We started talking about teaching and teachers today in class as we discussed Pete Dixon, who most of you felt was a pretty good teacher if also a little lax in discipline and perhaps a little too friendly with his students. Now we have John Keating who tells his students to rip the introduction out of their poetry text and, as you'll see tomorrow, puts his hands on his students (not in a violent way). If Pete is at all unconventional, what the heck do we say about Keating?
So:
1. What makes a teacher good at what she or he does? How do you know a good teacher when you have one? Go ahead and define what makes a good teacher.
2. Given what we saw today, would you call Keating a good teacher? Does he fit your criteria? (Now I'm sounding a little like Pritchett, the writer whose introduction to the poetry book Keating had his kids rip out. "Excrement," Keating called it.)
Write a couple hundred words. We'll see you tomorrow.
I think a good teacher is someone who is engaged and cares about their topic and their students. A good teacher is excited about teaching and is passionate about their topic. My favorite and best teachers have always been able to show the class their enthusiasm for their subject and transfer that enthusiasm to the students. A good teacher also has to be able to answer questions and explain the lesson to the class. The way I know that a teacher is a good teacher for me is when I'm excited about going to class every day. Even if it's not my favorite topic or a topic that I'm really interested in, I know the teacher is a good teacher if I can go to class every day and know that I am going to learn at least one interesting thing every day. I also think a good teacher is someone who is comfortable as a teacher, all of my best teachers have been able to interact with students in such a way that everyone felt like their opinions mattered and like they were equal to the teacher in the sense that they could ask questions and have honest conversations.
ReplyDeleteRight now I do think Keating is a good teacher. He obviously cares about literature and wants his students to understand the lit and poetry are important even if that is not what they want to do as a career. I think Keating is able to balance being friendly with his students and still having the boys respect as a teacher. He is very comfortable in the classroom and is able to convey his passion for lit, especially poetry, and explain why he loves it so much.
Keating's style of teaching is really unconventional, but I feel like it's really good for the students in his class. He's engaging them and he's broadening their perspectives. I feel like a good teacher is one that, makes the students excited to learn about what's being taught in the class, and if not that, makes the students more engaged than they otherwise would be in the topic. A good teacher also needs to give the students something that they can take away from the class. The takeaway shouldn't always be related to the content of the class. Sure, it's great if a student remembers the quadratic formula from math class, but unless he or she goes into engineering or another math-heavy profession, the won't really help him or her. The skills that math teacher should really instill in the student are problem solving skills and logic, because those are applicable in so many more ways than the quadratic formula, for example. A good teacher should probably also encourage students to think about things from a new perspective and be able to appreciate other's perspectives.
ReplyDeleteI think Keating is a good teacher, he seems to be doing a really good job changing the perspective of his students and they seem to be really excited about poetry, which he's teaching them. I'm sure as the movie progresses we'll see him teach them even more skills that they'll be able to use throughout their lives.
What makes a good teacher at what he/she does is when it is obvious that the teacher is passionate and interested about what they are teaching. As a student, it's not so much the subject the first strikes my attention, but it's in fact the person helping me learn it. It's much easier for me to like a subject or enjoy a class if the teacher shows interest and really makes it a point to help his/her students understand the information. A good teacher is one that doesn't act disinterested or tired, instead one that engages with the students, one who listens, and explains in depth. A good teacher is one who does as much as they can in their power to help their students grasp a concept. Sometimes, in order for students to grasp a concept, they need to have it explained to them in a different, abstract way versus a rigid, logical method. Good teachers know how to connect with all types of students on different levels so that they will be able to understand material in whichever way they need to.
ReplyDeleteThough we haven't seen much of Keating as a teacher yet (only 2 classes), I think he is a great teacher. He definitely fits my criteria above because he doesn't want his students to go by such "mathematical" rules for poetry, he wants them to experience the subject in a way that will, in the end, help them understand, read, and write from the heart. I think Keating is off to a great start and he's already gained the interest of his students who spent some of their free time talking to him about his schooling years ago. He gets them interested outside of the classroom as well as just inside. He has triggered their curiosity.
ReplyDeleteA teacher is good when he is passionate about what he does, when he cares about his students, and when he makes his students understand why they should learn his subject. You know you have a good teacher when you look forward to going to his class and you don't check the clock constantly during the class. A good teacher is smart, kind, empathetic, and understanding, and has strong memory and listening abilities. He wouldn't put down students, assign unhelpful or useless work just because it makes his job easier, or purposefully make students uncomfortable. A bad teacher is one who adds unnecessary stress (for example, telling students that if they make a bad grade, they will flunk out of high school and die alone), one who refuses to address an individual student's concerns, or one who teaches very differently when being evaluated.
I think Keating is a great teacher because his students are chomping at the bit to read poetry, and he's a smart, interesting, engaging professor. He fits all of my criteria and goes beyond what's required of him as a teacher by making the process of learning enjoyable for his students.
I think what makes a good teacher is when the teacher is very engaged in what they do, and tries their hardest to make class fun. I find that when a teacher really cares and knows about what they are doing, their excitement becomes infectious. I also think that a good teacher is one that tries to connect what you are learning in class to things that are relevant to your life. And class is much more interesting when students are told to not just memorize facts but analyze what they are studying. I also like it when the teacher treats you like an adult, but also tries to help to the best of their abilities when you are having problems. I realize that's a fine line to follow, but most of the teachers at Paideia accomplish it.
ReplyDeleteI think Keating is a fantastic teacher, (even if he is a little strange at times). He is obviously enthusiastic about literature, and his attitude is very contagious. He is getting the boys to really think about the material they are learning, and uses it to teach important life lessons. He also realizes that many of them have had to stay inside the lines for most of their lives. The students are truly having fun in his class, and he is getting them to see that there is more to life than latin class and becoming a successful lawyer somewhere.
The most important attribute that a good teacher must have is the ability to present information in a manner that his or her students can comprehend. However, a good teacher must also be able to keep his students engaged. Even if a teacher is explaining the material in an understandable way, he still needs to do so in a way that engrosses his class. A good teacher is also very understanding and fair to his students. While remaining fair, a good teacher must also demand the respect of his students and not become too friendly with them. It's very important for the teacher and his students to be on a different level socially.
ReplyDeleteAs of now, I'm not sure if Keating is a good teacher or not because we haven't really seen him teach. However, I can tell that he really loves teaching and cares about his students. He wants his kids to grasp the idea the poetry is universal and important to human existence. He's a really likable and interesting guy and it's clear that his students are really interested in him and what he's teaching. Some of his students even go as far as to sneak out of their dorm and venture off to the woods just to recite poetry together. He's doing a great job of making his students as interested in poetry as he is. I would love to have a teacher as passionate as him.
ReplyDeleteI believe that a good teacher is someone who is enthusiastic about what they teach and teaching itself. I believe that a good teacher does more than what he/she has to in order to be a good influence to students. Teachers should show their students that learning can be fun, and they should make it fun. They should listen to their students and understand when something is wrong. They should be nice to their students, but not to the point where it compromises their teaching job. I believe that a good teacher has boundaries in his/her class, and he/she should be nice until that boundary is crossed, and firm after it is crossed.
So far, I think that Keating is a fine teacher, especially in the context of the story. He is leading his students to think on their own and be interested in the world around them. He is nice to his students. He shows them that it is possible to graduate Welton and go on to be a very smart person. He hasn't had a situation in which he needed to be firm to his students yet, and I don't know, based on our current knowledge about him, that he would. That would be the one downfall to his teaching style. While Keating is a good teacher, in my opinion, I do think that his alternative teaching style (to the other teachers of Welton) could lead to trouble. I have seen this movie quite a few times, but I think this would be something to think about if you had not seen it before as well. His teaching style does not fit his environment, and this disconnect will probably lead to some trouble.
In my opinion, a good teacher is someone who is very passionate about what they're teaching and building good relationships with their students. In the past, my favorite teachers have been the ones who have gotten to know me as a person as well as a student, and is always willing to help out. Good teachers are enthusiastic about their job and come up with unique ways for their students to learn and understand the subject they are teaching.
ReplyDeleteThis is how I see Keating as a teacher. At Welton Academy, from what we've seen, all the teachers are the same. They are boring teachers who assign monotonous homework and don't engage with their students. Keating breaks the chain, making him stand out from the rest. From the first day, Keating made a unique impression on his students, telling them to leave their desks and go outside the classroom. Although the students were first weirded out by his teaching style, Keating still made an impact on his students. Good teachers leave good, lasting impressions on their students for a very long time, and Keating perfectly exemplifies this.
As I said in class, there is no such thing as a perfect teacher. That is because there is no such thing as a perfect person. Though, that does not mean that there are not good teachers. I think in order to be a good teacher you have to connect to your students. Teaching is not a one man show. In order to do his/her job, a teacher must relate to the students. A teacher must put oneself in the students’ shoes at times, so that they can empathize with the students. That being said, there must also be a level of respect of the teacher. A teacher is not a peer and must not be treated like one. I also believe that teachers must care for not only their students but also their profession. A teacher must have a passion to teach in order for the students to have a passion to learn.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Keating is a good teacher. Though we have only seen a day of his class, he sparked a connection with his students. He relates to them, and as viewers we see that in the way he connects with them from previously attending the school. He connects with this group of teenage boys, because he was once in their exact position. I also believe that the students have respect for him. I think that he may intimidate the boys a little bit, but he is a legacy. He is an idol to the young males in the classroom, and they do not want to disappoint him but rather live up to his expectations. Lastly, Keating has passion for teaching. Judging by the poetry he read his students, he wants them to gain something from his class. He made the boys tear up the introductions of their books not because he wanted to be a fun teacher, but rather he wanted them to learn to think for themselves. Keating may not be the textbook teacher, but he is a good teacher.
I believe that a good teacher is a person who cares for their students and their subject, enjoys what they do, and is able to communicate to their students important messages and teachings. However, I do think that the word "teacher" does entail some sense of leadership, and it is necessary for a teacher to demonstrate that. A teacher should be someone you trust and know, but its vitally important that a teacher is someone you look up to, even if it means that her or she wont necessarily be a "friend." A good teacher is respected and has respect for his or her students, and is able to teach effectively without losing this respect.
ReplyDeleteSo far, Keating has been an unusual teacher, but a good one. (He might also look good simply because his teaching counterparts look so bad). However, the one thing Keating is doing that other teachers are not is taking his teaching outside of a schoolroom- both physically and mentally. He is teaching them real world lessons and sayings, which makes him stand out in his group of teachers.Keating embodies the idea of respect and enthusiasm, something the boys at the school desperately need in a teacher.
In my opinion, I think a good teacher is one who is passionate about the subject they are teaching and teaching in general, as well as one who makes an effort to get their students to engage and learn in their lessons. I also think that a good teacher is aware of all of the different students in his or her class and not focus all of his attention (and possibly good graces) on only a few of the students. From what we have seen of Keating so far, I think that he will turn out to be a very good teacher. He is a breath of fresh air to these students who seem to only have old, boring teachers. Keating actively works to engage his students and peak their curiosity as a way to help them learn.
ReplyDeleteI think the quality that often portrays many good teachers is both the passion to teach a certain subject and the open-mindedness to learn new knowledge as well. The teacher is able to engage the students in the topic being taught and train them to think critically and view their environment through a different perspective. By doing so, the teachers tries to enable the students to understand the knowledge by applying it to relevant situations in the world. Most of my successful history teachers, for example, have managed to engage us in the subject by relating certain topics to various social interactions that people commonly have with each other in order to allow the students to empathize with the historical political figures they study about.
ReplyDeleteKeating used different styles of teaching from the other professors at his school, but I personally thought he expressed certain qualities of himself that have gone beyond a teacher's standards. Rather than just teaching poetry to his students, he empathizes with them and converses with about their own personal dreams for their future after college that were irrelevant to his class curriculum. This idea can be noticed in the scene when Keating teases the students about the dead football players in the hallway. By simply interacting with his students in a way that makes the students comfortable and getting them interested in poetry, Keating is able to successfully get his students to learn poetry well.
A good teacher is wise, and knows how to handle and engage kids. He or she must have the ability to make the students feel like they are a peer, but still maintain the students' respect. Above all, a good teacher can make a student feel differently, in a more positive way, about a subject. In the past, I told myself that I hated math, no matter what. However, in the fifth grade I had a teacher named Ms. Guillem who completely changed my perspective on math and how I learn as a student. I looked forward to math class every day in fifth grade, unlike years past and years now. I realized that how much you enjoy a certain class or subject relies heavily on how good the teacher is for you. My favorite teachers in the past have been those who I've genuinely enjoyed listening to talk, and those who made me really think outside of the textbook.
ReplyDeleteI would love to have Keating as a teacher. It was fascinating to see the how the boys in his class reacted when he did something out of the ordinary, like walking into the classroom whistling and walking right back out, or making them rip out the introduction of their poetry books. They attend a school with strict rules and textbook-restricted thinking, and it seems as if Keating's goal is to extend their education beyond those limitations. He's witty, humorous, and knows how to engage those students. On a night when they would usually be having one of their unhelpful "study groups," they trekked out to a cave to read poetry and bond, all of this being an influence of Keating. As the movie continues, it will be interesting to see his students change and grow positively due to his engaging and forward-thinking teaching style.
I think that a good teacher may depend on the student. As I have said in class, students all learn differently, so a teacher one person believes to be great could potentially be a teacher another person dislikes. Though in general I would say the teacher has to be kind and able to connect with their students, though still maintain the barrier that allows the students to respect them. The teacher also should be able to come at a problem, idea or whatever they are teaching from multiple different angles. One of the most important things for me in a teacher, though, is enthusiasm for their subject. If the teacher doesn’t seem very interested in what they are teaching, then it’s difficult to make the students interested.
ReplyDeleteHe certainly seems to be what I would consider a great teacher. The enthusiasm and interest he sparks in his students is amazing. He seems very open to help his students and wants them to have the best experience possible in his class. I love his different teaching style, which differs from the other teachers since it is a more hands on approach. He also comes off as able to maintain the barrier between student and teacher, which allows him to have respect from his students. I think he is a more realistic portrayal of a great teacher than Pete was.
A teacher’s obvious goal is to make sure the kids learn whatever material is being taught. Ideally, all kids would be interested in the class and hungry to learn, but that is rarely the case. So in order for a teacher to be effective, the teacher must engage all the students. There are always going to be students who are engaged every day, but the best teachers make sure all kids are participating and listening in class. Good teachers also make class fun. Fun might be a bit strong because it’s school, but kids look forward to classes with good teachers. Good teachers also have to be able to explain the material in a variety of ways to match the learning styles of all students.
ReplyDeleteIt’s too early to tell if Keating is a good teacher–he’s has a couple classes and not much has been taught. But he is on the right track. All of the kids are engaged and listen to what he says, and you can clearly tell Keating has their attention. The students even go the extra step and willingly read poetry during their free time, proving that after only a couple of classes Keating has them interested in the material.
1) To me, a good teacher is someone who is passionate, engaging, and a person who believes in the brilliance of his or her students. A good teacher will push his or her students to think outside of the box, to draw their own conclusions, and uncover themselves in the process. That might seem like a pretty big job for one person, but honestly, if a teacher is passionate and excited to teach, and remembers teaching isn’t just about the subject, but the students, I think the rest will come on its own. I also believe its important to draw the line between authority and friendship, though a friendship can be nice.
ReplyDelete2) I think Keating was a good teacher, with a good heart and good intentions, but sometimes his passion and intensity could be detrimental to himself. He definitely fits my criteria though. Keating actually respects his students, what they had to say and really seemed to believe each one of them had something important to offer. He also recognizes that, at 17, this is when they are finding out who they are and at Welton, none of them really have a medium to do so. He loves watching them to uncover who they are, under the books and studying and expectations. He never forces an idea down their throats, he really lets them explore themselves fully yet does offer his advice. Keating is fascinating, intense, passionate, and definitely what I would call a good teacher.
1) I think a good teacher is one who can establish a mutual respect between his or her students. I think that this respect is key to having a successful time in the classroom. This means that the teacher should not focus on their authoritarian role so much as their educating role. Of course, there are times when a teacher must use discipline, but that should not be the main focus. The “Because I said so” idea should be thrown out and instead replaced with “let me explain why.” I also think that they should be passionate about what they do. I think that this passion is important to help inspire the students to really buy into the class and become invested in the material.
ReplyDelete2) I feel like Keating is a good teacher. I think that he does have respect for his students which is extremely important and that leads them to having respect for him. I think this empathy he feels towards them comes from his own time at Welton Academy and he is truly able to put himself in their shoes and understand them. I like how he teaches them to not conform and I think that inspires them and makes them interested in learning. When he told them to tear out the pages of the jibber jabber of the textbooks, you could see most of the kids’ faces light up. I also think he is a good teacher because he cares about every student and tries to bring out the best in all of them, no matter how hard it is.