Maya Angelou’s excerpt from “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” will imaginatively take a reader away from their deskbound position to envisioning the stage of a play ornamented with fashioned rabbits, buttercups, and daisies, hearing children as they actively perfect their performance, and stimulate the readers’ appetite with the expressive words she uses to describe sweet whiffs of cinnamon and chocolate from the food samples being prepared. From Angelou’s portrayal of the play an individual will be capable of picturing white rabbits crafted from construction paper and cotton balls modelling puffy tails, together with, yellow and pink card board cut outs resembling buttercups and daisies decking a stage. The person who reads this excerpt
Some may say that educational systems are superior, however, some can argue that the educational system needs a change. Francine Prose’s purpose in “I Know Why The Caged Bird Cannot Read” stood out clearly, to inform parents on how the current system of education is ineffective to young learners. Her use of words, ethos, logos and pathos appeals to educators and students to inspire change in their education standards. Prose wittingly begins her essay with a shocking opening paragraph; her strong language in which attacks the various works of literature.
James Baldwin wrote “A Talk to Teachers” in the early 1960s for the purpose of publicizing the “current”, “very dangerous…menace” that plagues our country - our educational system. As Baldwin develops his argument, he utilizes various historical prejudices that have been criminally ignored in the classroom and the effects that these lies have had on our society as a whole. To him, hiding our country’s scars threatens our nation as the majority of that generation grows up ignorant and complacent - a generation that “will simply obey the rules of society”. History has shown that if people fail to fight for the truth and fail to fight for change, then our “society [will] perish.” Through various examples, Baldwin illustrates that the only way
Lora E. Vess’s “Examining Race & Racism in the University: A Class Project” is, for the most part, a clear example of writing in the social sciences, while John Streamas’s “Narrative Politics in Historical Fictions for Children” follows the writing conventions for the humanities discipline. Writing in the social sciences and humanities present different ideas and perform different tasks for their readers; Vess’s article tended to guide the reader through her conducted experiment, and she writes to achieve her goals. Streamas’s article presented the reader with his opinions on the subject, and was intended to almost persuade the reader to think about what exactly he is saying. Writing in the humanities and social sciences will almost always have different rhetorical situations, and Vess’s “Examining Race & Racism in the University: A Class Project” and Streamas’s “Narrative Politics in Historical Fictions for Children” clearly divide the line between the two
I was amazed by the courage of Jane Elliot, and awed by the outcome of her discrimination lesson as I watched A Class Divided. In the beginning, it was painful to see the children suffer from the experience of discrimination, but the lesson taught them a beautiful thing – the intrinsic value of human life and the dignity of every human being. I believe that with such profound a lesson, it was/is an experience worth suffering through. Discrimination is an idea constructed in peoples’ minds, creating concrete barriers that are difficult to overcome. Elliot, constructed the thought that blue-eyed, then brown-eyed, people were superior into the minds of her students, and it was powerful enough to cause a divide amongst the children.
In I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, the section I chose to analyze was chapter 36. In this particular chapter Maya feels alone, like her world is crumbling down around her. She didn't know how to approach the fact she was pregnant and about to have a baby. When she told daddy Clidell, he assured Maya that she “nothing to worry about”Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
‘A Talk to Teachers’ by James Baldwin published on December 21, 1963 in New York was a message to teachers on how they are allowing the injustices of African-Americans to continue through the educational system. Baldwin ultimately wants the prejudice to end through the educational system. His tone tends to change but wants to evoke a sense of urgency to make teachers fix up the educational systems’ views on African-Americans and the false history that is being taught about them. Baldwin ultimately builds his credibility by using his own personal experience from going through the same educational system the present children go through today Baldwin starts off by listing injustices within the treatment of African-Americans ranging from when slavery
People throughout their lives are constantly discovering who they are and who they want to grow into. The same statement accurately describes Maya Johnson, a strong woman who wrote about her life in her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. As a little girl, her mother’s ex-boyfriend raped and she had to rediscover herself whilst navigating through the grim veil of trauma - a process that burdened her for many years. Throughout her life, she encountered many different people, some good, others bad, but they each helped her eventually discover her identity. ‘Identity’ is how people define themselves as a human being, and, therefore, nobody else can dictate it.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by: Maya Angelou I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was written in 1969 by the renowned poet, Maya Angelou. Although a poet, Maya Angelou wrote this novel not as a poem, but as an autobiography. In the autobiography, there are many ways that the two children, Maya and Bailey, feel emotional exile in their lives.
Reflecting on my educational and practical experiences, I appreciate the infinite influence that teachers have on children. I realise that children will take the skills and knowledge learnt in the classroom and use it throughout their lives. I know a teacher has to deal with many daily pressures and challenges, in the classroom. However, I feel I require the skills needed to deal with these challenges. As a teacher I hope not only to be an educator but a positive role model, whom the children can look up to and trust.
Right off the bat, for me, I see teaching as a way to spread your love for a subject(s) while making an impact on students lives. Students will
We will attempt to critically examine the forms of racism and classism experienced in the classrooms today, and seek out a solution to lessening these forms of injustices in school communities. Firstly, this is related to education in that the act of treating someone differently, usually in a negative manner, is still
The movie “Freedom Writers” presents itself as a movie that challenges stereotypes and stigmas against students who come from stigmatized backgrounds. While the film addresses some problematic assumptions, it also exacerbates other stereotypes and misconceptions. The film “Freedom Writers” begins with the intention to disprove the idea that students from certain ethnic and racial backgrounds are “unteachable,” but the narrative of the movie contains many errors in the depiction of the students and the portrayal of the teacher. The depiction of the students is problematic because the actors are much older than the age of the children they are expected to be portraying.
I believe that teaching is an opportunity to change the world one student at a time and is one of the most important jobs available to regular people. Being a teacher is a blessing and having the opportunity to work with amazing kids and influence their understanding is the most valuable skill I have to offer. Teaching means giving students the skills to succeed in their future endeavors. All students have the ability to learn and should have access to a quality education. Every student should know that they are special and that they can achieve success.
As a teacher, education is my passion; it is the highest priority and main value in life. Education is a topic that is consistently changing and growing due to economic and social changes. To be the best teacher I can be it is my job to change and grow along with the differences made in education and to do so I can participate in Professional Developments. Learning does not stop after college classes are over, I will continue to learn and grow for the rest of my teaching profession.
