Isai Aguilera 2/20/13

Exploratory Essay

In English 1102, I have been challenged to think critical while reading and analyzing different articles by different authors. The common themes of all the articles are testing or different points of view of education by various authors. For example in No Child Left Behind Act, it says that the teachers control an achievement gap in which they can only fulfill. In the article the uses of liberal education the author is trying to say that the teacher has the major control over the classroom. The authors are mainly saying that the teachers have the control over their students. Since the teachers are the control of the classroom then they should be the ones that contribute and push the students to their best abilities. In the article No Child Left Behind Act, it explains an education plan that president Bush implemented in 2001 to fulfill all students needs. This Act was trying to help improve the performance of students in America and ensuring that no child will be trapped in failing school for lack of help. Linda Adler-Kasser, the author, explains that there is an achievement gap in which needs to be covered. She explains that there is a bridge that is labeled Literacy. This is the bridge that will let us cross the achievement gap and be successful. She also mentions that the achievement gap is the entire teachers fault. The achievement gap exists because the teachers do not believe that all children can learn and be able to cross the gap. Teachers should push their students to cross any type of gaps if they are capable or not. There will be no excuses made for

why we cant push all our children across the achievement gap over to the fertile side (AdlerKasser). In the article On the Uses of a Liberal Education written by Earl Shorris, the author explains an experiment he conducted on a group of students he taught. But the point I saw was the he taught his students with care. He cared about his students and did not want them to do anything wrong. He mentions that one student had a problem in which she had anger issues and she came up to him for advice and he really helped her out. In this article it shows that the teacher was very interesting in his students and went above and beyond his job and helped them achieve a higher level of education. Those students were now able to communicate with the higher class people in which they were not able to before. During the course of this class we also saw a few movie clips about different ways of teachings and how a teacher is a major impact in a students life. For example The Ron Clark Story, is a great example in how a teacher has a major role in a students life. Not only did the character in this movie believed in his students but he tried and tried to make his students become successful. It took more than his regular job to accomplish such a thing. He cared very much for his students and had a lot of faith for them as well in which the No Child Left Behind Act explains a teacher should be. The reason in which all of these items interested me is because the authors gives details on how a teacher should be and sets an example like in The Ron Clark Story. In the No Child Left Behind Act, the author says a teacher should believe in their students and should try to push their students to accomplish their goals. My question is why dont all teachers have the same passion to help their students like in The Ron Clark Story or On the Uses of Liberal Education. A teacher normally wants the best for their students and wants them to become

important people. A teacher works hard to make lesson plans and change different methods of teachings to accommodate all of their students so why cant they go a bit extra to help their students become successful in life and become in a higher social class? All of those different articles I read had many things in common but one thing that stands out the most is the passion the teachers had for their students. Those teachers had faith and were not willing to let one student stay behind. The author in No Child Left Behind Act states The achievement gap exists because we the teachers dont believe that all children can learn (Darling). This statement says it all. In the other article and the movie, it explains or shows the complete opposite and it shows a teacher in which has made their goal to outperform other classrooms in which are more talented. It also gives a strong message to other teachers that are not doing their best in teaching their students and do not believe in their children like stated in the No Child Left Behind Act. Why dont the teachers believe in their students? Are their certain things that teachers look into a student? Could it be because of their race or backgrounds? Or can it be because of their economical standings? Or is it that teachers do not want to work harder to make their students outperform other students? With analyzing these articles and making a connection with them, I now see that many students may not be the problem and could be their professors that did not push them over the achievement gap since they were little and now have a difficulty covering that gap. Why is this happening? Why are teachers not giving all students the same opportunity? Could teachers be bias for some students and why? Why do some teachers work harder than others? Was teaching their passion or do they just do it because it was their last resource to have an income? This questions are yet to be answered and could make a major change to the learning system overall.

Work Cited NoChildLeftBehind.gov.No Child Left Behind Act 2001. Considering Literacy: Reading and Writing The Educational Experience. Ed. Linda Adler-Kasser. New York: Pearson Longman, 2006. 308-312. Print Shorris, Earl. On the Uses of a Liberal Education. Diss. Privately Published, Print. Haines, Randa, dir. The Ron Clark Story. 2006. Film. 24 Feb 2013.