive and begin with the end in mind, and became successful. Likewise, these habits were illustrated in both the 2005 Stanford commencement speech and Steve Jobs: An Extraordinary Career. Using these same habits, anyone has the potential to become
“School can be a tremendously disorienting place… You’ll also be thrown in with all kind of kids from all kind of backgrounds, and that can be unsettling… You’ll see a handful of students far excel you in courses that sound exotic and that are only in the curriculum of the elite: French, physics, trigonometry. And all this is happening while you’re trying to shape an identity; your body is changing, and your emotions are running wild.” (Rose 28)
A teacher’s life is a collection of varied experiences and is full of invention, imposition and determination. Teaching is always a teacher’s own. Ayers sees the pieces of his own teaching everywhere. He then recounts the story of playing a Spy game with a child who, when he spied something brown, proudly pointed out herself. She had been educated to admire and proud of her difference. In the second chapter, Seeing the Student, argues that teaching requires seeing a child as a whole and a unique individual as the teacher interacts. It also presents the story of his youngest child, Chesa, who had a dogged determination while his family was worried of his stubbornness which might raise a problem. He then relates a story of working with ten-year-old kids, asking them to describe themselves to reveal their characters to their class and the teacher. Most teachers see and label their students which deprives them from the class. Ayers argues that teaching means going beyond labels. In the third chapter, he argues that one of the main aspect of teaching is creating or constructing a laboratory that promotes learning. This entails careful and thoughtful planning to enhance student learning, accommodate and celebrate one’s diverse
"Stephen R. Covey Quotes." Stephen R. Covey Quotes (Author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People). N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
Lazarus, Joan. "On the Verge of Change: New Directions in Secondary Theatre Education." Applied Theatre Research 3.2 (July 2015): 149-161. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1386/atr.3.2.149_1.
I am conscious that returning to school, will accompany stress and anxiety. However I am also aware that my decision may encourage others to overcome the fear of returning to school. I can help my peers or leaving behind the “old way of thinking and behaving” (Bais and Hayes, 2011, p.5). The strategies that help me in this transition as describe Spencer and Adam were to find a mentor who can provide support when needed and accept help from family members when in doubt or overwhelmed.
Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989.
"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey outlines seven main beliefs that he believes individuals need to focus on in order to become highly effective. “Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily express our character and produce our effectiveness…or ineffectiveness.” (Covey 46)
I have been studying, writing about, teaching and applying the principles of successful living for close to forty years now. These principles are timeless, changeless and there for everyone to apply and benefit from. I have also discovered that the principles of success are often misunderstood, feared, misrepresented and lied about. None more than the principle of self-confidence.
Find yourself and stay true to that task by progressively applying hard-working and stress-free habits, you do not want to be the god-why-does-this-work-never-stop type of person. Don’t follow into the steps of the mainstream version of “success” instead create your own that holds similar values, but with more happiness and less stress. The marketers and big businesses want us to believe and perceive that the ultimate key to success is a stack of hundred dollar bills, foreign cars, and enormous 4,000 square foot lavish houses. But what they do not understand is a couple of things-it is falsely advertised to seem amazing and appealing, and true success requires respect to yourself and others, appreciation to the people who have been with you since day one, integ...
Covey, Sean. "The 7-habits-of-highly-effective-people (summary)." The 7-habits-of-highly-effective-people (summary). SlideShare.Inc, 27 Oct. 2012. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.