Impression Of Welton Preparatory School example essay topic

Attitudes Towards Education in "The Dead Poet's Society" - Was Keating a good teacher? How do you explain his appeal to the boys? When considering the context of 'Dead Poet's Society', it quickly becomes evident that Keating's classes are unconventional for such a conservative high school such as Welton Preparatory School. The film is set in the second half of the 1950's and in rural America. The Hilton Preparatory School is an exclusive private school with a strong sense of reputation and tradition, and the school's success is based on rigid educational system and strict discipline. The Welton students simply conformed to the school's rules and expectations.

Keating's classes do not fit in such a conservative environment. Our first impression of Keating's class is when he instructs the students to rip an entire chapter from their poetry textbook. In the student's facial expressions there is a mixture of shock and surprise, as their new teacher instructs them to do something they would never even consider. Weir foreshadows Keating will find himself in trouble for his teaching methods when another teacher peers through Keating's classroom window and sees the students throwing paper around the classroom and he mistakenly believes they are being unsupervised when he enters the room, only to find Keating is in the classroom also. He is also shocked that Keating would allow such rowdy behavior in his classroom.

Consequently, this sets a precedent in the classroom and Keating's idealism for freethinking, creativity and non-conformity pushes his teaching methods beyond the norms and expectations of Welton. Throughout the film the audience witnesses how unconventional Keating's classes are. Every class that is shown in the film is rather different because he uses different strategies and aids to get his message across to the students. For his idea of the importance of having a different perspective on things, he asks the students to step on his desk and be aware of the different view they have from that elevated position. For his idea on the importance of non-conformity and individualism, he used the playground and the boys' walks to show why they should be make their own decisions and be themselves. To get students to appreciate literature he used alternative methods again, such as performing lines from Shakespeare, and randomly shouting out a famous literary quote before kicking a soccer ball.

When everyone has had their go, he puts on a record of Beethoven, and they play game of soccer. Keating is an energetic and active teacher who is able to stimulate his students' minds with his passion and knowledge for his subject matter. Although his unconventional methods initially may have seemed strange to the boys, he was able to win them over his honesty, relaxed character and his youthful manner. Hence, he was very approachable to his students, as they were able to confide in him - something they could not do with other teachers. In many ways, Keating was regarded by his students as 'one of the boys'. The fact that he did not follow what other teachers did or said, made him also appealing.

Even though he successfully brought out the inner being and expression of his students, Keating should have been a little more careful with his teaching methods and manner. He may have been too idealistic in promoting freethinking, individuality and non-conformity within the school and community that was highly conservative. Most of his students came from conservative backgrounds and he was teaching his students not only to go against the school conventions but also their families' expectations. You are the parent of a child at Welton Preparatory School. Write an explanation to your son of your attempts to influence his education.

- Does the film suggest other reasons for parents' involvement in their children's education? Parents exert the most influence at the pre-adolescent stages of a child's life. It becomes a lot more lenient and gradually fades away as the child undertakes adolescence and passes that stage. The question is not how much you can influence the child, but if what kind of influence.

Children are constantly being influenced passively, both positively and negatively, as you set a precedent in the household by your habits, personality, interests and desirable qualities. Positive influence is how you direct your son to become someone who would fulfill your ambitions and desirable qualities, thus what kind of person you want him to become. As a parent, I have been motivating and support my son constantly, and monitoring him to ensure that he is making positive progress in his life, and to see what areas he is skills and gifted in. Helping a child see his giftedness is very motivating. My primary objective is to set a precedent for my son, intended to discipline him without screaming at him.

Speaking quietly with a normal tone of voice even when I am angry is better for discipline because it helps my son to see how to handle anger appropriately. If you don't shout at your son, they are less likely to shout at you. I have encouraged my son to read biographies about successful people. As he learns about the traits that made others successful, it will motivate him to adopt those same success patterns. This also applies to setting a precedent, as it will make him follow my example. Car time to talk with my son has been an effective way of communication, as there is no phone or TV to interfere, no one can get up and leave, and I know he has my ear.

Talking at dinner is also effective, but showing off my desirable qualities to my son is better as this encourages him to ask me questions. Incentives had played a major role in motivating my son to be more productive, such as giving him money and his wants if he satisfies my wants. What I say to my and how you say it will set the tone and goals of his life for years to come. In brief, I used encouragement freely and criticism very seldom, and I believe my son has become someone I had always hoped for. What impression of Welton Preparatory School do you gain from the film? What are the values of the school?

- How do we find out about these as the story is told? Welton Academy is a respected preparatory school with a strong reputation. It is very conservative which serve as a high school for parents who insist on sending their children to the best universities. The impression of the school that is gained from the film is the strong sense of tradition, honor, discipline and excellence, which is based on the rigid educational system that is almost dictorial, with the Headmaster and the teachers enforcing their ways of running the school, with no objections accepted from the students.

Welton Academy's extent in publicity is always reinforced in the film, and when there is something that can affect its reputation, it either covers it up, or it finds someone to blame. The school did not want to be questioned in Neil's death, so they needed to drive the public's attention away from themselves to Keating. This maintains Welton's positive reputation.