This was due to the fact that he was a Spanish-speaking boy living in an English-speaking society, and he felt like he was different than the other children. Rodriguez attended a Roman Catholic school where many of his classmates were the children of high-class lawyers and doctors. He felt out of place because he was a child of two immigrants, working-class parents. Assimilating to the American culture helped Richard feel more at ease among the other American students. In school, Richard spoke English, but as soon as he got home, Spanish was the language of choice.
He soon realizes that his diverse group of poor students is embroiled in a careless and aggressive attitude toward any authority figure. Without the positive support of family members and low academic expectations from school administrators and teachers, Mr. Clark tries to teach rules and high social and academic expectations. One of the rules is that the class is a family and no one is quitting on each other as long as they have respect for each other. He tries to show them that learning can be fun when they cooperate with each other. As the students read books and did their homework, they began to recognize the value of school.
He rarely spoke, and finally, after 6 months had passed with no improvement, the nuns from his school came to his home, asking his parents to speak English with their children around the house. The parents obliged and carried out this instruction, eager to help their children advance in school. When starting a discussion in Spanish, Richard Rodríguez would quickly be interrupted by his parents, only to hear
Todd’s parents think that he should become a lawyer and they do not give him a lot of attentions as they send him the same desk set each year. Their new English teacher, Mr. Keating or “The Captain”, is different from the rest and some of the students find him mad. In their first class, he brings them to see pictures of some of the former students at the school. Through poems he tells them to seize the day, Carpe Diem, a term which he thinks the students should live by. Mr. Keating’s way of teaching brings out the uniqueness of the pupils, but the other teachers, bound by traditions and discipline, do not like his way of teaching.
Her living arrangements were not her only challenges; she also attended a public school due to their financial status. From majority to minority, Kim attempted to learn English watching a television and attended ESL (English as a Second Language) classes. Within the group of immigrants, Kim tried to understand the different levels that existed (Kim, 2011). She found herself wanting things the American students had, and being told no due to the beliefs of her parents. From fairy tale to scary tale, she now walked halls that were decorated with graffiti and dirty floors.
After a few of the nuns from his school ask his parents to speak English around the house, Rodriguez takes his first steps toward becoming a ‘‘public man.’’ Such assimilation into American culture is necessary and valuable, he asserts. As the book progresses, Rodriguez relates the story of his growing up, the power and pain of family ties, the role of the Catholic Church in his life, and his staunch rejection of affirmative action for ethnic and racial minorities in education and in the
Notes on Readings Chapter 1 31-62 Section: ____________________________ Page #: ____________________ Notes on Readings "Plight of the Little Emperors" by Taylor Clark There was a boy whose mom would come to class everyday so that she could monitor how he was doing with his studies. Parents would go to extremes to give their child the edge over everybody else. One test in China will decide what type of life you will have. If you do good on the test you can go to good schools and have a relatively easy life, if you do poorly on the teat then you will have to work hard for the rest of your life. All of the pressure on the young students has led to frustration, depression and unemployment because they are unwilling to take jobs that they feel
Some changes that that take place are increased independence from your parents more influence from peers Greater ability to sense right and wrong. All of this can be found in the character Gogol, because in this early life Gogol was heavily influences by his peers in school. Gogol did not become aware of hi name until he was made fun off by his peers in school. Also attending a white dominated school, he fell out of place by the color of his skin, and needed to fit in with the people outside of his home. In the beginning of the movie made an introduction a Gogol mother trying on this father shoes before picking him as a husband.
The teacher then gives him a detention until half past two. He starts to feel anxious and confused because he hasn’t learnt time yet. ‘First Day at School’ is about a young child that on their first day at school. He starts to get worried and confused because of not being at his safe home. He misunderstands many things like he thinks classrooms are glassrooms and he thinks lessons are called lessins which he thinks are small and slimy creatures.
It was sensitive of the teacher to consider any language barrier by having translators present at this speech. By staying after school until 8pm the teacher is giving an opportunity to all of her students and parents to have a chance to come by personally after work to have a meeting. If the teacher cannot make herself available to her students parents she is less likely to be affective. By giving out handouts it can act as an icebreaker for some parents, as well as, more importantly continue to help parents feel more directly involved with their childs education. I believe the affect a translator has on parents is obvious, for parents of students who are learning English themselves it is paramount to any real communication.