Ethics for Teachers

2008-02-19T16:13:00.000-08:00

Final Task

2007-11-23T18:01:00.000-08:00

While reading the different comments on the sites, one which called my attention is a comment which said: "Frank cannot see any more and Rita is starting to see things now".

This comment awakened a thought in my mind about how the two characters developed.

On the one side, Rita. By taking the course and being educated she starts to unfold a sort of bandage she has on her eyes. She starts to see the world around her and the different opportunities she has. She has options and she is delighted to be able to choose what to do with her life and how to move on now. She can choose if she wants to travel to France, have a baby or go on at college. It;s not she didn't have these possibilities before, however she was blind, unable to see them clearly and starting to be educated helped to find these options out.

Frank, on the other hand, has always been able to see different possibilities and choose among them in his life. For instance, improve in his own carrer, grow as a professional, have a permanent relationship. Even though he knew all this, he's always chosen to sink in his own frustration. He has no intention of stopping drinking and although he can see how he 's been able to serve as a tool in Rita's education, he did not change his attitute towards choosing a better life, he just "stopped seeing", he did not want to see beyond his own present, he chooses not to choose anything else.

As a conclussion, from the educational point of view, how important the role of a teacher is having in mind Frank's role in this play!!! He was able to help his student, though he is not able to help himself. How much influence a teacher has on a student! We have seen a positive result out of Frank's professional support in Rita's education. However, taking into account Frank's reality, as all teachers have, I believe it is important for a teacher to be professional enough so as to be able to facilitate and guide his or her students. For Rita willingness to "know" was also of great importance in her own growth and development, but Frank's attitude was not good enough to be able to help other students as well.

All in all, we as teachers should always bare in mind the consequences our influnce might have on our students, after all we are involved in human being's education for a moment of their precious lives and no matter how long that time might be, it should be used appropriately for their and our benefit and never be misused or wasted.

Act 2 Scene 6 & 7

2007-11-14T01:53:00.000-08:00

In this last part of the play the new Rita who successfully has passed her test goes to tell Frank about it and about what she feels after all her learning process.

On the one hand, Rita tells Frank about her flatmate's trying to commit suicide. She criticizes this question of spending her eating healthy food for a better life quality and on the other hand spending time trying to kill herself. As a result of this, she mentions the word "choice". That was Trish's choice, she chose that contradictoy path of taking care of herself in a way and trying to destroy herself at the same time. Rita thanks Frank because thanks to his help she had a choice. I think she had different choices since the moment she decided to start studying and as she said, she chose "her". She might have chosen to go on her life just as it was.

Secondly, as regards her view of the other students, I think Rita at the beginning idealized them, later on she realized they were just like her, people with different options in life. She realized whether better educated or not they were not people who could make better choices than the ones she could make. All in all the most important thing was she realized she also had choices.

Act 2 Scenes 4 & 5

2007-11-05T03:19:00.001-08:00

In these scenes Rita shows herself up as a totally different person from the beginning of the play. Her vocabulary is richer and she doesn't make grammar mistakes in her speech.

Her point of view has also changed. She has changed her job and makes a point of the topics she talked about at the hairdresser's and the ones she can discuss now with other students. She feels self- confident and glad of the personal growth she's achieved.

On the other hand, Frank does not show the same joy as Rita . He seems not to like the new person who has learnt and grown and can do a lot by herself without his help. He might feel jealous in a way because at this stage Rita has discovered much more in the world than Frank's poetry and advice.

I believe that as a teacher, Frank's attitude is totally unexpected and painful for a student. A teacher should feel proud of his or her students' achievements and not challenge them in a negative way, as Frank challenged Rita with the new essay. With this attitude he will probably cause her to get away from him and not continue enjoying his teaching and experience. He is showing her his own frustrations instead of celebrating with Rita the outstanding results of her continuous effort and dedication.

We should question ourselves what exactly we transmit to our students, for not only do we transmit knowledge every single day in our classes but also our own beings with our asserts and mistakes. I believe that when we teachers sometimes work with real devotion and pour out our feelings at work, students sense the good as well as the bad things we may feel and we do need to be aware of this...

Act 2 Scenes 3 & 4

2007-10-30T02:38:00.000-07:00

In these scenes Rita appears quite different from the beginning of the play. She enters Frank's office speaking completely differently. She explains she wants to talk "properly" from now onwards and as her friend Trish suggested, she needs to do it all the time in order to practice. I

I think from the educational point of view, this is another way of feeling a sense of belonging and behaving as the rest of the students. Frank critizices Rita on not being herself when talking in such a way. However, she seems to like it, even more at this stage when she feels capable of doing so because she feels she is much more prepared and self confident.

On the other hand, she also tells Frank she 's been on the grass talking to the other students at college, which makes him feel quite jealous. Rita's attitude is differnet now. She has become much more conscious of her capacities and has grown and learnt a lot, these things make it possible for her to relate with other classmates and even confront Frank when discussing his point of view on her essays.

Generally speaking, our students sometimes need to develop self confidence in order to grow as students themselves. Once they realize they are able to do so nothing stopps them. Sometimes, unconsciously we, teachers, stop them from their growth and self development, because of not being aware of their needs , because we do not how to help them or simply it happens as Frank who unconsciously does not want Rita to change because he feels she is losing her essence.

Educating Rita Act 2 Scene 1

2007-10-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

I think that the fact that "the window won't bludge " can be compared with Frank's attitude taking into account what follows in the scene. He won't change his position towards drinking or improve himself although , according to Rita , he has "a lot going for him". I guess by this, Rita means all his knowlwdge and his job at university which is what she admires.

From the educational poit of view, sometimes this concept of "the window which won't bludge" can be reflected in different ways: for instance, a teacher who does not modify his or her position towards new or different methodologies to be applied in order to improve her or his task. Or else, the attitude of some students who would not cooperate although they see some teachers really make the effort to insert them in an activity or a class or society...

On the other hand Frank feels, as it happened with Julia, that Rita will go away some day and he has nothing or nobody to fight for. It is not worth changing for him because he cannot see any purpose in doing that. It might happen to teachers as well as to students that sometimes it is not worth making the effort either to help or to accept some help as the world won't change because of our actions. However, they cannot see the results beyond the actions.

As regards Rita's comment " you don't do Blake without doing innocence and experience", shows a turning point in this students who has bloomed and grown. And Frank saying "of course" as an answer shows he has realized Rita was able to change and grow in education as she wanted. Frank's reaction does not seem to be a satisfactory to me, his comment seems to be sort of melancholic, as if he did not really want Rita to change....

Might it happen that sometimes teachers conscious or unconsciously do not want our own students to grow....?????

Educating Rita Scene 1 Act 7 & 8

2007-10-05T06:51:00.000-07:00

I think Rita didn't go to the party because she might have felt very nervous at the moment she got to Frank's place. Sharing the evening with those people might have meant a sort of test for her and she did not feel very self confident to take it. Also, because she thought she would not feel at ease and on the other hand she probably compared herself with the guests and she felt she was not up to standard, she was not like them and she would not have anything in common either to share or talk about with them. From the educational point of view, this reminds me of the fear sometimes students feel when they have to face the moment of evaluation. Lots of feelings and fears lurk inside them which make them paralize when they have to sit for a test.

On the other hand I think her mother's words had an underlying message. I guess her mother probably has felt the same Rita feels right now about the challenge of learning at some moment of her life but she might have not tried or succeeded in doing so (we really do not know up to now). This comment from her mother's must have given Rita the strenght to go on and try harder so as not to end up regretting not having at least made the effort to make a change in her life, to improve, to feel a better person... Sometimes, when we are in the role of a student or a techer, the idea of not achieving a goal or having difficulties in our learning process or facilitating knowledge gives us the strengh to go on and overcome obstacles. At times, these difficulties can cause the opposite effect: frustration and giving up our aims.

As regards Fank's comment on Rita's essay I think what he meant was that a student would write just to pass a test and probaly Rita's essay does not have the required academic level for a passing mark. However, Frank recognizes how valuable it is, for the essay shows up her uniqueness and passion while writing and he does not want to change that "trade mark" Rita has. Anyway, Rita does not feel flattered with Frank's opinion because although he says he does not want to change the way she writes for he would be changing her, she reminds him of the change she is looking for.

In my opinion, this episode tells us a lot about who sets parameters when testing students and how these are set. At times there is not a unified criterium to set parameters and it depend on each teacher to be able to test a student taking into account lots of factors which are part of the evaluation. For example: the student's background, social and emotional situation, effort, dedication ... also what do we appreciate of our students ???? Can we see beyond their school work as Frank did with Rita....?

Educating Rita Act 1 Scene 6

2007-10-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

Rita rushes in Frank's office , she wants to tell someone who understands about plays that she thinks Mcbeth was " bloody great and dead good" . She uses these expressions, one would not normally use in a conventional, formal essay to express how she felt about it. She expresses her thoughts this ways because this is the way she knows how to do so. I do not think if in an essay written by Rita, these expressions would be wrong, they show her inner being...

On the other hand when Frank tells her about the interpretation of Mcbeth, she feels all the enthusiasm with which she entered the room at the beginning of the scene vanished into thin air.

She felt she did not really know how to understand the play as she imagined she did and she expresses this by saying: " All they out there, they know all about that sort of thing don't they", referring to all the students at college, meaning she was not like the rest and she was not able to interpret the play the way Franf talk about it.

When it comes to teaching, sometimes we sort of impose a point of view or a way of doing things, which might cause some students who do not work or analize things in the same way to think what they do is wrong because they just do not follow the same pattern.

I thing we, as teachers should create the right atmosphere so that students may feel at ease to express their ideas and share different points of view, after all I believe the more diversity a class has, the richer....

Educating Rita Scene 1 Act 5

2007-09-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

I think that on the one hand Frank did not want to go to see the play because the actors working in it were amateurs . However, it sounds like an excuse for me for I believe Frank might have started feeling attracted towards Rita and he really enjoys her company, therefore going out together might cause him to fell more involved than in a teacher- student relationship.

From the educational point of view, this reflects the prejudices we might have against certain student. At times teachers just label students without seeing beyond their school life causing them frustration and anger, making their own job even more difficult. Although it is not an easy taks, we should be able to accompany each student individually, see their needs and different capacities and then teach and evaluate accordingly...

Educating Rita Act 1 Scenes 3 & 4

2007-09-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

Q. 4

I think what she means when saying " ...coming here makes me feel stronger..." is that she starts feeling different from her husband and the people who usually surrounds her. She feels she is growing and opening her mind throughout what she is reading as well as sharin the classes with Frank. She is becoming aware of a new world she is having access to due to learning and she is getting fond of it. The fact of being closer to belonging to this world of cultural, well - read people makes her feel stronger to face new experiences in her life, it makes her feel more self confident.

Educating Rita Act 1 Scene 2

2007-08-23T06:46:00.000-07:00

Q.2

Rite compliments Frank on the way the room looks . She regards his good taste as the cause of the appearance of the room. However, he just says he moved in that room and everything was that way. I guess she believes only educated people can make a room look nice and she predicts she is going to do the same one day, she probably refers to the moment she becomes a well read person.

On the other hand, she thinks the proper students are the ones who go to college and spend their lives reading and studying, not the way she spent her school days in the past. As if doing something different from those activities meant not being a proper student.

Educating Rita Act 1 Scene 1

2007-08-19T10:17:00.001-07:00

Q. 1

Rita wants to study because she is willing to learn in itself and because she wants to discover herself.

Q.2

She wants a better way of living her life. Her everyday routinarious life, working at the hairdresser, talking non relevant things with women who just feel with a haircut they'll be different and sharing her love life with an ignorant husband does not satisfy her.

Assignment on Film

2007-08-14T05:03:00.000-07:00

Film : Dead Poets Society

Setting in place: Welton College - a boys school

Scene:

At the very beginning of the film, an English teacher , Mr. Keating , starts working in replacement of the previous one. Mr. Keating teaches the students his love for Romanticism and in the first class he explains that they should not follow any leader but their own passions. He strongly suggests to "seize the day" because life is too short and they should enjoy every single thing worth living. Keating encourages the boys to feel free to make up their minds and follow their hearts.

One of his students is Neil, who has a strong passion for acting but has a father who controlls every step he gives in life , even his free time activities and future plans. He totally disagrees with this passion of his son. At some time in the film, Neil has the opportunity to take a part in a play and he chooses to do so, in spite of his father's opinion and even lying to Mr. Keating pretending his father had approved of his decision.

Follow-up questions on the scene:

1) Neil's choice was a human act. He was aware of the consequences his choice might cause and he was conscious of what he was doing. Also, he had de choice to refuse the offer.

2) Neil's decision to act, no matter his father's opinion and even having lied to Mr. Keating ,was not morally good. This lead to his suicide, and Keating is put the blame on for this. Although he had good intentions when choosing to take part in the play the decision was not made under good circumstances for he knew he was not deciding wisely and that he would have to face the consequences, such as his father anger, later on.

3) I belive that on the one hand Neil did not have many options but to be "obedient" or not.

He might have tried to talk to his father from his heart although his father might have not understood him. However, on the other hand, Neil might have felt better opening up completely when having pouring his feelings out.

He could have also rejected the part in the play and do as he wished after he graduated. This, though, might have meant not being with his family, for his father might have asked him to move away from them, or, he might have changed his life and might have had the opportunity to show his dad how happy his life was following his passion for acting.

Appendix

2007-07-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

Reflecting upon the appendix, I still keep a similar opinion to what I've expressed previously in the epilogue. Ethics can be transmitted and taught the way we feel it. As regards the turning of the century I do agree with Savater, years might go by however ethics may still be felt the same way, of course adapting it to the times we live and adjusting it whenever it is required.

Epilogo

2007-06-19T05:25:00.000-07:00

I loved how Savater finished his writing. I think as a parent I would have said the same to my kids. I agree that by expressing his feelings in that way he's passing on how he lives ethics himself and at the same time he is able to transmit it to other generations.

I think we all try to do this the same way not just as parents but as teachers as well. Teaching with the example, speaking our minds whenever we have the opportunity to do so in front of a class in order to share experiences which might be profitale for others to know. As he mentions life is short, and it is a gift to be on the living side, and be willing to live life the best we can, choosing the best options we can think of and be open minded towards the future.

Chapter 10

2007-06-18T06:03:00.000-07:00

I've always been quite reluctant towards politics, firstly because I do not know much about the subject and secondly because throughout my short life span voting and being able to choose people who helped organize our country, province or neighbourhood (in Savater's words) I've always felt disappointed.

Anyway, what Savater tries to put across is pretty true and the connection he shows between ethics and politics is real and acceptable. However, I think none of the points he metions politicians are supposed to carry on are so and in consequence, none of people's ethical considered actions are carried on either. Why? I believe it must be a circular story having consequences in others actions because what others did first and so on and so forth.

What I do agree with, is that ethics has to do with choosing well within one's freedom, taking other individuals into account whatever action we perform , being conscious of the fact that if what we do may be harmful for others should not be done. So, having this idea in mind who teaches us to be ethical??? Politicians with their own example??? Neighbours??? Teachers??? Parents??? I can speak just for myself and on behalf my own experience and I think, the first steps in ethical behaviour, to give it a kind of name, is what we receive at home and how the people who raise us , parents, grandparents, etc... give us examples of good living. As we grow, we can tell the differnce between ethical and non ethical actions according to our own background. It seems quite simple and there must be many exceptions, for as Savater says, we are all "unique", so there are millions of unique examples, theories, and ways of living to take into account. However,after all the reading , and according to my unique, personal conclussion, I think there is something which must be shared in common for every single person and that is living one's life, taking into account there are millions of people who share this planet with us, and no matter their race, religion or personal believes they all have the same right as us to live their good life too and "that" should be solemnely respected.

Chapter 8

2007-06-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

I totally agree with Savater, the answer is as simple as¨ happiness¨. Anyway as simple as it might seem, it is one of the most difficult things to experience and keep! For not anyone learns to find simple happiness in simple things. Sometimes we, humans chase some objective we think will bring happiness and on the contrary we do not find what we are looking for. It is another skill we learn while living, learning to find happiness everyday in simple things, aware of not beeing extremist with things.

Chapter 7

2007-05-28T06:56:00.000-07:00

So many thoughts lurk into my mind after this chapter. Phrases sucha as: humanization, human treatment, reinforcement of humanity, giving and receiving... all of them bring a different reflexion to develop. Anyway, in order to organize these thoughts and clarify my ideas in order to make mysel clear enough, the most important comment which is extremelely relevant and why not the key of this controvertial topic which is ¨ethics¨in this chapter and throughout the book as well is : ¨how important it is to be able to place oneself in the other´s shoes.¨ Why? Simply to able to understand one another´s actions better, to reason out different people´s behaviour, to try to be more simphathetic towards those things we have prejudices against and to become more interested in living this good life Savater talks about.

Now, what a task! I guess the first thing we need to make this come true is GOOD WILL and GREAT INTEREST, and these elements do not come through osmosis but working a little on them every single day.

Chapter 6

2007-05-22T04:41:00.000-07:00

Two main points called my attention and self reflexion after reading this chapter.

On the one hand, I wondered a lot about this question of ¨moral stupidity¨that Savater talks about. I reflect upon those kids at school who want to be loved, taken care of , and be paid attention to but they do not get these things thoughout their actions. In fact, they do things just to get the opposite: be disliked by others and even become unbearable at times. So, I think, how wise we need to be to read these actions a little further and react in consequence! A really difficult tast a teacher has to be ale to perform when it comes to education these days!

On the other hand, Savater refers to our own freedom as regards feeling ¨remorseful¨andwhen I read this I feel we are going back to the starting point: ¨decision¨, learning how to choose our ¨good life¨, which is not an easy task either, however, it is the way we are supposed to live. I do believe that experiencing different events in life, will give us wisdom to be able to tell whether to choose one thing or otherans even if we choose wrongly, we have to learn something out of that wrong decision. After all, as Borges said: ¨no man has lived in completely favorable times¨.

Chapter 5

2007-05-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

I guess Savater wants to make a point in this question of ¨living the good life¨making it clear that material things are just a tiny part of this good life. However, deeper elements, such as moral values, human relations, giving to and receiving from others, respecting our peers are part of the growth of human race and are also things that are part of our way of living, while material things might change our mood, be temporary or permanent but not the most important expectation in life.

Chapter 4

2007-04-23T04:57:00.000-07:00

I think what Savater tries to convey in this chapter has to do with our ¨freedom¨and our ¨responsibility as regards freedom.¨ What I am able to reflect upon this , is learning to live the best we can, taking our time to take decisions and building self'-confidence so as to feel satisfied with the things we choose and with what we decide to do with our lives. As Savater explains, this does not mean ¨doing the first thing that comes to our minds¨but thinking very well before deciding on the different options we come across.

On the other hand, he mentions culture and language as part of this difficult process of ¨having a good life¨. I think it is a process because not everyone learns at the same time and we all need to go through different experiences so as to learn some lessons as human beings.

Chapter 3

2007-04-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

I totally agree on this matter of taking a decision being aware that we are not only doing so but also accepting the consequences of it. However, when it comes to this broad issue of considering a person as ¨good or bad¨, Savater explains in his point of view, that nobody can tell whether a person is good or not. He says a human being can be good at something or doing something but he makes a point in that as it is not known what human beings are for, it is difficult to determine who acts well or not. I personally do not agree with him or at least I do not agree with what I understood from this chapter. He does not take into account religious matters, so that those who follow a religioius doctrine: are or not included when he says that it is not known what human beings are for? As far as I am concerned, those who believe in God and have a faithful life have some clear ideas of what is ¨good or bad¨to do as a human being.

Chapter 2

2007-04-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

In this second chapter, the author wries about the different behaviour a person may have in a given situation. He makes a clear distinction among reacting to a situation which ¨orders, customs or whimps.¨He also explains that these kinds of reactions depend on the moment at wich we need to make decisions and how we feel at that precise moment. I elierve that what the author wants to the reader to reflect upon is in how conscientous we are when we make a decision to sort out a problem in a given situation. Do we make a decision just thinking of what the normal or frequent procedure would be, or do we decide what we usually do in that kind of situation?
Now, what happens when we come across a problem or difficulty we have never experienced before and the solution depends entirely on our reaction ? How do we define what the best thing to do is? Savater explains, based on a clear example, that sometimes what we thinfk is not an appropriate solution to a problem can turn to be the other way about.

I feel he wants to make the reader aware and reflect upon being a bit more open minded when it coms to choosing or preferring an option.

Chapter 1

2007-04-10T05:51:00.000-07:00

Reflecting upon the first chapter , a key word that comes to my mind is ¨freedom.¨Freedom to choose among the different options or to make decisions at critical moments. As regards education,I believe teachers must be wise enough when they have to take decisions at the right time, which is not as easy as it seems. Who can tell what the best decision is? I do think that common sense, firm conviction on one´s decisions and experience are important ingredients when it comes to ¨deciding¨what the best thing to do is. This also involves learning from our everyday asserts and mistakes , being aware that what works for a person does not work for another. As the say goes: ¨one man´s meat is another man´s poison.¨

Etica para Amador ' Prologue'

2007-04-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

My first impression after reading the prologue of the book was admiration for this author who wrote a book on Ethics not just as a writer but as a father as well.

It was really meaningful to me as a reader , but as a mother and teacher mainly, this question of people begging for 'attention' in their actions and how important our reaction towards them it is. I wonder how much we understand when analysing a person´s behaviour. Do we really understand or have a slight notion of what they want to express or show through their acts? And more important still, are we able to do so or we just see the surface of what people show and do not try to go deeper?