The movie is about a teacher who tries to arouse his students to be "free". When I first watched The Dead Poets Society, I was so touched by Mr. Keating, the amazing teacher who tried to arouse his students' awareness of breakthrough and being free. The students' experiences are so familiar with me that I shall count them as a personal favor. But when I was pondering the scenes in this movie from the perspective of a "teacher", I found it hard to evaluate Mr. Keating's job in the school. He showed his profound knowledge on poetry; and he expressed his care to his students--he possessed two necessary conditions as a teacher but he acted more as a spiritual mentor rather than a responsible instructor.
Actually I love his instruction which will definitely lead students to "enjoy" literature and arts, not teach them how to analyse a poem word by word, line by line just like figuring out math problems. And at the same time, he also led students into crisis which made some of them uncomfortable. The process of being confronted with the crisis is significant for students, just as Kumashiro (2009) argues, "if students are not experiencing crisis, they likely are not learning things that challenge the knowledge they have already learned that supports the status quo, which means that they likely are not learning to recognize and challenge the oppression that plays out daily in their lives." But the results of encountering crisis might be difficult to bear. In this movie, Mr. Keating hardly thought about teaching students to deal with their uncomfortable feelings. However, "when students are in a state of crisis, teachers need to structure experiences that can help students to work through it...Different students experience crisis differently. ..what may help one student to work through crisis may not similarly help another." (Kumashiro, 2009, p. 31) As a result, most of his students were "reborn" to rethink about their future but one of them chose to kill himself as a way to fight against his parents.
I am not saying that the tragedy was caused by Mr. Keating; I am just concerning on what are a teacher's responsibilities. Personally speaking, the behavior that Mr. Keating encouraged students to submit to their interests such as acting in a play is also a kind of interference in parents' expectation and also students' personal life plan. Perhaps it is a cultural issue--Chinese children generally take parents' opinions into consideration when they make important decisions, that goes without saying. So I wonder that Mr. Keating exceeded his authority--Teachers need to create challenges for students to help them make progress in learning, but not to make troubles to their current lives. Mr. Keating should make a balance between his instruction and students status, and help students to make a balance between their dreams and the realities. "Challenging oppression requires addressing the broader social context in which we live." (Kumashiro, 2009, p. 28) Teachers just need to be more cautious when we lead students into crisis.
Reference:
Kevin K. Kumashiro (2009). Against Common Sense: Teaching and Learning Toward Social Justice. Walsworth Publishing Company, Marceline, MO
Yuanshi's Reflection on The Dead Poets Society
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Right. It is the students, not Mr. Keating, who had to be confronted with the aftermath of their fight. The only thing Mr. Keating did was just to persuade students to pursue their dreams. But that was not enough to truly achieve their dreams.
I agree with you, Amanda. Teachers have to be careful give a crisis to students. And they have to complete their job by guiding students to go through the a crisis. But it is really difficult! What I do to help them may cause them more problems. That's why I have always felt afraid to give students a crisis.
It is a big challenge for all teachers.
"The only thing Mr. Keating did was just to persuade students to pursue their dreams. But that was not enough to truly achieve their dreams." Exactly, but Keating did tried to let Nail talk to his father, bur it didn't work. We all know that it is not all Mr.Keating's fault, but how could he did it better? Are there too many limitations? I don't know to waht extent can i "save" and guide all those boys if i were him.
"The only thing Mr. Keating did was just to persuade students to pursue their dreams. But that was not enough to truly achieve their dreams." Exactly, but Keating did tried to let Nail talk to his father, bur it didn't work. We all know that it is not all Mr.Keating's fault, but how could he did it better? Are there too many limitations? I don't know to waht extent can i "save" and guide all those boys if i were him.
Do you remember the scene that when Neil asked Mr. Keating why he stayed in such a school now that he was so talented, Mr. Kearting said, "because I love teaching." Mr. Keating knew why he made such a choice and never regreted for it. But how about Neil? Did he have a firm will to be an actor? I doubt it was because Neil had not found enough evidence from his idol Mr.Keating to support his dream that he committed the suicide. If I am Mr.Keating, expecting him to pursue his dream bravely, I will lead him to compare the future in which he was interested, and the blue print which was provided by his parents. I have no right to make a decision for him. I will teach him to analyze his situation.
I like your citing of Kumashiro: "when students are in a state of crisis, teachers need to structure experiences that can help students to work through it...Different students experience crisis differently. ..what may help one student to work through crisis may not similarly help another." It's not a fault to reveal the real beauty to the students, nor it is a fault to encourage the student to pursue his dream, however, the teacher should also try to build a good community with the parents and know about the complexity of what the students are facing with, then figur out customized ways to help them work through crisis.