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Reading habits on the decline
Interaction between students & teachers
The problem of reading habits
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What is inspiration? Inspiration is being stimulated to think of something or do something. Usually what inspires people to something is,other people, institutions, and circumstances. These are factors that makes us want to do something or change for the better or worse. In the words of Deborah Brandt she names these factors “Sponsors”. These Sponsors as she describes in her concept of Literary sponsorship help people see their true potential as readers and writers. Growing up I did not really like English. It was difficult concept but a particular teacher sparked a fire within me that brought out my true potential for reading and writing, Mr. Free. Mr. Free was not no typical English teacher. He had a very special way of teaching, that then lead for a big target to be on his back. He was fresh from the south and pose traditions that were not typical in San Francisco. His most favorite thing he liked to …show more content…
Free. He was definitely one of those teachers that pushed me way close to my limit. After a couple of months of having him as a teacher, I decided to confront him. I came into his classroom and asked why he was so hard and difficult with us. I noticed that he would pick on certain students a lot and I was one of them. He looked at me straight in the face and said that I had potential. I was dazed and confused to what he meant. He then explained to me that a lot of the students here are not trying at all and what is the point of helping those students that do not care where there lives go. He said that I was trying but not to the best of my ability. I exclaimed to him that I was trying my best. He then replied with saying I was trying my best but he knew I can do better. He knew that I cared about my education and knew the drive that I had. He finally remarks with don’t you know what you have learned. That caused me to think of everything overall and I realized that I was acting like a fool. I know knew what his true intentions
What is freedom? This question is easy enough to answer today. To many, the concept of freedom we have now is a quality of life free from the constraints of a person or a government. In America today, the thought of living a life in which one was “owned” by another person, seems incomprehensible. Until 1865 however, freedom was a concept that many African Americans only dreamed of. Throughout early American Literature freedom and the desire to be free has been written and spoken about by many. Insight into how an African-American slave views freedom and what sparks their desire to receive it can be found in any of the “Slave Narratives” of early American literature, from Olaudah Equiano’s The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustav Vassa, the African published in 1789, to Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself which was published in 1845. Phillis Wheatley’s poetry and letters and Martin R. Delany’s speech Political Destiny of the Colored Race in the American Continent also contain examples of the African-American slaves’ concepts of freedom; all the similarities and differences among them.
In the following excerpt from the autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, the third paragraph is distinguished from the rest of the passage due to the immediate shift of attitude, and exhibiting a somewhat of an ebullience through this hopeful vision of becoming forever free, which is effectively displayed by his use of figurative language and short and concise like syntax.
The narrative enables Douglass to flaunt his hard-earned education. As stated before, his diction brings pathos to his work. He describes his experiences in a way that lets his audience feel the indignity of being owned by another person. For example, D...
What does the word inspiration mean to you, what motivates you, what drives you, and more importantly, what inspires you to learn? Historian David McCullough says that many young people are uninspired to learn about history, and he has compared them to trying to plant cut flowers; it just won't work, trying to teach someone about a certain subject, in which they have no interest, or are uninspired to learn, you might as well teach a brick wall. This is one of the main topics David McCullough’s essay, Knowing History and Knowing Who We Are, covers. In this essay you can find many themes, but the main three that have stuck out to me, are: History could have gone off in any number of different directions in any number of different ways at
Finally having escaped, Douglass is draped in excitement and rejoice. His exceptional description of how it felt to be free lets the reader feel that excitement, and understand just how relieving it was to leave slavery. After having the assistance of a few kind persons, he begins settling his life as a free man. This marks a permanent point of prosperity for Douglass, as his life will only improve after being free from slavery.
Often when we think of slavery in the 1800’s we associate the concept with only black slaves. However in the book of Uncle Tom’s Cabin we see that if mister Shelby wasn’t a slave owner and owed the debts to Haley, he has been just as likely to become a slave working for Haley. It is we arrive at the question what does it mean to be free and how do we obtain it. We will be looking at Frederick Douglass’s definition of slavery and how he overcame it through increasing his own literacy as a result of reading.
First and most importantly Mike Rose writes the book in the first person. This provides an invaluable view to the actual thoughts and perceptions of a student who considered himself to be underprepared. Mike Rose begins his accounts in grammar school when he felt lost in the material. The teacher did not hold his attention and therefore he began to “daydream to avoid inadequacy” (Rose 19).
When a new slave is introduced to the plantation, Sarney, a young slave, notices something different about him. Within the first nights the new slave, John, offers to teach Sarney letters in exchange for rolls of tobacco. Every night from then on, Sarney begins to learn the alphabet letter by letter- something very dangerous and illegal for a slave. One day, talking with John and Mammy, John explains to them how he was a runaway that eventually became free. “And you came back?” Mammy asks him, “Why?”. “To teach reading” John explains simply to her (pg. 55). It turns out John could have safely lived the rest of his life in peace- instead he gave up his freedom to return to the nightmare of slavery and for one reason only- to teach slaves how to read and write. “We all have to read and write so we can write about this- what they doing to us.” (pg.58). Because he realizes that there is a real problem at stake, John was willing to give up a free life to better the chances of other slaves.
In his self-titled chronicle, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave", the author presents his audience with a memorable description of his resourcefulness in how he learned to write. His determination to shake off the bonds of illiteracy imposed by his slaveholders created in him the ability to conquer obstacles that held many slaves back. His mastery of the basic steps of the written language would one day play a central role in his success as a free man. The way these skills were acquired teaches us not only of his willpower, but also of his ingenuity as well. The outcome of his efforts culminated in an inimitable slave-narrative, as well as a career as one of the most famous abolitionists that this country would ever know.
Education and freedom are inseparable. Douglass, a young slave, is fortunate to learn the alphabet from his sympathetic Mistress Hugh. However, his Master Hugh perceives that his wife educates Douglass; then, he forbids his wife from teaching him to preserve their slaveholders’ power. Mrs. Hugh loses her kindness to become a cruel slave owner; she deprives Douglass’s opportunities
How can someone be truly free? Freedom can be achieved by anyone willing to make positive change for themselves or for others. The ability to achieve freedom is a multifaceted issue because some people believe freedom is a choice while others think freedom is decided for you. In Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, Jefferson and Grant struggle over what it means to be free. In the novel, Jefferson, a convicted murder set to be executed, and Grant Wiggins, a school teacher, are trapped either literarily or figuratively. Jefferson is trapped physically by his jail cell and his belief that he is a worthless human being. On the other hand, Grant is trapped by the black community that has suffered for hundreds of years. Each character learns to
For example, Mrs. Freeman is "free? from any type of incorrectness because she can "never be brought to admit herself wrong on any point? (172). Also, Mrs. Freeman is a tenant farmer and is "free? from the slavery of regular farming. Moreover, Mrs. Freeman's daughters, Glynese and Carramae, have names just as ridiculous as their living situations which are deprived of normalcy. Carramae is only fifteen, but already married and pregnant which is very peculiar for someone of that age.
In a place of extreme torment, this teacher is capable of bringing a light of faith in her students and from her determination she is able to show that is worthwhile to make a difference. Now days education is only about standardized testing and teaching a curriculum, rather than becoming a role model to students and change their perspectives of life. Therefore this movie teaches the enormous value and impact that a teacher can have in someone 's life and encourages teachers to exceed the limits and make education meaningful for students. In addition, the film inspires to pursuit a better future. It demonstrates that there is always hope to achieve big dreams and overcome the impossibilities. Finally, freedom writers teaches the humanitarian lesson of helping those who suffered, and being the change that they need to see. It is about becoming a hero everyday in the simplest moments of
It felt she did not care to teach the subject to me, because a lot of the other classmates were getting it, and I was not, I was getting a personal misdirection, and my reason was because she had such a disliking for me. If I could get in trouble for something she was going to get me in trouble for it. The teacher would e-mail and call my mother, because she could not make parent teacher conferences, and I would hear only negative attributes of myself, “being a bad student,” “very disruptive,” “no interest in class,” at one point I was even called leader of a “dark gang,” in the school; I wish my mother would have kept this to herself, because I did not take the criticism lightly. Hearing all this, and already having negative feelings toward this teacher and english, I was in no mood for reading and writing, i was ready for war. It really was not until the end of middle school and started realizing how much of an impact reading and writing was starting to take. I was going to be entering high school soon, and they did not have accelerated reader, so it was not going to be as easy to pass. It was not until the end of 8th grade that I realized I should probably work on my english abilities.
The film Freedom Writers directed by Richard La Gravenese is an American film based on the story of a dedicated and idealistic teacher named Erin Gruwell, who inspires and teaches her class of belligerent students that there is hope for a life outside gang violence and death. Through unconventional teaching methods and devotion, Erin eventually teaches her pupils to appreciate and desire a proper education. The film itself inquiries into several concepts regarding significant and polemical matters, such as: acceptance, racial conflict, bravery, trust and respect. Perhaps one of the more concentrated concepts of the film, which is not listed above, is the importance and worth of education. This notion is distinctly displayed through the characters of Erin, Erin’s pupils, opposing teachers, Scott and numerous other characters in the film. It is also shown and developed through the usage of specific dialogue, environment, symbolism, and other film techniques.