Directions

5/7/2015

Note how Mr. Keating teaches in an unorthodox manner. Then, add a blog post at 00000 to explain what strong traits that you also desire in a teacher were demonstrated by Mr. Keating. Explain what traits you want your ideal teacher to have. Extrapolate how you have dealt with former teachers of yours that have not exuded these traits; please stay anonymous; no need to use specific teacher names.

43 Comments

Olivia Mikula

8/11/2015 05:17:25 am

Mr. Keating had a different style of teaching because instead of conforming to the rules of regular style, he went outside the box in order to teach material to the students. They did not just sit in a classroom all day every day instead they were immersed in different activities in order to learn information. I would like a teacher who did not conform to fascist ways of learning. I would instead like a teacher who goes outside the box in order to teach important materials. In the past I have had teachers who do this, but as a student I was not encouraged to speak against their style of teaching and so I followed the rules like everyone else.

Foster link

8/24/2015 03:46:33 am

Clear answers to the questions. Can you give some specifics about what you mean when you say, "I have had some teacher teach out of the box"? Not names of teachers, but types of activities would be helpful

Emily Andrews

8/11/2015 05:35:09 am

I admire Mr. Keating's unorthodox teaching style. He is able to keep his class engaged and excited about learning. I have never really ran into that experience in high school thus far. Most of the time teachers are satisfied with just handing students worksheets and haveing them complete busy work. However, I do not see how it is possible to learn this way. Even though I often do not agree with certain teachers teaching styles there is really nothing that I can do things. Unfortunately, they are the teacher, the authority, and what they say is what goes.

Foster link

8/24/2015 03:49:13 am

Interesting perspective. I would like to challenge you to rethink one of your comments: teachers are the authority and there is nothing I can do to change it. I am not convinced this is 100% true all of the time in every classroom. Some teachers, like myself, do constant reflection and ask for student voice in guiding the direction of class. Also, if this is not purposefully facilitated in class, there is no reason you can't respectfully tell a teacher about your concerns and suggestions to help you learn better.

Sarah Medley

8/17/2015 09:21:42 am

Although I had heard about DPS, watching the film and seeing Mr. Keating's style of teaching surprised and inspired me. He is so lively and passionate about the material that it made me want to stop watching the movie and actually read the poems he was referencing. I envision the perfect teacher as having those two traits, as well as being encouraging and innovative. I had one teacher who had none of the above traits; every day in class, we performed the same task with no motivation to put any extra effort in. However, I pushed myself to take time outside of class to look up the material and take notes in a way that better fit my style of learning.

Foster link

8/24/2015 03:51:02 am

Clear answers. I would push you to think about what it is in your persona that inspired you to "take time outside of class to look up the material." Not all students do this. Why did you?

Danny Victor

8/26/2015 04:23:35 am

As I watched the movie, I enjoyed Mr. Keding's unorthodox teaching style. The way he taught was different than what the school was use to and not what they preferred. He liked to teach more of experiences than book work. Not only was he teaching in an out-of-the-box style, but he let the students think for themselves. He is not just worried about the material sticking with the students, he is also compassionate about the student's lives and well beings. These all are specific traits that I prefer in my ideal teacher. I do not want a teacher to just care about how he looks to his superiors. When teachers are able to be understanding about assignment due dates or a student struggling in a topic, it makes you feel like they actually care. Some teachers I have had in the past have had no compassion, sympathy, or understanding. They do not even think for themselves, they just teach what's in the book. All I am able to do is do what I am told and end up not remembering any information in the process.

Foster

9/2/2015 05:45:52 am

Maybe google "Think for yourself; question authority" by the band tool. That is not the name of the song, but there is a spoken intro to one of there songs with that in it that is in line with your last comment.

Lucas Kramp

8/26/2015 09:18:27 am

Mr. Keating is a rather intriguing character, but does not seem to be the most efficient teacher. While I feel it is nice to have more interaction between teachers, students, and lessons in the classroom, I do not believe Keating's methods are applicable to any true, serious subject. He is overpoweringly enthusiastic in his explanations of literature--and his lesson choices are admirable for active minds--yet his lack of formality diminishes on his teachings' "real-life" applicability. As for my view of a "perfect" teacher, moderation is vital. Mr. Keating resides in what I deem to be the unrealistic faction of teachers. What I prefer from a teacher is a mass of intelligence, intertwined with pragmatic standardization. A teacher cannot efficiently train his/her disciples if only "busy work" is administered, nor if every bit of every lesson is solely interactive where the student is to be on-par with the teacher, providing the illusion of a full balance of intellect/experience between everyone in the classroom. Basically, I feel as if an effective teacher cannot be as jovial and informal as Mr. Keating, especially due to my difficulties with teachers fractionally as "free" as him.

Foster

9/2/2015 05:48:56 am

Sounds like you have thought about this quite a bit and have some monumental experiences from your education that have influenced this view. Your idea of balance is one that I think Keating would agree with, actually.

"real-life" applicability...is an interesting concept. Some teachers think this is the only reason you are in school now. Some think that some students are living the real world right now at home. Some think we should only teach skills to prepare you for this next phase in your life.

Rachel Clough

8/27/2015 08:48:56 am

I appreciated the way Mr. Keating taught and how it was displayed opposite to the commonplace in the school. I admired the way Mr. Keating took each student's personality and ability into account (as much as he was able) and used that knowledge to help the students achieve individual ideas. He didn't force facts on the students -in English there shouldn't be facts to force in the first place- and enabled them to learn and to live. Throughout my academic career, many teachers did not teach in this manner, and for a long time, I dealt with it since they were the authority on the matter. More recently, I found unique ways to twist the lessons to make them more meaningful for myself while not impeding on the other students' learning, or the teacher's authority.

Foster

9/2/2015 05:50:05 am

With regards to your "authority" comment, go see what I wrote for Danny's post.

Brandon Gamel

8/28/2015 04:37:22 am

As I watched the movie, I admired Mr. Keatings unorthodox teaching style. The way that he made the students leave their comfort zones and got everyone involved made me realize that he has most of the traits that I want in my ideal teacher. I believe that taking the students out of their comfort zones, in the film and in real life, will not only help them open up and become more outgoing and personable, but it will help them prepare for the real world. Students will not always be able to sit in the back of the class and stay quiet. I have had teachers that allowed certain students to give them private IRP or other major presentations simply because they were not comfortable with public speaking. That, in my opinion, does not help the student at all. Also, I have had teachers that simply hand out worksheets the whole year and expect us to learn with the book. Although that tactic may help some students, others may struggle because they need to move or get more hands on learning, and get involved, like me.

Foster

9/2/2015 05:50:56 am

Meeting the needs of different students and being fair at the same time is a big challenge for teachers.

Alena Chodnicki

8/29/2015 05:27:47 am

Mr. Keating's teaching methods were definitely unorthodox to say the least. He taught his students in ways that caused them to go out of their comfort zone. His attitude everyday was enthusiastic and his methods could often be quite entertaining. Not that student entertainment is a huge priority to teachers, but especially in this day and age, students need to be entertained or they lose interest. Unlike most teachers, Mr. Keating made sure that there was student involvement in the lesson. What many teachers do not realize is that there can be a disconnection between the lesson and the students due to how they decide to teach it. When Mr. Keating involved his students in the lesson, whether it was individually or as a whole, they were able to almost become a part of the lesson. I do not know about anyone else, but for me I learn best when the lesson is active; not just taking notes from a board or book, but perhaps experiencing the lesson. I have had many teachers that were the complete opposite of Mr. Keating: boring, conformed and almost mechanical. These types of teachers made me lose interest and I struggled to learn in those classes. In those situations I decided to take it upon myself to make sure I understood the lesson.

Foster

9/2/2015 05:51:57 am

It is one of my goals to make lessons "active", just like you described. Thanks for the reminder.

Cassandra Lain

9/1/2015 03:01:44 am

Mr. Keating's role as a teacher is rather admirable. His respect for his students is clearly shown through his push for free thinking and the ease at which he shares his opinions. He gives every one of his students opportunities to learn instead of dismissing them as failures or delinquents. While I respect these pieces of Mr. Keating's teaching, I don't find his overall style to be appropriate. He is too active in his learning, using mostly demonstrations that ask too much of some types of students. I myself prefer a more traditional, lecture style of teaching, but I am fully aware that students learn the best when lectures and demonstrations are combined. My ideal teacher would respect his students and hold them to high standards, but also be able to understand what is too much in regards to actions and such. This being said, I have experienced several teachers that were less than ideal. Teachers that think along the lines of "my way or the highway," those that do not allow students to express themselves through their work, or ones that simply do not give their students the time of day are the first to come to mind. Finding study groups or other teachers who work with similar topics was a good way to help clarify and find better ways to learn the material.

Foster

9/2/2015 05:53:26 am

Thanks for the commentary. You imply that balance is critical for teachers, like many others have written about. You also wrote about "He is too active in his learning." Maybe read Alena's post and comment on it.

Lexie Nowicki

9/1/2015 04:49:01 am

The way in which Mr. Keating taught is the way I think all teachers should teach. I believe it is important, just as Mr. Keating thought it was important, to allow students to think for themselves. They need to think independently and not allow themselves to be so easily swayed by teacher's, parent's, principal's or fellow student's ideals, and to just take the lesson and let it inspire them to make their own choices. Students should not feel discouraged about a belief or thought they have, just because their teacher or parent says they should think or be a certain way. Mr. Keating acknowledges each student's feelings and personality and he teaches them and allows them to act accordingly. He works with them in a way that makes each student like the lesson and he is able to keep them all engaged, which seems to be a struggle for a some teachers today. Some teachers are wrapped up so strongly in their opinions that they customize the lessons to fit what they feel and then the students are inhibited from forming their own positions. Mr. Keating presented the lesson to students in a way that was interesting but left the students to make up their own minds and make their own judgements. I wish that more teachers would implement his way of teaching instead of worrying about getting their two cents in about every issue they have an opinion on and leave the lesson to the students to interpret.

Foster

9/2/2015 05:54:43 am

Thanks for the reminder that students should not feel discouraged about a thought that they have. I have gotten better at this throughout my teaching career, but still not perfect. If I am ever wavering on this crucial aspect of building a culture of learning, please let me know.

Zack Ewert

9/1/2015 11:22:59 am

As I was watching the movie, I admired the fact that Mr. Keating was able to take the students out of their comfort zones. So that they could truly express themselves in their own way, not society's way. Mr. Keaning's style of teaching is one that should implemented into all teaching styles because it allows students to express themselves while being able to learn at the same time. To me a ideal teacher would be someone who is willing to break free from the bases of teaching that is based of test results, not what one learns. That teacher would be able to get the point across to a student to make them understand even if its embarrassing as walking around explaining to people this is my cup with a possessive s.

Foster

9/2/2015 05:55:25 am

Great example about the cup. :)

Nathan Gerlach

9/1/2015 11:24:11 am

Mr. Keating shows several traits that are admirable, such as the fact that he is not afraid to go against the grain, and risk his position of teacher to allow the students to be who they want to be and not what society expects them to be. His unorthodox manner of teaching should be found in every teacher and would make school a truly interesting and entertaining experience. Courageousness, dedication and unconformist way of thinking are all traits found in Mr. Keating. Students should not dread the day school begins, instead they should rejoice the day it comes. Many teachers while in class seem that they do not care for their job, or the students they teach. I've made those classes interesting myself by daydreaming and generally failing the class, which unfortunately didn't work out so well.

Foster

9/2/2015 05:56:24 am

Key point about reputation. I have also seen that sometimes teachers worry about what would look best or not ruffle any feathers and lost track of "what is best for kids." Thanks for the reminder to keep my priorities straight.

KIRA Nowicki

9/3/2015 05:25:51 am

Mr. Keating’s unconventional teaching methods created a classroom setting where the students could learn as individuals. He taught without bias and without a “standardized” way of teaching and learning. This is an issue that is common in many classrooms today, oftentimes teachers are too concerned with delivering the mandatory information, that they lose focus or attention to how well the students actually understand the material. Mr. Keating invited his students into class discussions and demonstrations, where they could interact and display their understanding of the lesson. For students who did not wish to participate, rather than letting them sit idle to the conversation, he pushed them to share their opinions with the class as well. I believe this is a crucial method in teaching because, while the students, like myself, may not like it, it does provide the extra help they may need, but are too stubborn to ask for. When in a class where my teacher did not have these characteristics, I if felt detached, bored, and unfocused from the lesson and most of the time ended up googling for help on the homework that was passed out… or I just cried.

Irelynd Bone

9/4/2015 11:41:58 am

This is my first time watching DPS; however, I have wanted to watch it for a long and I now understand why. I truly admired Mr. Keating's teaching technique and one reason is because he is passionate about teaching. As a student., I feel it is a somewhat rare that I come across a teacher who actually enjoys what he or she is doing. This is usually the class where I memorize the material for the test, and then forget about it as soon as the test is over. Teachers who are not enthusiastic about teaching are presumably the classes that are easy to pass and do not capture my full attention. However, I have had a few experiences in which the teacher is passionate about what he or she does for a living. He or she knows how to keep most of the students intrigued by always doing different activity, similar to how Mr. Keating taught. These are the classes I always enjoy and constantly look forward to being in. I also admire how Mr. Keating went against conformity in his teaching. He disregarded the curriculum and taught how he wanted to, no matter what other teachers thought. I have not had this experience before. All of the teachers I have had follow a certain structure, but not all in the same way.

Lauren Kozlowski

9/6/2015 08:17:06 am

Mr. Keating’s teaching style is inspiring. He is the kind of teacher that would make me want to work harder and go above and beyond the expectations. He is able to attribute to each individual student and make a difference in the individual’s life. In my experiences, I have not had a teacher who has impacted me as much as Mr. Keating was able to impact his student’s. I feel that teachers are too quick to judge a situation just because we are teenagers and that most teachers do not recognize our individual struggles inside and outside the classroom. I believe that it is important to be understanding and not judgmental, to try to help not just push it aside, and to bring out the best in each individual. Teaching should not be black and white, nor should it be just one teaching method because each individual learns their own way.

Leann Pawlaczyk

9/6/2015 09:25:59 am

Mr. Keating displayed an array of teaching methods throughout the movie that completely opened my eyes to the possibilities that teachers have to change their students lives. Many teachers choose to come to school every day and ramble off disconnected lesson plans that suit their needs but not the needs of the students. If more teachers realized how much influence they can have on their students the standardized education system would be completely turned around. However, for a teacher to be able to influence their students they must be passionate in their career, which is an emotion I often see lacking in many of my past teachers. If teachers do not care, or at times even understand what they are teaching, how can they expect their students to care either. I have experienced a number of classes where it wasn't even necessary for the teacher to be in the classroom at the time of the lesson. Anyone can flip through a power point, but not anyone can present a lesson in a way that is going to get the students excited about learning. There are also some teachers that attempt to connect to their students, but only ever step out of the box in one direction. What works for some students may not work for all. Teachers need to be able to recognize that all classrooms of kids are not the same and therefore will not connect to lessons the same as each other. If a lesson plan is not going as well as a teacher had hoped they need to be able to adapt to the students in front of them even if that exact plan has worked perfectly for students in the past. Teachers are not only here to give facts and information of school subjects. They are here to inspire and motivate, which was extremely present in the teachings of Mr. Keating. What students often take away more from their teachers is not the day to day curriculum, but the life long lessons that students can take with them into every aspect of their lives. Thus, when you find a teacher that can connect to any and all of their students with school lessons and with life lessons, those are the teachers that are going to make a difference in students lives. Lastly, it is not the teachers job to tell their students what is always right or always wrong. I find that teachers sometimes push their own opinions onto students and that if any student disagrees they are looked down on. That is one of the largest reasons that I often did not speak up in class when I was younger. In my elementary school I had a teacher that would laugh at his students thoughts and opinions if they did not line up with his own or weren't fully thought out. This terrified me and paralyzed me to insert my own thoughts into any class discussions for a long time. For a teacher to be able to connect with their students, the students can not be afraid of being looked down on for their input, even if the ideas aren't fully thought through. One of the teachers most important jobs is to be able to, not force, but guild students through some of their ideas that may start out as messy but can be organized with collaboration of others ideas. No student should ever be ashamed for their opinions in class.

Miranda Hoskin

9/6/2015 03:59:48 pm

Mr. Keating had an admirable way of teaching information to his students. It is observable that he had a passion to teach, not just for the students to memorize, but for them to truly and deeply understand the information that is given to them. I believe that this should be the main goal of nearly all teachers. Not for kids to just repeat what the teacher says to get the points on a test, but for the kids to understand the information and be able to use it in their life. Mr Keating is passionate about his teaching. He enjoys to teach the students who have his class. I believe that being passionate about what you are teaching is one of the most important and necessary things when a teacher is given his or her job. A teacher who has no passion for his or her job is unlikely to be a helpful teacher. I have happened to get a teacher who was not passionate about his or her information and was not dedicated to help the students learn. All we did was look at our books and copy down the answers which were right in front of us. None of it has stayed in my memory. I believe that Mr Keating should be a role model for teachers to be dedicated to the experience and depth of learning for their students.

Natasha Kechnie

9/6/2015 04:45:58 pm

The focus of Mr. Keating's teaching methods were unusual because they do not focus on taking a test and getting a grade. His focus was to inspire his students, promote innovation, and make real connections with his students. Mr. Keating taught his students real life lessons such as finding your voice, changing your perspective on life, and individuality all through his teaching plans. Mr. Keating pushed all his students outside of their comfort zones by getting all of them involved in the class activity to ensure everyone understood his lesson. For a quiet student life myself I need to be pushed outside of my comfort zone in order to get involved in the class activity or discussion, which is exactly what Mr. Keating did. Another quality that Mr. Keating demonstrated that I think is a necessity in my ideal teacher is the ability to inspire or impact a student. Just knowing someone cares if you succeed or not outside of the classroom can be all the inspiration someone needs to reach their full potential. Past teachers who have threw worksheets and tests at me have made me work better independently forcing me to learn lessons on my own.

Annie Cunningham

9/7/2015 09:21:32 am

It is clear to many that learning objectives and key concepts are only part of what teachers teach. From the perspective of a young, pliable mind, adults may be expected to exhibit respect and stability. Perhaps they are expected to base their actions on years of personally attained wisdom. The ability to respectfully uphold one’s morals during the onslaught of personal values is one perception of strength.

In this light, Mr. Keating is valued highly for retaining his humble, composed demeanor while his skeptical colleague comments on his “lack” of presence in front of his first class. Later, when he is confronted once more by the same colleague, he remains respectful and calm despite the oppositions to his values as a person and as a teacher. It is fair to say many students admire the ability to handle situations in this way. Character is not to be taken lightly.

Through my experience as a student, I’ve come to appreciate a teacher’s ability to introduce an intense concept or discussion and have it diffuse through the rest of my classes. Lessons or concepts that keep you thinking are the most memorable by far. This kind of voluntary involvement is exciting for some students, whether the discussion is particularly mind-blowing or morbid.
Classes without this captivating quality have a habit of fading away and leaving little to no trace of importance or lingering curiosities. Those classes were completed for the sake of graduation requirements, not for knowledge. I’d rather seize the hour and make it memorable, because old time is still a-flying…

Antonio Annoni

9/7/2015 10:12:05 am

Mr. Keating had an orthodox form of teaching. He strived to get the students involved and have them be interested in what he was teaching them. He wished for his students to truly understand what he was teaching, not just memorize it for a test or quiz. He was very passionate and I respected that of him. There are not many teachers who will logo out of their way to teach like this. Most teachers are content with giving a worksheet or showing a pointless movie. This is not an effective way to teach, all it does is just try to force students to memorize the materials. I believe that I would enjoy having Mr. Keating as a teacher because it would push me out of my comfort zones and I feel like I would actually be grasping the information instead of memorizing it.

Antonio Annoni

9/7/2015 10:13:00 am

*unorthodox

Jane Schmid

9/7/2015 10:37:31 am

Mr. Keating's teaching style strongly reminded me of the style of a teacher I have had before. In the film, he allowed his students to rip out the part of their book called "Understanding Poetry" so they can interpret the book how they see fit and not be told how to analyze the work. During my junior year, I took multiple AP classes in which the teachers taught myself and my classmates how to really think about our work, not just fill in worksheets mindlessly, as so many teachers want their students to do. I believe this style of learning more independently benefits any student because it will teach responsibility and prepare students for life. I think I will be a better student in college from learning this way.
My ideal teacher would encourage myself and my classmates to think for ourselves and learn in our own way rather than simply filling in blanks, as my freshman biology teacher had us do, which did not teach me anything at all and put me behind other students who had had a different teacher for basic biology when I took AP biology last year. I have no doubt that I would have been more successful in that class last year if I had been taught in a different manner.

Carter Nikles

9/7/2015 11:17:23 am

Mr. Keating's teaching style is a bit unorthodox, and I can compare it to a teacher I had during junior year. This teacher was unorthodox in his approach of teaching as well, and I found that his style benefited me more so than any other teacher I have had before. Like Mr. Keating, this teacher also seemed to enjoy teaching. That is the difference between most teachers I have had before. They seem to think that assign homework that in reality is something to simply put in the grade book is something that will help us understand their respective class. It doesn't. The teacher I had last year allowed us much freedom in choosing how to study or complete our tasks, which helped me personally do well on tests and help develop a way to study and succeed on the AP Tests as well. The way Keating teaches is the way students are better able to remember information, not the way most teachers teach today.

Christian Evans

9/7/2015 12:00:29 pm

Mr. Keating's unorthodox teaching methods are almost required to properly understand literature and poetry. However there are some exeptions. In some subjects, algebra for example, you just have take a few days and take notes and memorize formulas. The key difference between literature and math is literature is not black and white; you can't simply learn the formulas for ideas. This makes it difficult to have a perfect teacher. For me, a Keating would be perfect for a literature class, but a note taking and explaining type of teacher would be ideal for math. In a previous going green elective, my teacher assigned us homework every day and would have us define vocabulary words every chapter. The tests had questions with statistical numbers we had to memorize. This is a horrible way to get the students to care about the Earth and she did the exact opposite of an effective teaching method.

Casey Boyd

9/7/2015 03:58:56 pm

As I am just beginning my last year of high school, I have come to realize that not only does every student learns differently but every teacher teaches differently. Teachers extend their personality and knowledge to educate students. Mr. Keating uses his personality and experiences to create a more interesting and innovative teaching environment. He makes the subject matters relatable and coerces the students into a deeper thinking state of mind. He teaches students not only the materials he is required to but also real life lessons like carpe diem. Even though I believe these are "strong" teaching skills, some people may not feel the same way. The ideal teachers are the ones who are willing to accommodate for any student and the learning style they like the best. They are there to benefit students' education and not to pass them by with decent grades. They are prepared to change styles if the way they are teaching is not effective for everybody. The teachers who usually are not willing to change are the ones that have the same crosswords and word searches that they assigned to students ten years ago. I do not know why they won't change but there is always another teacher there to make up for the misgivings. Ten mediocre teachers can never replace one teacher who has changed a life for the better. I feel extremely thankful for having at least three teachers who have taught more than coloring sheets and have educated me on the outside world.

Kara Pado

9/7/2015 10:26:21 pm

Mr. Keating's style of teaching, while it may be considered unorthodox, is not necessarily what some may describe as meaningless. In his teaching, he incorporates lessons to be taken on as you progress further in life, as shown especially by Neil and the other members of the reborn group, The Dead Poets Society. As he uses silly activities to convey his messages, his students learn to think for themselves, something new for the students at this school. The school itself seems to brainwash the attending students, where each student is expected to attend each class, pass with all A's, study right after the school day ends, and do as they are told, when they are told to do so. The school's expectations of the students, as well as the monotonous curriculum shown in the beginning of the movie, does not give the students the opportunity to think as an individual, unlike Mr. Keating. His teaching showed the boys how to think for themselves, rather than allowing themselves to be submerged into a meticulously crafted way of thinking. As a student, I prefer teachers with attitudes similar to Mr. Keating's. He not only teaches the students these life lessons, he also takes a personal interest into each student, shown when Neil confides in Mr. Keating for advice about his dad's reaction to his acting. Mr. Keating truly cares for his students, something not often found in today's education system. When a teacher is more interested in his student's learning, rather than passing a test, the student's truly do succeed more beyond the classroom, because those are the teacher's who, like Mr. Keating, are there because they love to teach.

Jack Caporuscio link

9/8/2015 11:21:03 am

Mr. Keating presented a countless array of strong, and unorthodox teaching methods throughout the film. One that presented itself immediately to me was his ability to pull hidden qualities out of each individual student. With the shy student, he was able to isolate him from the rest of the class in an intriguing way to show the student and everyone else that he was smart, and was a true poet. Another strong trait that presented itself which I have experienced in prior teachers is the ability to cut through all of the unnecessary content in a class. Mr. Keating making them rip out the pages of their books was the perfect example of this. He also displayed the trait of using movement and activities to learn better and in a different way, this allows for the brain to think harder and retain information better. The traits that I would like to have my ideal to have are very similar to Mr. Keating's traits. I enjoy having a teacher who is approachable one on one, and also a teacher that does not do things "by the book." That is what I would like my ideal teacher to present, but that is just me personally. In the past the teachers that I have had that did not present these traits did not bother me much, I just found that I was not as engaged in the class and did not retain nearly as much information or listen as much.

Brad Trott

9/8/2015 04:52:59 pm

Mr. Keating shows how unorthodox teaching methods help students understand that they do not need to live their lives like everyone else. There is no format, much like literature. In other subjects there is a definite answer, or a formula that you must follow in order to get the right answer. So life is sort of like literature in a way, there are multiple "right answers" as well as multiple ways to achieve that answer. Mr. Keating is able to express this with the way he teaches. He wants the students to get involved and I like that in a teacher, he truly wanted them to understand what he was teaching and why he was teaching it. As for teaching methods that I did not like, I really did not do much about, either way I was going ot do the work, it just took longer and was harder to understand what I was learning.

Brendan Flaim

9/8/2015 07:24:20 pm

Mr. Keating achieved the goal of making learning fun and enjoyable for his students.This allowed Mr. Keating to have the class pay attention and be willing to learn or even look forward to his class everyday. Another strong teaching trait was asking his students what they thought or believed it wasn't him feeding them information all day that they would most likely forget later on. He got his students involved. My idea teacher would be a teacher who listens to me and what i need from them. They would have to allow me to ask questions and if i needed it a little more one on one teacher to student time so then i can learn the material if class time isn't working for me. Over the years i have had some great teachers and some not so great. The not so great ones are teachers who usually expect the students to teach themselves. With the internet today some teachers will have students use the internet to learn the material with very little actual teaching by the teacher. I always thought this was lame because for me human to human interaction is more affective than watching another tutorial online. To overcome that problem i would usually collaborate with other students.

Annaliess Kielman

9/8/2015 09:14:35 pm

Mr. Keating displayed several strong traits that all teachers should have. He was different from the other staff; he tried to make the lessons more interesting, and he tried involving the students more. He went against authority and questioned their old ways. Mr. Keating made learning fun, and he adjusted his teaching to fit the needs of certain students. In the beginning, he gave not a brief introduction, but a descriptive, personal intro that connected him to his students. He made them feel equal, and not completely powerless. He was humorous and that kept the students involved. It made them laugh, and it sparked imagination. He was not monotone; he worked to get the audience engaged and he kept their attention but varying his tones and his teaching forms. He was an odd teacher, but he did what he had to to get the kids to learn. Mr. Keating was dedicated and took his job very seriously (but he still had fun.) He loved teaching and that always helps the learning process. I want my ideal teacher to be able to question authority. They don't need to go with the flow. I want them to use as many examples as needed, until the point is clear. They should be funny and intriguing. One of the biggest traits I look for, is a connection. Teachers that sit behind their desk and teach word-for-word what the book says cannot understand that students need that connection in order to actually retain the information. Past teachers have bad habits of trailing off on a different subject and completely forgetting about what should be being taught. They have been very monotone and it is a struggle to pay attention for the whole hour long class. They keep the same schedule; first they start with attendance, then last night's homework, then open to - - page, then do problems ___ - ___. If teachers take the time to make it interesting, students take more time to understand it and actually learn it. They will remember it past the next test date. I've had to learn a lot of subjects on my own because the teachers were not involved enough. They would offer help, but it really wasn't any "help." I have had to get together with friends, and we would teach each other. I go online and look up tons of information. This helped me cope with those difficult teachers.

Raina Gregg

9/5/2016 04:12:09 pm

Mr. Keating shows many aspects of a strong teacher throughout the movie. The most important traits that were shown are the ability to engage with the students, get students interested in their own learning, and show why teaching a certain subject is important not only to pass a test, but to positively impact the future of the student. Mr Keating is also able to make learning enjoyable for the students which makes them want to learn more. The ideal teacher, in my opinion, does not sit at a desk everyday and force their students to figure their classwork out on their own. Instead, the teacher is as interested in their student's learning as the student should be. The ideal teacher is passionate about the subject they teach. When dealing with teachers who do not have these attributes, the student must go out of their way to learn for themselves. Some teachers do not seem to care for their students learning and when dealing with those teachers, one must work harder and wait the class out.

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