HW#25: Questions about first half of Emerson's "Education" excerpt

After reading the first half of the excerpt from “Education” by Ralph Waldo Emerson, answer at least five of the seven following questions on a separate piece of paper. Be sure to make direct references to the text, as well as your own views.

1. According to Emerson, why is patience so important in education? What do you think? Have your schools been a place where patience is practiced and valued enough? Is there any relationship between patience and quality of education? Think about how teachers, students, administrators at your schools have or have not practiced patience.
2. Multiple times Emerson says “Respect the child.” What specific things do teachers need to do to respect students? From what you have seen so far in the documentary, do you think children are respected at the Free School?
3. Emerson also says to teachers that they should “respect yourself.” Why do you think Emerson thinks it is so important for teachers to “respect themselves.” Do you think this is important? Do you see your teachers respecting themselves?
4. “Respect the child. Be not too much his parent.” Have you ever had a teacher who acts like a parent? What is good or bad about a teacher acting like a parent?
5. “Respect the child, respect him to the end, but also respect yourself. Be the companion of his thought, the friend of his friendship, the lover of his virtue  [good characteristic], – but no kinsman [relative] of his sin. Let him find you so true to yourself that you are the irreconcilable hater of his vice [sin] and imperturbable slighter [critic] of his trifling [fooling around].”

Do you think the teachers at the Free School respect themselves, from what we saw in the documentary? How do you think this affects the type of learning that takes place there? Explain.

6. What do you think Emerson means when he says, “Every mind should be allowed to make its own statement in action, and its balance will appear.” Be sure to read the context of this statement
7. According to Emerson, why do teachers in conventional schools end up in despair at the end of the day? Have you seen or heard of this happening in schools you know of? How might this be lessened or avoided?

HW#24 (Due on Monday, February 22)

Your assignment is to write about possible futures of two of the boys in Dead Poets Society, imagining that each boy’s life takes one of the paths below.

Boys

Cameron (redhead)

Todd (shy)

Knox (in love with Chris)

Charlie /Nuwanda (sax player)

Meeks (glasses)

Pitts (tall)mn

Some Possible Outcomes (choose a different outcome for each of the two boys you write about)

1) The boy follows Keating’s teachings/example and makes a positive impact on the world

2) The boy follows Keating’s teachings/example and doesn’t make a positive impact on the world (or makes a negative impact on the world)

3) The boy doesn’t follow Keating’s teachings/example, and follows the “Welton way,” and makes a positive impact on the world

4) The boy doesn’t follow Keating’s teachings/example, and follows the “Welton way,” and doesn’t make a positive impact on the world (or makes a negative impact)

5) The boy chooses a path that is neither “Keating’s way” or “Welton’s way,” and makes a positive impact on the world.

For each of the two boys you choose, write a scene that shows some important aspect of their future, or describe the boy’s future. Clearly show (don’t tell) what kind of positive or not-so-positive impact each boy makes.

Total pages: At least one full page per boy. At least two pages total. If you write in large print, you should write more than two pages. Please type if possible.

HW#23

Read "Introduction to Poetry" by Billy Collins and "A Loaf of Poetry" by Naoshi Koriyama and then write your own poem in the style of one of these poems.

HW#22

Read and respond to this poem in any way you would like:

O Me! O Life!

BY WALT WHITMAN

Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,

Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,

Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)

Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,

Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,

Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,

The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

                                       Answer.

That you are here—that life exists and identity,

That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.

HW#21

Interview one (or more) people:

Describe the best teacher you've ever had (they DO NOT have to be a teacher in a school). What made them such a good teacher?

Describe someone you've known who is a really good learner? Describe what / how they learned and what made them so effective at learning that thing.

One full page minimum.

HW#20

Interview someone you know (it could be more than one person) about the following question:

What do you think the purpose of school is? Please explain.