Have you ever wondered what it takes to motivate a group of young, adolescent kids in
school, or if the techniques used would even work? In the movie "Stand and Deliver",
Jaime
Escalante used many different techniques to motivate his students to learn more and be
more
successful in math. Overall, his students might have a larger desire to learn more about
other
things in life. Jaime Escalante used many techniques to motivate his students to become
more
successful in math, and in life.
Mr. Escalante motivated his students to learn better by presenting the material
to them in a
different fashion. Instead of lecturing the material to his students, he would find a
way to make it
easily understood or find a way to make it relate to things in their lives. One example
of how he
presented the material to them in a way so that they could understand easier was when he
brought
in apples for everyone and cut certain sized slices out of the apples. Since the
students were
learning about fractions, he asked them how much was missing from each of their apples.
Instead
of lecturing to them about fractions, he brought in visual aids to help them see and feel
what they
were learning about.
Another way Mr. Escalante motivated his students to learn better was by creating
a close
relationship with them. Instead of having a working type relationship, he got on the
same
wavelength as them and got to know them and care for them. An example of this could be
the
night before the exam. He had his students over to his own house so they could all
study, and
then he cooked dinner for them.
By Mr. Escalante motivating his students in a different fashion, the students
were very
successful. They were successful not only in math, but in their lives as well. To prove
that Mr.
Escalante's methods gave success to his students, one could take the fact that they
passed the AP
Calculus test, a test that is incredibly difficult, twice. Also, by Mr. Escalante
getting his students
to pass a test of such difficulty, his students should have a greater sense of self
esteem allowing
them to succeed in other tasks involved in their lives.
Mr. Escalante's techniques worked wonderfully with the type of students he was
teaching.
One would think that this would go the same for Hartland Schools. His methods would work
in
Hartland, but it is really up to the students to decide whether or not the techniques
will work. If
the students are not willing to participate with a certain method, than, obviously, that
method will
not work. Therefor, it is up to the students to decide whether or not certain techniques
will work.
As one can see, Jaime Escalante used many techniques to motivate his students to
become
more successful in math, and in life. So, next time one thinks that they will be
unsuccessful in
something that they are learning, try learning it with a different technique.
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