Extraordinary teacher

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Wed, 2006-05-24 22:42

I've just seen a documentary on BBC4 about an incredibly charismatic teacher called Rafe Esquith. Did anybody see it? He teaches 5th graders (I think) in a really rough neighbourhood in LA. He takes this class of kids from very deprived backgrounds and amongst other things, gets them all performing Shakespeare better than any old Lovie at the Old Vic. The kids were so enthused about it all, it was wonderful to watch.

He wasn't an idealist either ' he knew he couldn't get to every single kid in his class, but he got through to most of them. Even the ones that didn't 'go for it' didn't act up and distract the others. When he realised some of their progress was being lost when they got to Middle School (an *absolutely* hellish place) he opened up a Saturday school so they could come back to a suitable environment and study. And they did!

It was simple the things like, taking them to look round UCLA to see what they could aspire to that seemed so inspired. He's been doing it for twenty years and one of his ex-pupils who made it to Yale law school helps out with finances. The kids are taken on trips away twice a year so that they can see the good things in life. As he rightly said ' it's hard for a kid to grasp what life they could have when they're surrounded by shootings and lock-downs every other day.

Sorry for rabbitting on but, what a great bloke.

Thu, 2006-05-25 08:58

poetjude

Nothing beats a good teacher (except perhaps a good parent) My form tutor (when I was in 3rd year of middle school - yr 6 I think) was just brilliant. Her love of poetry and literature of all sorts in fact, was absolutely infectious. She also taught us respect for books as physical objects and spent a year in Florence (her husband is Italian) putting together fragments of library books ruined in the flood. I had another English teacher in secondary school who similarly inspired me in the sciences. I was so lucky in my schooling. I came from a home where I was made to feel that everything I did was inadequate. It was in school where my talents were nurtured and I was given an antidote to discouragement and sneering. I count my blessings and thank God for the good people who have passed through my life and helped make me the person I am today. jude "Cacoethes scribendi" http://www.judesworld.net(link is external)

Thu, 2006-05-25 23:55

yan

My English teacher was a babe.

There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed -
Dennett

Fri, 2006-05-26 13:26

justyn_thyme

I had some excellent teachers as well, espcially Mr. Brownnig for 10th grade World History and 12th grade honors English. He was one extremely eccentric character, certainly by the standards of Cincinnati in the 60s, but he was wonderful. I also had an excellent English teacher in I think 11th grade who drilled us unmercifully on grammar and word usage. As a result, most people in his class scored 15-25% higher on the standardized SAT tests for college admission than similar students in other classes. "You don't need the light of the Lord to read the handwriting on the wall." Copies of Warsaw Tales available through www.new-ink.org(link is external)

Fri, 2006-05-26 15:51

styx

So was mine Yan. Thanks for reminding me. This woman was about 35 with a pair of 36s. She always wore cardigans unbuttoned almost to the waste; and get this. No bra. She would come (titter) to mark your work and stand in front of your desk, turn your school book around and bend over. And there they were - in all their glory. She would then look at you and ask a question, and I would have to hold her gaze and say "Nnnnnyyyyyyphphphphpnurk!" "What did you say boy?". "Sorry miss It's me Tourettes playing up again". You read about this in the papers sometimes, and yes I think she knew what she was doing with a class of 13 year old boys, with permanent hard ons. Or should that be hards on? But we stray into murky waters here. (My home territory). If a 35 year old male starts to act out sexually, he's a perv. But, as in the recent case in America where a Babe of a teacher had sex with a 15 year old boy, we males think, 'lucky bastard'. Also if an 18 year old male has consenting sex with a 15 year old female, who gets nicked? The male. Although the female also knowingly broke the law. Something for yoosall to ponder upon.

Wed, 2006-05-31 14:49

jackb

There was a great letter in Viz letterbocks along similar lines which said "If a girl says no she means no, but if she says she's 16 it's my call, where's the justice?"

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