the final draft

               When I think of a new teacher walking in to their first class, I imagine the students pushing and prodding in an attempt to discover what the teacher’s boundaries are.  Without the proper response the teacher could, in some cases, lose control of the class which would lead to an inefficient teaching environment.  I believe that there is a certain way of confronting this problem.  Dealing with an obstreperous class requires the use of interesting materials and real world applications of my subject, both taught with confidence and humor, and all wrapped up with an effective assessment.

               The class that I would choose to teach is math.  The very first thing I would do would be to show them that math is used in everything and attempt to tie it to them personally.  I would walk into the class with a cart full of small, seemingly inconsequential items and place them on my desk in a somewhat firm manner so as to catch their attention.  The items would be: a small engine, a piece of wood work, a financial statement, a miniaturized rocket motor, and a fake human heart.   Next I would explain how each item was created using math.  The piece of woodwork would be the easiest to explain as anyone can hack a piece of wood into a resemblance of something but only those using precise measurements can make something with both beauty and utility.  This explanation would lead into a discussion on how math is relevant in everything.

               The next step in my master plan is the strategy that my teaching would revolve around.  Knowing that math was a tool used to create an item is one thing, but it needs to be connected to the students in a more personal manner.  After explaining how the carving was created I would then proceed to ask the students what they plan on being when they grow up.  If it involves one of the items on my desk I would explain how math is pertinent to that career. For example, a mechanic needs to know about compression ratios, doctors would need to know math in order to prescribe the correct dosage, and an accountant would need to be able to use math in order to keep track of and/or invest money.  If they asked about any other profession I would explain how it uses math because as Mr. Escalante says in Stand and Deliver “Math is the great equalizer” (5), it is universal and in everything.

               The following day would be a fieldtrip.  The purpose of this trip can be explained by a passage from Freire in which he says “The outstanding characteristic of this narrative education, then, is the sonority of words, not their transforming power. ‘Four times four is sixteen….’ The student records, memorizes, and repeats these phrases without realizing what four times four really means.” (Freire 1)(3)  Explaining an idea is all good and well but hands on experience drives the lesson home and provides context.  The first stop would be at a video game design studio.  Most everyone in this day and age owns some sort of gaming console but doesn’t realize the amount of math that goes into creating a game.  I would have an expert show them the process of mapping, which is how they make the characters and objects in a game move along the x, y and z axes.  The next stop would be a paintball field.  We would have some fun first then I would explain how velocity and time equal the range of the paintball.  The understanding of math in the real world that this outing provides will have the students searching for math in other everyday items and activities.

               Now that the outing is over we can move into the crux of the matter, which is the actual teaching of math.  There are a few ways to go about teaching but the most important aspects involved are confidence and humor.  An example of how not to do it is portrayed in the movie Chalk (1) by the actor Mr. Lowrey.  The scene I am referring to is his first day.  He walks in and asks the students what comes to mind when they hear the word history, which elicits blank stares and silence.  The rest of the class is filled with his stuttering, nervous, and unconfident attempt to control the students and teach them history.  Now if you walk in to your class with confidence, speaking clearly and laying down the rules in a clear and concise manner, then the students will have more respect for you.  The result of this will be a more stable learning environment for the students. But what to do about the monotony of school you ask?

               Humor is the answer.  Humor and levity provide an outlet for the stress that can accompany a student’s life.  I think the best example of this one is Mr. Keating in Dead Poets Society (2).  He cracks a joke every once in a while but his overall teaching style is light and exploratory instead of dull and dreary.  Especially the part where he introduces himself with: “O Captain, my Captain. Who knows where that comes from? Anybody? Not a clue? It's from a poem by Walt Whitman about Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Now in this class you can either call me Mr. Keating, or if you're slightly more daring, O Captain my Captain.” (2)  This act makes Mr. Keating more approachable and removes some tension right off the bat. 

               The final ingredient in my plan is an assessment.  I need to ensure that I am teaching the students effectively and in order to do that I must test them on their mathematical knowledge retention. Normally this would be done with a paper test and a time limit while the teacher sits at their desk and watches them.  That is not the way I would do it.  Do you know why pro athletes are so successful?  It’s because they are competitive and they get paid as a reward for doing well.  I would bring that same aspect into my classroom with a math-off (or some variation of a math competition).  I would, of course, inform the students of this competition in the beginning of the year and there would be quizzes interspersed throughout the year but the competition would be the culmination.  It would resemble most other competitions where there are separate rounds and the winner of each would move on.  The final heat would be between the top two students in front of the rest with the winner receiving something like an iPad.  The prize and the competition would ensure that the students practice and actually retain the knowledge taught to them.

               In closing, I reiterate that in order to teach an obstreperous class you must have a plan.  That plan should include materials that are relevant to your subject and examples of real world applications that the students can connect with.  Furthermore, the subject must be taught with confidence and humor.  And to complete the class an interactive and competitive practical exam should be used that offers a reward.  I am sure that there are many other strategies and methods to be used but these are the ones that will have the best chance of success.  Success is the end goal in education because as Sir Ken Robinson says ““It’s education that’s meant to take us into this future that we can’t grasp.”(4)

Works cited:

1.      Chalk.  Dir. Mike Akel. Perf. Chris Mass, Troy Schremmer. Gravitas Pictures, 2007.DVD

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

3.      Freire, Paolo.  Pedogogy of the Oppressed. City: Continuum, 1970. Print.

4.      Robinson, Ken. “Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity” Ted.com. February 2006. Web. 03 December 2012

5.      Stand and Deliver. Dir. Ramon Menendez. Perf. Edward James Olmos, Estelle Harris. American Playhouse, 1988. DVD.

the last rough draft

               When I think of a new teacher walking in to their first class, I imagine the students pushing and prodding the teacher in an attempt to discover the boundaries.  Without the proper response the teacher could, in some cases, lose control of the class which would lead to an inefficient teaching environment.  I believe that there is a certain way of confronting this problem.  Dealing with an obstreperous class requires the use of interesting materials and real world applications of my subject (math), both taught with confidence and humor, all wrapped up with an effective assessment.

               We will start with the materials that I would use.  The very first thing I would do would be to show them that math is used in everything and attempt to tie it to them personally.  I would walk into the class with a cart full of small, seemingly inconsequential items and place them on my desk in a somewhat firm manner so as to catch their attention.  The items would be: a small engine, a piece of wood work, a financial statement, a miniaturized rocket motor, and a fake human heart.   Next I would explain how each item was created using math.  The piece of woodwork would be the easiest to explain as anyone can hack a piece of wood into a resemblance of something but only those using precise measurements can make something with both beauty and utility.  This explanation would lead into a discussion on how math is relevant in everything.

               The next step in my master plan is the strategy that my teaching would revolve around.  Knowing that math created an item is one thing but it needs to be connected to the students in a more personal manner.  After explaining how the carving was created I would then proceed to ask the students what they plan on being when they grow up.  If it involves one of the items on my desk I would explain how math is pertinent to that career. For example, a mechanic needs to know about compression ratios, doctors would need to know math in order to proscribe the correct dosage, and obviously an accountant would need to be able to use math in order to keep track of and/or invest money.  If they asked about any other profession I would explain how it uses math because as Mr. Escalante says in Stand and Deliver “Math is the great equalizer” (5), it is universal and in everything.

               The next day would be a fieldtrip.  The purpose of this trip can be explained by a passage from Freire in which he says “The outstanding characteristic of this narrative education, then, is the sonority of words, not their transforming power. ‘Four times four is sixteen….’ The student records, memorizes, and repeats these phrases without realizing what four times four really means.” (Freire 1)(3)  Explaining things is all good and well but hands on experience drives the issue home and provides context.  The first stop would be at a video game design studio.  Most everyone in this day and age owns some sort of gaming console but doesn’t realize the amount of math that goes into creating a game.  I would have an expert show them the process of mapping, which is how they make the characters and objects in a game move along the x, y and z axes.  The next stop would be a paintball field.  We would have some fun first then I would explain how velocity and time equal the range of the paintball.  The understanding of math in the real world that this outing provides will have the students searching for the math in other everyday items and activities.

               Now that the outing is over we can move into the crux of the matter and that is the actual teaching of math.  There are a few ways to go about teaching but the most important aspects involved are confidence and humor.  An example of how not to do it is portrayed in the movie Chalk (1) and the actor Mr. Lowrey.  The scene I am talking about is on his first day.  He walks in and asked the students what comes to mind when they hear the word history which elicits blank stares and silence.  The rest of the class is filled with his stuttering, nervous and unconfident attempt to control the students and teach them history.  Now if you walk in to your class with confidence, speaking clearly and laying down the rules in a clear and concise manner, then the students will have more respect for you.  The result of this will be a more stable learning environment for the students. But what to do about the monotony of school you ask?

               Humor is the answer.  Humor and levity provide an outlet for the stress that can accompany a student’s life.  I think the best example of this one is Mr. Keating in Dead Poets Society (2).  He cracks a joke every once in a while but his overall teaching style is light and exploratory instead of dull and dreary.  Especially the part where he introduces himself with: “O Captain, my Captain. Who knows where that comes from? Anybody? Not a clue? It's from a poem by Walt Whitman about Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Now in this class you can either call me Mr. Keating, or if you're slightly more daring, O Captain my Captain.” (2)  This act makes Mr. Keating more approachable and removes some tension right off the bat. 

               The final ingredient in my plan is an assessment.  I need to ensure that I am teaching the students effectively and in order to do that I must test them on their mathematical knowledge retention. Normally this would be done with a paper test and a time limit while the teacher sits at their desk and watches them.  That is not the way I would do it.  Do you know why pro athletes are so successful?  It’s because they are competitive and they get paid as a reward for doing well.  I would bring that same aspect into my classroom with a math-off (or some variation of a math competition).  I would, of course, inform the students of this competition in the beginning of the year and there would be quizzes interspersed throughout the year but the competition would be the culmination.  It would resemble most other competitions where there are separate rounds and the winner of each would move on.  The final heat would be between the top two students in front of the rest with the winner receiving something like an iPad.  The prize and the competition would ensure that the students practice and actually retain the knowledge taught to them.

               In closing, I reiterate that in order to teach an obstreperous class you must have a plan.  That plan should include materials that are relevant to you subject and examples of real world applications that the students can connect with.  Furthermore, the subject must be taught with confidence and humor.  And to complete the class an interactive and competitive practical exam should be used that offers a reward.  I am sure that there are many other strategies and methods to be used but these are the ones that I think have the best chance of success.  Success is the end goal in education because as Sir Ken Robinson says ““It’s education that’s meant to take us into this future that we can’t grasp.”(4)

Works cited:

1.    Chalk.  Dir. Mike Akel. Perf. Chris Mass, Troy Schremmer. Gravitas Pictures, 2007.DVD

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

3.       Freire, Paolo.  Pedogogy of the Oppressed. City: Continuum, 1970. Print.

4.       Robinson, Ken. “Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity” Ted.com. February 2006. Web. 03 December 2012

5.       Stand and Deliver. Dir. Ramon Menendez. Perf. Edward James Olmos, Estelle Harris. American Playhouse, 1988. DVD.

MAS

                Ok so overall this program was definitely helpful in creating an environment in which the Latino students could learn effectively.  It appealed to their culture and the teacher used material like Mexican White Boy by de la Pena, which is a story that is similar to the students’ lives.  By using material such as this it motivates the students to read more.  They have found that others have been through the same struggles as them which also tells them that they can succeed.  I have a few thoughts as to how this program can threaten some people.  Firstly, seeing as I think that the education system is designed to mold the next generation to the designs of the “controllers”, a program that encourages individuality and non-conformity while straying from the approved curriculum is threatening to the controllers.  By teaching the students about the roots of their ethnic origins it shows that they are different which in turn allows the students the opportunity to use critical analytical skills.  They do this by asking themselves: why am I different how does this affect me?  This kind of thinking is dangerous to those who desire conformity.

the comparison

                A comparison of Lewis black and mike rose with freire's thoughts as I think he would have.   Both Lewis black and mike rose have similar ideas.  Although Lewis black is a comedian, he still has some insightful thoughts about the education system.  One of which is media attention.  We all can agree that the American education system is skewed.  Even though we know this, there does not seem to be much media coverage on the matter.  Lewis Black’s clip about NBC’s 1 week out of 52 about education makes me think of Mike Rose’s #11 bullet.  Rose says “to have the media, middle brow and high brow, quit giving such a free pass to the claims and initiative of the department of education and school reformers” (Mike Rose 2).   The most interesting idea that they share is the correlation between the banking concept and rose’s #8 bullet.  Both of these ideas turn students and education into assets and numbers to be moved around in keeping with the interests of the school, not the students. 

                These ideas just reiterate what we have been learning the entire class.  The education system is broken.  There is no quick fix for it but one of the best things to do would be to remember that we are supposed to be educating our children and not competing in a numbers game.  I believe that Freire would agree because of his article on the banking concept of education in which he says basically the same thing I just did just more detailed.

the arts

               Although I am not a participant in the arts per se, I can definitely see the advantages of children being able to learn and enjoy them in a school environment.  I say per se because I am an avid reader of fantasy/science fiction.  I believe that I am the person I am today because of my early start in reading.  There are just so many lessons that are displayed in the books that have a real world impact.  When I think of the advantages to the arts the main one that I think of is individuality.  Art is a reflection of the artist.  Being able to express oneself through painting, dancing, or poetry helps children develop a more thorough understanding of themselves.  In addition to that it allows a bit of passion and release from the hum drum monotony of learning things like math and history.  This brings to mind the story of the girl everyone thought was unintelligent who turned out to be a fantastic dancer and made a successful career out of it.  How many Van Goghs or Mozarts are we removing from society by taking the opportunity to discover the passion that lies just under the surface away from the students?  

viva la revolucion

               I simply love reading literature like Against Education.  I am a revolutionist at heart and if I was not currently a member of the military I would most likely be out in the world championing one cause or another.  What Gatto has to tell us is profoundly convincing.  In fact I wrote a similar idea in one of the comments I left on a blog which was “I think that the few aka the aristocracy use the education system as the starting point for molding society in a way that benefits them the most so that they can remain in control”.  From that statement you can deduce that I agree with Gatto.  I especially agree with the part where he talks about conformity being one of the main goals of the education system as it would be a great benefit to the controllers.  It would also help prevent the rise of freethinkers because those people are looked at as crazy and are generally shunned by the rest of society for being different.  The section that talks about how students are chosen for a role in society based on certain criteria sounds just like the idea that we learned about in a video we watched, the name of which I cannot seem to recall, which to me lends credence to the claim.  This is not a novel idea; it is shared by at least two educational thinkers and probably many more.  I do not really disagree with anything that I read so that’s all folks.

writing essays argumentative style

               After reading WS sections 50 and 51, I have come to the conclusion that 200+ words are too much.  This can be done with a sentence.  Reading WS section 51 will help me write the third paper because it is a section on how to write an argumentative essay.  Now for the filler, an argumentative essay is probably my favorite form of writing.  I tend to get very opinionated about something if I think I am right and I will not rest until I have proven the issue.  WS gives me the tools necessary to write an effective essay.  Some of the suggestions are to make sure that the topic is an opinion and not a fact.  If it were a fact then there would be no argument, it’s already been proven.  Another suggestion is to have a thesis statement that is clear and to the point while avoiding posing a question.  That is important because the entirety of the essay hinges on that one statement so it needs to be a strong opinion that is supported by facts.  And the final one I think is important is that you must have a strong opinion of the topic.  If you do not then you argument will most likely be half fast and unconvincing.  Those are the little kernels of knowledge I gained from WS that I think will benefit me the most.

we need change

               Five things I would change about the education system.  The first would have to be getting rid of the tenure that teachers receive now a days.  The idea that a teacher is able to just sit around and, without outstanding service, receive a practically ironclad guarantee to keep their job is ridiculous. As it stands now all a teacher has to do is show up for work for a period of 3 years and not do anything wrong.  After that they receive tenure which really just means that it is really tedious and expensive to fire a teacher. This creates a sense of complacency that allows the teacher to slack off to the detriment of the students.  There are positives to the idea however in that if a teacher is really stellar but for some reason an administrator has a personal vendetta against them it would help provide a sense of security.  This brings me to my next point.  I am not 100% on how they do it now but I would ensure an adequate evaluation system was in place to make sure the teachers are teaching effectively.  The third thing would be to have a more flexible curriculum.  If the topic is pertinent to the subject and is more effective than what is supposed to be taught then I say teach it.  I would also make sure that all the arts and other creative classes are funded and available.  The final thing I would implement is a system that would make new teachers basically follow another teacher for a year in what we navy folk call an under instruction. This would allow the new teacher to get a feel for the job and the tools that they can use.  Hopefully my changes would make the education system more effective.

emotions.......

               I will admit that I am a little hesitant to voice my opinions on this matter as I have never done yoga so I do not know of its effects and the rest of it seems like something someone that consistently has panic/anxiety attacks would benefit from.  I can, however, see the benefit of reflection before action, as that is the way I am and I have seen the side effects that instant reaction without contemplation can bring.  Using the turtle method that was discussed in the article definitely seems like it would be a benefit to young children so I think that would be useful in schools.  Teachers learning empathy is another example that would go a long way in the interpersonal relationship between them and the students which would enable a more thorough transfer of knowledge.  As for the rest such as learning compassion and understanding can only go so far until it reminds me of the over coddling that Tough was talking about.  I think that it should really be used on a case by case basis.  Does Boyce think that a struggling student should be treated leniently because of adversity?  It seems to me that his ideas turn teachers into therapists which could make the students care more about their feelings and the feelings of others than their own success.  Sometimes the results are more important than someone’s feelings.

gift of grit

               Tough says that grit is one of the key factors in determining success in life and I would have to agree.  If a person is coddled too much in life then when they face adversity without support they will fail because they do not have a sense of self reliance.  It is just like learning how to walk.  At first you learn to walk by bracing yourself on a table or wall.  Then you start to walk without support and eventually you fall down.  The fact that you fall down does not dissuade you though, you just learn not to overbalance yourself.  Eventually you are able to walk without falling down and you soon discover you can run.  Theoretically the kids at KIPP have been walking without support and falling down constantly without learning the basics that the use of support gives. The ones at Riverdale have been walking with support and never falling.  Neither of them will learn to run which is the equivalent of success in life.  In my opinion too much adversity breeds fear of failure while too little breeds overconfidence.  That is why it is important to develop a good rounded character that is confident enough but does not fear failure. 

handlin our bidness

               OK so I would just like to preface this with my opinion that this is a ridiculous reason for educational reform.  If someone is unable to speak proper English then they should be taught how.  Maybe I am not seeing the whole picture but I am fairly certain that an individual applying for a job at some large corporation would get turned down soon after they said anything along the lines of “handlin our bidness”.  Sure I agree that just because someone speaks like that does not mean that they are unintelligent but it is still unprofessional and I would rather see them educated in the proper use of English.

               Now that I have said my piece we can move on to the real blog entry about Smitherman.  Her account seems fairly straight forward; she had a problem with the perceived language barrier which she eventually overcame.  Once she had accomplished that she decided that she wanted to ensure no one else would have to go through the same issue.  First step was obtaining her teaching certificate and attempting to teach the kids that it was ok.  While she may have saved a few in this manner it did not have nearly the impact necessary for real change.  What she needed was more authority.  For that she joined a couple of educational committees which enabled her to more effectively bring about the changes she thought were necessary such as the end of the oppressive speech tests and the introduction of African American literature.  When Smitherman said “Few, if any, teachers now subscribe to the 1960”s Bereiter-Engelmann doctrine of Black English as evidence of the cognitive deficiency and genetic inferiority of Blacks”, I knew for sure that her educational reforms had a positive effect. 

               As she says though this does not mean that the problem is fixed and we should continue to advocate for linguistic diversity.  This story is very similar to the movie.  There is a problem with the education system which a few have recognized and sought to fix.  They are only going to be able to do this if they put themselves in a position in which the changes can be brought about.  Just talking about it doesn’t really help especially if you have to positional authority.  That is what is shown in the movie, whether it was Mrs. Rhee or Jeff, they both put themselves in a position that enabled them to fix the problem.

the final draft

The sign of a great teacher is the effects that they have on a student’s life.  Sure they can teach them all about math and science, history and politics, all of which are useful for getting into college, but what is the real value of that knowledge. Anyone could stand in front of some students and shove knowledge down their intellectual throats, the greatest teachers however play a vital role in their lives beyond that.  The most important role a teacher could play is that of a liberator.  To illustrate this point let me tell you of two teachers that I think exemplify this role, Mr. Escalante and Mr. Keeting.

Before we get into the effect that Mr. Escalante and Mr. Keeting had on their students, let’s talk about what a liberator is.  This is a very fluid role that can take many different paths.  The main goal however is to break the societal controls on students and imbue creativity and desire.  Let’s face it, our entire country, not just the education system, is ran by the few.  They have created a system in which men and women are, as Freire says, “adaptable, manageable beings” (1).   The education system is where the molding begins.  Freire, an influential theorist of critical pedagogy, believes that the system is set up in such a way that “the more students work at storing the deposits entrusted to them, the less they develop the critical consciousness that would result from their intervention in the world” (1).  This statement is referring to the banking method of teaching that Freire espouses, in which students memorize the knowledge without understanding it.  Freire, as well as the other two teachers, could be considered a liberator because they all wish to break the students away from the chains of societal expectations and show them that they are capable of thinking for themselves (i.e. they liberate them).

            When I first saw Mr. Escalante it was as he drove to his new job at Garfield High school.  The neighborhood he drove through was seedy, broken down, and graffiti was abundant.  The school was a reflection of the neighborhood with a little bit of theft and fecal matter thrown in.  The staff were worried about losing their accreditation due to funding issues.  The students looked like a group of delinquents and did nothing to dissuade this fact as they were quite unruly and disrespectful.  Mr. Escalante was not swayed by their behavior and answered in kind by insulting the tough kids who subsequently left. 

            The next day Mr. Escalante showed up in what appeared to be butchers attire with some apples which he used to teach the kids about fractions.  This unorthodox method was the start of Mr. Escalante’s role as a liberator.  In fact he tells them that “There will be no free rides, no excuses. You already have two strikes against you: your name and your complexion” (2).  I believe this is where he laid the foundation by telling them where they stood and where he wanted to take them. Of course it didn’t help that the rest of the faculty agreed with that outlook which was demonstrated by a conversation Mr. Escalante had with another teacher in which he told him “It's not that they're stupid, it's just that they don't know anything, Senor Molina” (2). 

            Mr. Escalante may have started with fractions but that’s not where it ends.  He eventually gets the students up to the level of calculus.  He was able to do this because he gave the kids what he called “Ganas” which is basically desire. He took them all to some sort of scientific research company and he even intervened in their private lives when they strayed which all led up to them being able to take the AP calculus test.  “Students will rise to the level of expectations” (2), that is what Mr. Escalante said and that is exactly the reason I think of him as a liberator. Those students would have been stuck in the almost caste like status that society had put them in if not for Mr. Escalante liberating them from it.

            Mr. Keeting is even more of a liberator than Mr. Escalante was.  His tale is one that is purely about rebelling from the social expectations that are placed on certain portions of society.  Unlike Garfield high school, Weston Prep is a school for the privileged few.  It is an all male school with high levels of expectations.  Almost all of the students that attend the school are basically leading the lives that their parents want for them.  They show us the desire to do something else but the control that their parents have is too much to even consider not doing as told.  Mr. Keeting changed all that.

            He started out small by taking the class out of the classroom, which by the looks of the students is simply unheard of.  He took them to a trophy room with pictures of past students and proceeded to tell the current students that life will one day end.  He then started to dramatically whisper carpe diem, carpe diem, seize the day boys.  This is the beginning of a journey of epic proportions. 

            Soon after that scene Mr. Keeting demonstrated what he stands for by simply standing on his desk.  Following which he invited his students to do the same and said “Thank you for playing Mr. Dalton. I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way” (3).  This statement is the defining words of Mr. Keeting’s message. The action to match those words however is not standing on a desk. The action takes place in the courtyard where he tells his students to march to the sound of their own drum. No matter what others may think.

            Similar to Mr. Escalante’s experience, the faculty at Weston Prep is not exactly in line with Mr. Keeting’s views.  After Mr. Keeting told his students to rip out the intro to a book of poetry, which reduces poetry to impassionate math by the way, the headmaster displayed displeasure in the direction of Mr. Keeting’s teaching.  He responded to a conversation with the headmaster with “We're not talking artists, George, we're talking freethinkers” (3).

            The most important message that Mr. Keeting gives to his students is “Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation." Don't be resigned to that. Break out! Break out now is the time!” (3). in the end Mr. Keeting succeeds in liberating some of his students and was fired for it.  What he did for those students will remain with them for their entire lives though so it was worth it.

            The role of a liberator is the most important role a teacher could have.  In every society there are certain portions of society that have more control over the way things are run than others.  These people like what they have set up and do not want it to be taken away.  To ensure that it cannot happen they have established a society where conformity is to be applauded.  College, high paying job, big house with a white picket fence and all the other things that we are taught to desire are the ways in which we are controlled.  A teacher with the ability to liberate their students instill in them creativity and individualism so that they can make their own choices.  That is why they are so important.

 Works cited:

1.  Freire, Paolo.  Pedogogy of the Oppressed. City: Continuum, 1970. Print.

2.    Stand and Deliver. Dir. Ramon Menendez. Perf. Edward James Olmos, Estelle Harris. American Playhouse, 1988. DVD.

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

the begginings of a rough draft.

The sign of a great teacher is the effects that they have on a student’s life.  Sure they can teach them all about math and science, history and politics (which are all useful for getting into college), but what is the real value of that knowledge. Anyone could stand in front of some students and shove knowledge down their intellectual throats, the greatest teachers however play a vital role in thier lives beyond that.  The most important role a teacher could play is that of a liberator.  To illustrate this point let me tell you of two teachers that I think exemplify this role, Mr. Escalante and Mr. Keeting.

Before we get into the effect that Mr. Escalante and Mr. Keeting had on their students, let’s talk about what a liberator is.  This is a very fluid role that can take many different paths.  The main goal however is to break the societal controls on students and imbue creativity and desire.  Let’s face it, our entire country, not just the education system, is ran by the few.  They have created a system in which men and women are, as Freire says, “adaptable, manageable beings.”   The education system is where the molding begins.  Freire, an influential theorist of critical pedagogy, believes that the system is set up in such a way that “the more students work at storing the deposits entrusted to them, the less they develop the critical consciousness that would result from their intervention in the world” (1).  This statement is referring to the banking method of teaching that Freire espouses, in which students memorize the knowledge without understanding it.  Freire, as well as the other two teachers, could be considered a liberator because they all wish to break the students away from the chains of societal expectations and show them that they are capable of thinking for themselves (i.e. they liberate them).

            When I first saw Mr. Escalante it was as he drove to his new job at Garfield Highschool.  The neichorhood he drove through was seedy, broken down, and graffiti was abundant.  The school was a reflection of the neighborhood with a little bit of theft and fecal matter thrown in.  the staff were worried about losing their accredidation due to funding issues.  The students looked like a group of dilinquents and did nothing to dissuade this fact as they were quite unruly and disrespectful.  Mr. Escalante was not swayed by their behavior and answered in kind by insulting the tough kids who subsequently left. 

            The next day Mr. Escalante showed up in what appeared to be butchers attire with some apples which he used to teach the kids about fractions.  This unorthodox method was the start of Mr. Escalante’s role as a liberator.  In fact he tells them that “There will be no free rides, no excuses. You already have two strikes against you: your name and your complexion”.  I believe this is where he layed the foundation by telling them where they stood and where he wanted to take them. of course it didn’t help that the rest of the faculty agreed with that outlook which was demonstrated by a conversation Mr. Escalante had with another teacher in which he told him “It's not that they're stupid, it's just that they don't know anything, Senor Molina”. 

            Mr. Escalante may have started with fractions but that’s not where it ends.  He eventually gets the students up to the level of calculus.  He was able to do this because he  gave the kids what he called “Ganas” which is basically desire. He took them all to some sort of scientific research company and he even intervened in their private lives when they strayed which all led up to them being able to take the AP calculus test.  “students will rise to the level of expectations”, That is what Mr. Escalante said and that is exactly the reason I think of him as a liborator. Those students would have been stuck in the almost caste like status that society had put them in if not for Mr. Escalante liberating them from it.

            Mr. Keeting is even more of a liberator than Mr. Escalante was.  His tale is one that is purely about rebelling from the social expectations that are placed on certain portions of society.  unlike garfeild highschool,  Weston Prep (?) is a school for the privaliged few.  It is an all male school with high levels of expectations.  Almost all of the students that attend the school are basically leading the lives that their parents want for them.  they show us the desire to do something else but the control that their parents have is too much to even consider not doing as told.  Mr. Keeting changed all that.

            He started out small by taking the class out of the classroom, which by the looks of the students is simply unheard of.  He took them to a trophy room with pictures of past students and proceeded to tell the current students that life will one day end.  He then started to dramatically whisper carpe diem, carpe diem, sieze the day boys.  This is the beginning of a journey of epic proportions. 

            Soon after that scene Mr. Keeting demonstrated what he stands for by simply standing on his desk.  Following which he invited his students to do the same and said “Thank you for playing Mr. Dalton. I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way”.  This statement is the defining words of Mr. Keeting’s messege. The action to match those words however is not standing on a desk. The action takes place in the courtyard where he tells his students to march to the sound of their own drum. No matter what others may think.

            Similar to Mr. Escalante’s experience, the faculty at Weston Prep is not exactly in line with Mr. Keeting’s views.  After Mr. Keeting told his students to rip out the intro to a book of poetry, which reduces poetry to impassionate math by the way, the headmaster displayed displeasure in the direction of Mr keeting’s teaching.  He responded to a conversation with the headmaster with “We're not talking artists, George, we're talking freethinkers”.

              

Mr. K does it like this

here are the quotes that i might use

Mr. E to his students.  

Mr. E to Students will rise to the level of expectations.

It's not that they're stupid, it's just that they don't know anything, Senor Molina

Keating:

We're not talking artists, George, we're talking freethinkers

Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation." Don't be resigned to that. Break out! break out now is the time!

Freire's thoughts as interpreted by me

           

  Ok so now that I have managed to climb my way out of Freire’s “the Banking Concept of Teaching”, I will attempt to wrap my mind around his thoughts and tell you how he would feel about standardized testing.  He would feel very bad about it.  The end, thank you so very much….. Just kidding.  Really though, he would most likely be enraged by the idea of standardized testing.  It is just another example of how the oppressors are further controlling their profitable society.  I see it as a tool that is used to prevent the students from questioning the role of education.  Freire explains the current form of education as serving "the interests of the oppressors, who care neither to have the world revealed nor to see it transformed."  It does this by clumping all the students into one collective group.  This also makes them think that they are dependent upon the knowledge imparted by the teachers, thus furthering the memorization and regurgitation that Freire speaks of. This is where the banking concept comes in.  As Freire says "It turns them into "containers", into "receptacles" to be "filled" by the teacher." That is the deposit part of the equation.  The withdrawal part, as I see it, would be the standardized testing.  Also it implies that since it is on the test that everyone has to take then it must be true simply because it is on the test.  That fact is indicated by Freire’s statement of “the teacher knows everything and the students know nothing.”  Seeing as standardized testing seems to be the tip of the iceberg that is the banking method of teaching, I can say with confidence that Freire would not approve of this method.

a paragraph with a thesis

               The sign of a great teacher is the effects that they have on a student’s life.  Sure they can teach them all about math and science, history and politics (which are all useful for getting into college), but what is the real value of that knowledge. Anyone could stand in front of some students and shove knowledge down their intellectual throats, the greatest teachers however play a vital role in thier lives beyond that.  The most important role a teacher could play is that of a liberator.  To illustrate this point let me tell you of two teachers that I think exemplify this role, Mr. Escalante and Mr. Keeting. The greatest teachers however play a vital role in their lives beyond that.  The most important role a teacher could play is that of a liberator.  To illustrate this point let me tell you of two teachers that I think exemplify this role, Mr. Escalante and Mr. Keeting.

The thesis is that “the most important role a teacher could play is that of a liberator”.

the diffferences

Mr. Escalante and Mr. Keating share a lot of similarities. Enough that in practice their teaching styles are almost the same, there are some very distinct differences however, which set them apart as teachers.  The similarities are in the teacher styles.  They are both very adaptable and are able and willing to go outside the approved curriculum in order to garner the understanding of the students.  For example, Mr. Escalante often used potentially inappropriate analogies to put the problem into a form that the students can understand.  Such as the problem that involved jiggalos and the one abbot girlfriends.  Mr. Keating had them tear out the intro of the approved book, stand on his desk, and play kickball while reciting poetry.  These methods are reflections of the passion that both teachers possess.  The differences can be summed up in the end game of the teachers' reasons for teaching, Mr. Escalante wants to enable his students to be able to join the rest of society, Mr. Keating on the other hand wants his students to be able to break away from the university life style that Mr. Escalante wants his to join.  Mr. Keating wants his students to be able to think for themselves instead of conforming.  So in practice they are similar but teachers but their goals are different.

the schools

The two schools that were depicted in the movies are about as similar as a fortune 500 company and a mom and pop shop.  In fact that analogy is quite apt, seeing as the main difference that I see between the schools is their economic status.  Every other difference that I can think of has its roots in the economic disparity.  The first of which is the type of students.  In stand and deliver the students live in a neighborhood that is full of poverty, gangs and  a  lack of community, this environment produces students that simply do not care about the future because society expects them to stay in their places and not excel.  Dead poet’s society on the other hand evinces a part of society that is expected to excel.  These students come from families that are well off and must exude control and excellence.  Accordingly the school they go to is private and has a much higher level curriculum.  The students are pushed to excel and they are raised with the mindset that failure is not an option.  All the differences that I have given you share the same roots; the economic level of the students and their family/community.

Escalante vs. MacFarland

Yes and no.  I see Mr. MacFarland as similar to Mr. Escalante in a couple of ways such as the way he turns the outbursts of disruptive students into the petulant cries of one that is lacking intelligence then immediately showing them a better way.  The way that he gets personally involved with the students by letting them visit him at home in order to further educate them and instill the desire to learn is akin to Mr. Escalante’s methods.  However it seems to me that Mr. MacFarland only does this for a select few whereas Escalante was not picky.  Furthermore Mr. MacFarland does not take a disparaged bunch of kids that the rest of society gave up on and turn them around he just teaches well and inspires a few to want to learn and write. Both teachers are somewhat unimpressive to begin with but are able to impress the students enough with their knowledge and teaching ability that it doesn’t matter.  Now there is no knowing that if Mr. MacFarland was thrown into a situation like Mr. Escalate that he would show the same tenacity and passion, but as far as the story of Mike Rose and the movie compare I just do not see the same level of passion. 

Mr. Escalante's success

               Tying the second half of the movie into my opinion of Mr. Escalante only builds upon the foundation that I gave in the last blog entry.  The passion that he shows when teaching these kids that the rest of the world had given up on is meaningful for reasons beyond that of the immediate.  His selflessness and sacrifice were felt for many years and the results of his work only grew as the years went by.  Not only were his adaptive methods of teaching paramount to his success, they also enabled him to breach the divide of the socio-economic stigmas of the time (which unfortunately still exist today). 

               During the second half of the movie I witnessed the passion that I spoke of before when Mr. Escalante suffered a heart attack.  Despite this serious health issue he still reached out to the kids with the help of a nurse and continued to teach.  He even returned to work before the doctors recommendations because the students were in a crunch time for the AP test.  There were numerous occasions where the students were about to descend back into the depravity they had ascended from yet they were saved because of the mere influence that Mr. Escalante had had on them.  His passion is what they needed in order to acquire the desire to learn.  So all in all I believe that the key to his success was his passion from which stems all the attributes mentioned earlier and in other blogs posts.

Mr. Escalante's journey

            So far it appears to me that Mr. Escalante is the epitome of what I look for in a teacher.  When we wrote about what I value in a teacher I told you of the ability to inspire the desire to learn as well as a sense of duty to the students.  Mr. Escalante has demonstrated those traits and so many more that all add up to make him a superb teacher. 

My first glimpse of Mr. Escalante was as he was driving to work through a seemingly seedy side of town.  This was depicted with graffiti and a rundown look to the neighborhood he drove through.  When he arrived at the school, I saw conditions that were similar to the neighborhood to include vandalism, theft, and feces.  As you picture the scene as I have explained it, remember back to when I said that kids are a product of their environment.  It is no different in this case.  In his first class the students are unruly, disrespectful, and completely uninterested in learning.  The class is interrupted by an obviously mistimed bell which the students gladly take advantage of.  They even go so far as to physically assault Mr. Escalante! 

The first part of the movie progresses to show Mr. Escalante whipping the kids into shape through various methods.  That is what I think makes him such a good teacher is his adaptability.  He is able to use different methods for the variety of issues that arise, and at the same time he inspires the desire to learn in the students.  That normally would be enough but he goes even further and personally intervenes in several students’ lives in order to ensure they are able to succeed.  What more could you ask for in a teacher.

how to write an essay

               How do you write an essay you ask?  Well I am here to enlighten you.  There are a couple of guidelines/steps to writing an essay.  Typically you start out with some prewriting techniques which I will explain in further detail later.  Then you jot down your introduction paragraph which contains your thesis and some hints at the supporting paragraphs.  Speaking of which, the supporting paragraphs are next closely followed by the concluding paragraph. The concluding paragraph is the easiest because you basically just sum up the gist of the supporting paragraphs with an affirmation of your thesis.

               So now let’s dive into the prewriting ideas that I mentioned earlier.  Now for some of us we could go almost our entire educational career without using these but they are definitely helpful.  The first idea is brainstorming. You need to ask yourself a couple of questions so as to know what the flow of your essay is going to take.  What is the target demographic?  What do you hope to achieve with your essay?  Now that you have those answers in mind you need to develop your thesis statement.  Notice that it is called a thesis statement.  That means that it should not be a question and should be very direct and to the point.  An example is the one I used in our writing strategies lesson “Fast food will be the downfall of America” the thesis was that fast food is unhealthy.  I followed this thesis statement with some supporting facts to include referencing a health professional’s article.  Now that lesson only required a paragraph but I could have easily followed it with some supporting paragraphs and ended it with a conclusion. another useful tool would be to use an outline which you can use to guide yourself in the general flow of the paper.  There you go you now know the basics of writing an essay.  Good luck.

what i value the most

               What I value most in a teacher is not particularly their teaching ability; it is their ability to inspire the desire to learn.  Sure there are teachers out there that have classes with high test scores with the ability to make their students remember a subject; however that is only relevant for the tests that the students must pass.  In order for a person to be successful in life they must be knowledgeable.  As Mrs. Williams, my first grade teacher, told me time and time again “knowledge is the key to success”.  She made the difference in my life by putting me in the SMART program (Start Making A Reader Today).  Although my educational career was fraught with laziness and inattentiveness, I still read books on my own time and expanded my knowledge in that way.  I owe that to Mrs. Williams for inspiring me with the desire to learn.

                Another aspect that I value in a teacher is involvement, or maybe a sense of duty, a teacher that is invested in the education of their students.  The worst kind of worker or mentor is one that does not care about the quality of their product.  If the teacher actually cares then the students will most likely excel and will be less likely to be involved in negative activities.  Of course a teacher’s technical knowledge, ability to present that knowledge and their interpersonal skills are important as well.  All the same, without the ability to inspire and the involvement in the students’ wellbeing, I think a teacher would be unable to make the desired impact on students.

how the teachers are portrayed

     I see three teachers in Audre Lorde’s essay, Mrs. Baker, The kindergarten teacher (a.k.a. Miss Teacher), and Sister Mary of Perpetual Help.  From what I read, Mrs. Baker was the best and most memorable.  In a way she reminds me of my first grade teacher, Mrs. Williams.  Miss Teacher and Sister Mary were abhorrent teachers though and there are a few glaring examples that I will explain later.

     I have read thousands and thousands of books ranging from technical books about physics and psychology all the way to science fiction/fantasy.  I owe my enjoyment of reading to Mrs. Williams and the SMART Program (Start Making A Reader Today).  I believe that I have learned more about life from fiction books than I have from any real life sources.  This is what Mrs. Baker gives to Audre Lorde which is intimated by her statement of “I was sold on reading for the rest of my life" (From Zami 65).

     As far as the other two teachers go, it seems to me that they did everything in a manner that was harmful instead of helpful.  To start, Miss Teacher punished Audre Lorde for overachieving.  Sure I can see the not listening to instructions part but why was she punished for being able to use a real pencil and writing her whole name instead of just the first letter?  Sister Mary seems to be the worst, the way she segregates the class as an attempt at motivating the students to learn instead of doing some one on one tutoring is seriously wrong.  The degrading way she handled the whole glasses incident blew my mind especially at such a young age.  Both these teachers should take a leaf out of Mrs. Baker’s Book. I got these impressions because of the way Audre wrote about the teachers and what she decided to tell us about.  I am sure that there were some positive aspects to Miss Teacher and Sister Mary, but for the most part Audre recounted the negative aspects.

2nd paper brainstorming

So you have asked me to brainstorm ideas for my second paper.  My second paper will be a compare/contrast between two teachers.  Seeing as I have not seen the two movies, which have the teachers I that I will be writing about, I do not know what to tell you.  My paper depends entirely on the roles they portray so as of yet I do not know if I will be comparing or contrasting.  I could write about two teachers from my past but none of them really stand out except my first grade teacher.  Seeing as that happened about 17 years ago, all I have is a general idea that she was a good teacher. I am hoping that the teachers in the movies are in line with what was said by Robinson though as he has some very good ideas on the path that the education system is going with respect to creativity.  I was also very impressed with his idea of academic inflation, because I have sensed this fact for a while now.  In the end I hope that the teachers portrayed in “Stand and Deliver” and “Dead Poets Society” play the roles necessary for me to contrast one as promoting creativity and the other as an advocate of the university system.

A Lesson for life.

To our newest submariner,

Hello son, so you are our new sailor, yes?  Are you ready to kick ass and take names on one of the world’s finest and most devastating warships?  Be advised kid, we are here standing by to visit violence upon those who would wish our country harm.  I am not talking about some little missile that can take out a building; I am talking about missiles with the capability to level entire countries.  So are you ready to get your hands dirty and start doing what needs to be done to protect the 314,000,000 people of the United States of America?  Well not so fast, you may be all bright eyed and bushy tailed, but as it stands you are nothing but a N.U.B. or Non Useful Body.  You have a stack of qualification cards to complete before you can even think about doing anything useful for the ship.  Along with a bigger stack of qual cards to complete before you can start helping out your division.  When you first start out it will seem extremely overwhelming.  They throw so many tasks at you, then the next time they see you, they start ranting and raving about how they aren’t done yet.  Fear not little buddy, as long as you keep your feet to the deck plate and keep working on your quals, you will do just fine.  The following is an introduction to you qualification path along with the experience I had while qualifying aboard this mighty warship which is when I learned the most important lesson in my life so far.

I mentioned two different stacks of qual cards that you have to work on but I am going to focus on one for now which is your submarine qualifications.  This is the most important qualification you will ever complete while in the navy.  You have 12 months to complete this one and if you fail to complete it on time you will be recommended for separation from the submarine fleet.  This card is so important because the knowledge you gain from it will ensure that you are able to fight the ship in the case of a fire or other casualty.  It basically represents the crews trust in you to have their back.  You will learn the basics of how to operate nearly every piece of equipment on this boat as well as the purpose for each.  From the engine room and the nuclear reactor to the sonar dome, you will learn it all along with damage control measures for casualties.  It is broken down into five phases and each phase has different sections for the different systems in that category.  The first phase is general submarine orientation which consists of the basics such as how to talk on the communication circuit on the boat and where everything is.  The second is all about damage control, how to fight a fire, stop flooding, or what to do in case of a torpedo attack.  The third is where just qualifying to stand two watches.  The fourth however is where the rubber meets the road.  This phase is all about the different systems on the boat.  Such as the systems that are used to dive and surface the boat or the system that is used to turn a drop of seawater into electricity. The final phase is the final examination which I will explain in more detail further on.  The most important advice I have for this card is to not fall behind!  Once you do it is even harder to catch up than it was to stay even.  Also you can group some of the knowledge factors together as some are very similar.  When you go for the knowledge factors it helps to take a buddy with you as well so that he can answer anything you don’t know.

When you complete all the checkouts on your qual card the senior leadership aboard the great ship USS Nebraska will test your knowledge as well as your mettle in what is known as a husker run which is part of your final examination.  This is a comprehensive practical and knowledge based test that will prove you have what it takes to join the submarine community.  During mine I learned the most important thing about myself.  Approximately 4 years ago I was in the scullery (dishwashing room) washing dishes and minding my own business when a first class petty officer ran up to me yelling “Husker Run, Husker Run Petty Officer Senn.  Flooding in the Engine Room GO GO GO!”  I ran back to the engine room as fast as I could while grabbing the equipment I would need to fight the casualty.  Once I got back there I paused to assess the situation.  Immediately people started to panic and they turned to me for answers, “What do we do Senn?”  Everyone was looking to me for the answers.  I was lost at first and overwhelmed with the sudden dependence of others on my knowledge and as they kept reminding me, the longer I hesitated the more people would die.  Suddenly, like a dam bursting, the knowledge that I had spent the last 12 months learning flooded into my mind.  Now knowing what to do and actually doing and/or directing others to do it is totally different.  This is where I learned my most valuable lesson, confidence in myself.  This first casualty set the tone for the rest.  After the flooding I went to a room with a couple of senior enlisted personnel and an officer who all fired off questions faster than I could think. Following that was a fire in the systems that basically recycle the air in the sub along with another session of questioning.  Wrapping up the exam was a hydraulic rupture which I conquered flawlessly.

 After the examination was an award ceremony in which the captain of the boat himself awarded me with the submarine qualification insignia.  This is a ceremony that is steeped in tradition.  My chief read a story from some of the histories of the submarine force which describes the qualities that are necessary for a submariner.  The histories exemplify the Navy’s core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment.  Before that day I never really had a sense of confidence in myself but as I was standing there having saved the theoretical lives of 150 people, I learned to trust in myself and what I had learned.  From that day forward I have been able to rapidly assess a situation and take the appropriate actions without second guessing myself.  Hopefully you will gain the same confidence as I did during your husker run and I wish you the best of luck.


Sincerely,
MT2/SS Lee Senn

the second draft.

Hello son, so you are our new sailor, yes?  Are you ready to kick ass and take names on one of the world’s finest and most devastating warships?  Be advised kid, we are here standing by to visit violence upon those who would wish our country harm.  I am not talking about some little missile that can take out a building; I am talking about missiles with the capability to level entire countries.  So are you ready to get your hands dirty and start doing what needs to be done to protect the 314,000,000 people of the United States of America?  Well not so fast, you may be all bright eyed and bushy tailed, but as it stands you are nothing but a N.U.B. or Non Useful Body.  You have a stack of qualification cards to complete before you can even think about doing anything useful for the ship.  Along with a bigger stack of qual cards to complete before you can start helping out your division.  When you first start out it will seem extremely overwhelming.  They throw so many tasks at you, then the next time they see you, they start ranting and raving about how they aren’t done yet.  Fear not little buddy, as long as you keep your feet to the deck plate and keep working on your quals, you will do just fine.  The following is an introduction to you qualification path along with some tips and methods I used while qualifying aboard this mighty warship.

Life in the navy is all about qualifications.  You are not allowed to do your job unless you have proven that you know the ins and outs of the task that you are to perform and the system that it is being performed on.  In order to prove that you have the requisite knowledge the navy uses a qualification system broken into specific watches that one would stand or more specifically a system that one would use.  The basic flow of a qual card is as follows:  references, prerequisites, knowledge factors, practical factors, test, and interviews.  When handed a new qual card you first looks at the references.  These references contain most of the knowledge needed to qualify that watch or system.  The prerequisites are simply there to ensure that you start at the right level.  It would be pointless to start out at the top if you do not have the basic knowledge that is obtained from the lowest qualification.  The knowledge factors are the meat and potatoes of qualifying something.  You are required to memorize the components and procedures used to operate a system and further more must be able to explain, to a diagram level, the functional description of that system.  The practical factors are there to ensure that you can actually operate the system and not just talk about how it is operated.  I could explain to you how to do open heart surgery, but unless I have actually done it before my first time would likely result in the death of the patient.  The test is to ensure that you have retained the knowledge that you received throughout the qual process and the interview is for the supervisors to ascertain if the individual is actually ready to stand the watch.  All in all it is a lengthy process with a steep learning curve for those just starting out but it is an excellent way to understand how to do your job and provides the means for others to ensure that you are adequately trained to perform it satisfactorily.

I mentioned two different stacks of qual cards that you have to work on but I going to focus on one for now which is your submarine qualifications.  This is the most important qualification you will ever complete while in the navy.  You have 12 months to complete this one and if you fail to complete it on time you will be recommended for separation from the submarine fleet.  This card is so important because the knowledge you gain from it will ensure that you are able to fight the ship in the case of a fire or other casualty.  It basically represents the crews trust in you to have their back.  You will learn the basics of how to operate nearly every piece of equipment on this boat as well as the purpose for each.  From the engine room and the nuclear reactor to the sonar dome, you will learn it all along with damage control measures for casualties.  The most important advice I have for this card is to not fall behind!  Once you do it is even harder to catch up than it was to stay even.  Also you can group some of the knowledge factors together as some are very similar.  When you go for the knowledge factors it helps to take a buddy with you as well so that he can answer anything you don’t know.

When you complete all the checkouts on your qual card the senior leadership aboard the great ship USS Nebraska will test your knowledge as well as your mettle in what is known as a husker run.  This is a comprehensive practical test that will prove you have what it takes to join the submarine community.  During mine I learned many things about myself.  Approximately 4 years ago I was in the scullery washing dishes and minding my own business when a first class petty officer ran up to me yelling “Husker Run, Husker Run Petty Officer Senn.  Flooding in the Engine Room GO GO GO!”  I ran back to the engine room as fast as I could while grabbing the equipment I would need to fight the casualty.  Once I got back there I paused to assess the situation.  Immediately people started to panic and they turned to me for answers.  I was lost at first and overwhelmed with the sudden dependence of others on my knowledge and as they kept reminding me that the longer I hesitated the more people would die.  Suddenly, like a dam bursting, the knowledge that I had spent the last 12 months learning flooded into my mind.  Now knowing what to do and actually doing and/or directing others to do it is totally different.  This is where I learned my most valuable lesson, confidence in myself.  Before that day I never really had a sense of confidence in myself but as I was standing there with the theoretical fate of 150 people in my hands I learned to trust in myself and what I had learned.  From that day forward I have been able to rapidly assess a situation and take the appropriate actions without second guessing myself.  Hopefully you will gain the same confidence as I did during your husker run and I wish you the best of luck.

my unedited, unfinished rough draft

Hello son, so you are our new sailor, yes?  Are you ready to kick ass and take names on one of the world’s finest and most devastating warships?  Be advised kid, we are here standing by to visit violence upon those who would wish our country harm.  I am not talking about some little missile that can take out a building; I am talking about missiles with the capability to level entire countries.  So are you ready to get your hands dirty and start doing what needs to be done to protect the 314,000,000 people of the United States of America?  Well not so fast, you may be all bright eyed and bushy tailed, but as it stands you are nothing but a N.U.B. or Non Useful Body.  You have a stack of qualification cards to complete before you can even think about doing anything useful for the ship.  Along with a bigger stack of qual cards to complete before you can start helping out your division.  When you first start out it will seem extremely overwhelming.  They throw so many tasks at you, then the next time they see you, they start ranting and raving about how they aren’t done yet.  Fear not little buddy, as long as you keep your feet to the deck plate and keep working on your quals, you will do just fine.  The following is an introduction to you qualification path along with some tips and methods I used while qualifying aboard this mighty warship.

Life in the navy is all about qualifications.  You are not allowed to do your job unless you have proven that you know the ins and outs of the task that you are to perform and the system that it is being performed on.  In order to prove that you have the requisite knowledge the navy uses a qualification system broken into specific watches that one would stand or more specifically a system that one would use.  The basic flow of a qual card is as follows:  references, prerequisites, knowledge factors, practical factors, test, and interviews.  When handed a new qual card you first looks at the references.  These references contain most of the knowledge needed to qualify that watch or system.  The prerequisites are simply there to ensure that you start at the right level.  It would be pointless to start out at the top if you do not have the basic knowledge that is obtained from the lowest qualification.  The knowledge factors are the meat and potatoes of qualifying something.  You are required to memorize the components and procedures used to operate a system and further more must be able to explain, to a diagram level, the functional description of that system.  The practical factors are there to ensure that you can actually operate the system and not just talk about how it is operated.  I could explain to you how to do open heart surgery, but unless I have actually done it before my first time would likely result in the death of the patient.  The test is to ensure that you have retained the knowledge that you received throughout the qual process and the interview is for the supervisors to ascertain if the individual is actually ready to stand the watch.  All in all it is a lengthy process with a steep learning curve for those just starting out but it is an excellent way to understand how to do your job and provides the means for others to ensure that you are adequately trained to perform it satisfactorily.

I mentioned two different stacks of qual cards that you have to work on.  You will need to work on these concurrently as you are being tracked on all of the starter quals, not just one at a time.  The most important one is your submarine qualifications.  You have 12 months to complete this one and if you fail to complete it on time you will be recommended for separation from the submarine fleet.  This card is so important because the knowledge you gain from it will ensure that you are able to fight the ship in the case of a fire or other casualty.  It basically represents the crews trust in you to have their back.  You will learn the basics of how to operate nearly every piece of equipment on this boat as well as the purpose for each.  From the engine room and the nuclear reactor to the sonar dome, you will learn it all along with damage control measures for casualties.  The most important advice I have for this card is to not fall behind!  Once you do it is even harder to catch up than it was to stay even.  Also you can group some of the knowledge factors together as some are very similar.  When you go for the knowledge factors it helps to take a buddy with you as well so that he can answer anything you don’t know.

While you are working on your sub quals don’t forget about divisional.