In preparation for the class on Oct. 31^st, would you please do the following three things:

1) Read the attached handout, which gives a brief overview of the story of Jaime Escalante, a teacher from a gang-ridden East Los Angeles community, who inspired his underachieving students to achieve national recognition on the Advanced Placement Calculus Examination.

2) Watch the film "Stand and Deliver", starring Edward James Olmos. You should be able to find this movie at any major video store, such as Blockbuster and Rogers Video.

3) Write a 1000-1500 word reflection paper on one of the following two questions.

In Escalante’s classroom, he put up a poster, with the following words:

"Determination + Discipline + Hard Work = The Way To Success"

Throughout each school year, he had his students repeat the slogan in perfect unison, many times each class. "Determination plus discipline plus hard work equals success, which equals ganas (desire)".

From your experiences working with various groups of people (e.g. think of the people who you will be working with during your SOSA 4400 placement), would you agree with Escalante’s theory? Or are there other sociological factors needed to achieve success? Does determination, discipline, and hard work alone always lead to success?

Escalante’s main pedagogical theory is that "students will rise to the level of expectations". For Escalante’s students, this has certainly been true. In fact, several of his students at Garfield High School have gone on to receive doctorate degrees in various academic disciplines, and seven of them now work at NASA.

Think of your own experiences, especially when you were a high school student. Did you rise to high expectations that others placed on you? Or did you find such pressure detrimental to your growth? Is there such a thing as setting too high of an expectation, that success becomes unrealistic? For example, what if some of Escalante’s students failed the AP Calculus examination? What happens to their self-esteem and confidence? Are they winners for trying, or are they losers because they gave up their mornings, afternoons, weekends, and most of their summer to learn calculus to pass the AP exam and ultimately fail in their effort?

Notes to Stimulate Discussion

These are references from "Escalante: the Best Teacher in America", by Jay Mathews (Henry Holt and Company, 1988).

In class one day he tried out a short sermon, something serious to leaven the jokes and insults. "Look, I know. When we have these kinds of gangs and so on, it’s good to be there, you socialize, you have friends and this and that and so on, but it would be better if we get an education too." They were listening. This was new. "When you associate in a club or anything and you do anything good for some people, they going to realize. They going to recognize you. They going to remember you if you do something positive. And that’s what I’m trying to do, something positive".

A puzzled silence followed, but a slim girl, a shy one with long brown hair, approached him after the bell. "I know you’re trying hard, Mr. Escalante," she said. "But we’re learning. Sometimes we don’t know we are, but we’re learning, sir, we’re learning."

Escalante beamed. "That’s it. That’s the main thing." He had to take this one step further. "One day you going to be using, and if you’re using math, remember you learned it over here. But don’t remember me, remember Garfield. You have to remember the school, and remember math is fun. And that you were part of the team."

(Mathews, p. 101-102)

One afternoon he saw one of his target students, a bright boy teetering on the edge of failure, enter Room 233 without depositing the required homework in the basket. He would later recount this particular conversation many times, rendering the student’s part in a surly, low-octave growl.

"Where your homework?"

"I didn’t do it".

"Why you didn’t do it?"

"I had a bad dream."

This was a new one. Escalante recoiled, uncertain how to proceed against the forces of darkness. The excuse only demonstrated, to his mind, how intelligent the youth was. He reached for a dismissal slip.

"Okay, all right. This ticket is one way, one way. You got to talk to your counselor, or you bring in the homework. You want to drop the class, you bring in your mom, your dad. They sign the paper and you fly. Then you have to take three buses to get to the other school. Have to wake up about six o’clock. Less time for bad dreams. So you want the ticket? Or are you gonna bring the homework?"

The student studied the floor for a moment. "I’m gonna bring the homework."

Within hours, the school psychologist was climbing the stairs to Room 233. "Mr. Escalante", he said. "This boy has a real problem, and he is not always going to be able to do the assignment right away. I want you to keep that in mind. You just don’t understand this kid."

Escalante had heard enough. He had seen too many teenagers equipped with excuses borrowed from adults. He assumed his most formal manner. "I am sorry, sir. I don’t believe in what you’re saying or what you’re doing. Please. If you want to take the kid, welcome. But I don’t accept a kid who behaves like that in my class. Even if I believe a hundred and ten percent in what you’re saying, I believe a hundred and twenty percent in what I’m doing."